Government's Driver Training

[Turbofalke]

I know this topic has been raised in other threads, but the recent anouncement made by our illustrious leaders might be worth some discussion.

The below is an extract from TheAge 15th Dec:

Government ministers and road and transport industry officials are in Canberra for a road safety forum which is expected to approve an innovative trial intended to boost the skills of young drivers.

That will involve 7,000 newly licensed drivers in NSW and the same number in Victoria who will undergo an eight week intensive course, delivered in a series of short modules.

Opening the conference, federal transport minister and deputy prime minister John Anderson said young Australian males were 10 times more likely to die while on their P-plates than males in their 40s.

"It is plainly something the nation wants addressed," he said.

"Today is very genuine attempt to extend the debate, to put everything at the table, to look at the best practice and best ideas that have come forward in Australia.

"We are drawing on the best international experience. That too, clearly will offer us ways forward, because we are not world's best in terms of driver training."

Federal Roads Minister Jim Lloyd said he wanted to see a national approach to road safety.

"I really don't want to see different states coming up with different proposals," he said.

"If we can have a best practice model that works for all Australia, that would be a great achievement and a first for Australia."

NSW is already moving to restrict young drivers from high performance vehicles and to limit some young licence holders from carrying more than one passenger.

NSW Roads Minister car Scully said both moves would be implemented next year with young drivers holding P1 licences banned from driving V8 engine powered cars as well as all supercharged and turbo-charged vehicles such as the popular Subaru WRX.

Under the driver training trial, 14,000 P-platers will undergo special driver training aimed at making them understand their own limitations. The objective is a national driver education scheme by 2007.

The forum stems from a government election promise, spurred by headlines highlighting a series of road crashes involving young people in high performance cars.

Information released by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau shows that 17-25 year-olds comprised 25 per cent of all road deaths in 2003.

That's actually an improvement. In 1989, 17-25 year-old made up 34 per cent of all driver deaths.

The problem is overwhelmingly one for young males who last year represented six per cent of the population but 20 per cent of road deaths.

Neither is this just Australia's problem.

With a road death rate of 18.5 per 100,000 population for 18-24 year-olds in 2002, Australia sits mid-way in a list of European Union nations with France at the top with 30.6 and Sweden at the bottom with 14.

<end>

Personally I think this is a good idea with exception of "Banning" P platers from driving V8's etc (let the insurance companies deal with this one), in any case it's miles ahead of the Bracks idea to limmit speedos to 130km/h :smilelove:

Interested to hear your thoughts.

[thebrunks]

They should be banned from diving V8's and turbo charged motor cars (Except turbo charged diesels)

Actually I reckon up to the age of at least 25 they should be banned from high performance vehicles!

Russ

[Guest]

your post was to long to read for now but any driver training has gotta be good

[ExAreSix]

Fully support the idea. Should have happened yrs ago.

BUT from what I understand, the students are expected to cough up and pay for the course. I don't agree with this. All that revenue from speeding fines should go back into covering the costs.

If it is to be mandatory for all P platers to do the course, then the government, and we as tax payers, should pay for it.

[Falchoon]

About time the government looked at actually getting people to be taught to drive rather than just pass a driving test.

Should be compulsary licence retesting every 5 years including theory (road rules etc) as well.

[Trumpy]

I dont have a problem with the students having to pay at least some of the cost of the course.

If it is a free thing, then students may not take on as serious an attitude towards learning than if they have coughed up their hard-earned.

If they are made to contribute, perhaps they will value their license more highly, and as a result drive with more caution.

Lets face it, most kids by that stage have part time jobs, and surely putting up a hundred or so buckeroos is not outrageous.

However, also fully agree that all speed camera revenue must be put back into road and safety programs for all road users, whether that means retraining and retesting regularly, or road upgrades, etc.

[FORDXR]

I hold in my hand a signed letter from the Minister of Roads Hon Carl Scully MP addressed to me.

Dated 9/11/2004

Stating that. Driver training can lead to a higher accident involvement through over confidence.

“a number of studies of “advanced and “defensive” driver training courses have found that such courses tend not to address the real underlying causes of crashes and can lead to higher accident involvement through over confidence and “optimism bias” (drivers thinking they are invincible)”

I will be posting the full reply from the minister on my web-page, but I will wait for the OK from Chris before I post the link.

[BlueXR6Turbo]

I dont have a problem with the students having to pay at least some of the cost of the course.

If it is a free thing, then students may not take on as serious an attitude towards learning than if they have coughed up their hard-earned.

If they are made to contribute, perhaps they will value their license more highly, and as a result drive with more caution.

Lets face it, most kids by that stage have part time jobs, and surely putting up a hundred or so buckeroos is not outrageous.

I certainly wouldn't have been able to afford it at that age. Getting normal driving lessons was expensive enough.

The problem I see from a safety perspective of getting drivers to pay for the course themself, is that they will try to get through it as quickly as possible to minimise the cost, rather than doing the driving course as thoroughly as possible.

[-carty]

I agree with trumpy, if its free, kids that are "hoons" will go to the driver training and just have fun with the tyres, because since its not thier car and they cant get in trouble with it (because its driver training)

[slikxr6t]

It's good to see that finally the Government is getting the message. Hopefully they'll give this initiative the support it deserves and, in turn, curb their love affair with the speed camera. Good instruction has to make some difference and will hopefully give the boy racers out there an insight into how easy it is to turn yourself into a statistic.