Driving tests must be much more stringent and include a phychological assessment before issuing drivers licences. We are seeing incidents with P/Platers where other responsible drivers and their passengers are being killed or maimed. Perhaps the licensing age is too young
L-plater driving courses to slash 20 hours of practise under NSW cabinet approved plan
- From:The Daily Telegraph
- March 19, 2012
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Major change for L-plate drivers to be announced. Picture: Dave Highet Source: The Daily Telegraph
LEARNER drivers can practise for 20 hours less – if they take a safe driving course, the government will announce today.
State cabinet has approved a policy that allows L-platers under 25 to cut their practice hours from 120 to 100 if they finish the optional course successfully.
The course is being developed by a board of road safety and education experts, chaired by VicRoads former director of road safety Eric Howard.
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It is expected to be made up of five hours of combined on-road training and classroom education and will focus on safe driving practices as well as driver attitudes.
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The proposal was mooted before the state government came to power and yesterday Roads Minister Duncan Gay said he was pleased the government was on its way to developing the course.
“Sadly young people are over represented in fatalities related to speeding and poor decision making while driving,” he said.
“This will give young and inexperienced drivers the opportunity to have hands-on practice with experienced instructors.”
The policy approved by cabinet said the course’s design would be based on recent road safety research, and would be available across NSW.
L-platers under 25 currently have to log 120 hours of driving before they can qualify for their red P-1 licence.
The Auditor-General has found the number of fatal crashes involving young drivers has gone down since learner drivers were made to graduate from their L, P-1 and P-2 licences before getting a full licence. The auditor-general also found high-risk behaviour in young drivers contributed to their over-representation in fatal crashes.
The government estimates that 95,000 learner drivers would be eligible for the safe drivers course each year.
Learner drivers are currently able to reduce their log-book hours by completing structured classes with an instructor.
A one-hour lesson with a certified instructor is the equivalent of three hours practice with parents, family members or other holders of a full licence.
But under the scheme, announced by the previous government in December 2009, L-platers can only use this method of fast-tracking their experience for up to 10 lessons.
The latest policy was approved by cabinet after research showed some risks taken by young drivers were about bad choices, not driving skill.
That is why the government has said the safe driving course would also be about changing attitudes as well as enhancing on-road skills.
About 43 per cent of drivers under 26 are found to have been speeding when involved in fatal crashes, compared with 23 per cent of drivers aged over 26.
Mr Gay said the board of safety experts would report back on its findings by August.