One L of a result for young Joe at the MPG Marathon

You may remember the unusual story of the learner driver who entered this year’s MPG Marathon. The marathon which celebrates greener driving styles, finished yesterday evening after the success of its youngest ever entrant was finally secured, proving that young drivers aren’t all reckless, foot heavy drivers.

Seventeen-year old Joe Durkin from Falmouth, Cornwall, achieved 59.71mpg in his Chevrolet Aveo 1.2S – an improvement of over 16 per cent against the car’s already thrifty 51.4mpg official combined figure, putting him ahead of a number of more experienced drivers in the economy run, including a former outright winner.

The event took in a 360-mile route through the East and West Midlands, including some challenging inclines and tricky B-roads, all of which were perfect practice for the event’s youngest ever competitor.

“I wanted to prove that not all young drivers are irresponsible and careless,” explained Joe, an apprentice marine engineer. “In the area where I live there are an above average number of road deaths involving younger drivers, so I wanted to demonstrate that a responsible and smooth approach to driving will not only save you a packet, but is also a cool thing to do.”

Joe entered a Chevrolet Aveo 1.2S with styling kit in the event; a car perfect for younger drivers thanks to its neat looks but low running costs. The model is currently available for £8,995, and drivers aged 21 or over can benefit from free insurance.

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“It’s a really smart car,” said Joe. “It was great to drive on this event, as the controls were really light, which made it ideal for driving economically.”

Joe, who has his test scheduled for later in the year, was praised by Devon and Cornwall traffic officers Malcolm Curnow and Chris Crebo, who also entered the economy run. They said he was an ‘ambassador for younger drivers’.

“Lads my age often get a bad press,” he said. “I wanted to prove that you can be cool and responsible at the same time, and the MPG Marathon was a great way of doing it.”

Author: Faye Sunderland, October 2nd, 2009
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