May 27, 2008

Manitoba Public Insurance crowns new Driver Ed Challenge champion

Cal Vanderschuit of Erickson Collegiate outscored 44 other competitors to win the fifth annual Manitoba Public Insurance Driver Ed Challenge. Thanks to his perfect score of 400 points Vanderschuit was awarded the first-place $1,500 scholarship.

Shea Lerner of Winnipeg’s Gray Academy and Jonathan Baril of Winnipeg’s River East Collegiate rounded out the top three finishers. They were awarded scholarships of $1,000 and $500, respectively.

The 2008 final was staged on Saturday, May 24 at Winnipeg’s Red River Exhibition Park. Competitors’ scores were determined by their performance on four, driving activity courses.

The competition was open to every current Driver Education student holding a learner’s licence, and course graduates who were still in high school as of May 2008 and who hold a learner’s or intermediate licence. Thousands of entrants took part in the first phase of the competition, an online driving quiz.

Lou Gervino, Manager of Manitoba Public Insurance’s Driver Education and Training Program, explained that the Driver Ed Challenge has become a highly popular contest for students.

“Driver Education provides a solid foundation of road safety training for young drivers, and the annual competition is a way to recognize those who strive for excellence,” Gervino said.

This fall, about 13,000 students in 160 schools are accessing practical on-the-road and classroom driving instruction from locally based instructors through the Driver Education program.

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