The Daily Mercury reported that the reason behind it is to help “Queensland’s most vulnerable drivers to stay safe on the roads”.

“The Learn2go app allows young drivers to learn the essential driving skills and to record their on-road experience in an efficient and practical way,” RACQ Group CEO, Ian Gillespie, said.

Of course, some of the new technology wrinkles are still being ironed out.

We have some more information on the Keys2Drive lesson offer on our site, another initiative by the Queensland Government to motivate young drivers to start driving lessons and further driving learning.

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“Driver training focused on vehicle handling skills can make drivers more efficient at vehicle handling; however this does not necessarily make them safer since they may become over-confident,” the research paper stated.

A positive finding did result however… Paper author, Dr Vanessa Beanland, said that professional driving lessons and resilience training (i.e. attitudes to risky behaviour such as alcohol and drug use) were found to improve road safety.

The research also found that learner drivers were less likely to crash when supervised by a professional, rather than a relative or friend.

“Crashes do occur during professional lessons, however, they are less serious, most are low-speed crashes in urban areas, such as rear-end collisions, whereas during lay supervision high speed crashes in rural areas are more common,” the paper said.

Northside Driver Training thinks that learner drivers perhaps feel less nervous around a professional, unbiased instructor, who is not ever going to yell, swear, or worry over rookie mistakes.

While parents may think teaching their son or daughter to drive “saves money”, when they consider that $600 is the average insurance excess for motor vehicle damage by a driver under 24, and that the chance of accident rises with nervousness, then the price of a few lessons is minor in comparison. North Brisbane Driving Lessons start from just $60 each, or less for multiple lessons.

Source: BrisbaneTimes Driving News, April 2012.

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That’s why it’s so strange when it all goes wrong when novices take a driving test. The most recent was a Korean women inadvertently made a YouTube hit, by rolling the vehicle within 10 seconds of getting in the car to take the test. The instructor was shouting “brake, brake”, but she couldn’t aim straight, much less know which pedal the brake was!!  (Full story here)

The Aussie Ute – an Icon, but not one for the Unwary Driver

No-one injured when this ute crashed into a living room in Mill Park, Vic, June 2013. (news.com.au)

Taking a test in a high-powered vehicle can have its downsides. One teen boy in 2011 crushed his own mother’s legs (she was outside sitting) as he pulled into the Transport and Main Roads at Zillmere, mistaking the accelerator for the brake. That was at the end of his Driving Test, and nearly the end of her leg, but surgery saved it. It seems a wee bit dangerous doing driving a ute with a bullbar when he was inexperienced.

After reading of six fatalities involving just utes over the past two years, one could say that the false sense of security provided by utes are just that – false. Other tragedies involve an unlicensed teen driving a farm ute just a little way (Ophelia Silcox, 14, died). Another ute driver (65, NSW) ploughed into a motorcyclist, killing him in 2011. He had not held a license since 1970. And he was drunk (0.2). Um, no license means no driving…

Whether you learn to drive in a safe, dual-controlled car with a qualified instructor, and do the test in a similar vehicle, or whether you take out a vehicle built for off-roading with huge bullbars, legally it’s up to you. But remember these stories, and remember to get your license safely.

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There is already a ban on young drivers using high-powered vehicles, and this is yet another step to ensure young people can drive well on our busy roads. All these measures will hopefully aid to curtail the fatality rate in this age group, which is twice that of drivers over 25.

Reverse parking and hill starts will no longer be the main bugbears to master, as they shift down the priority list.

Northside Driver Training believes that high-speed merging into lanes is one of the key aspects to practice in driving lessons and supervised driving. This is because nervous drivers often slow right down while merging, perhaps unsure if others will give way, and may become a hazard to others if hesitant on a busy highway.

Passing your drivers test will become even trickier next year. “About two thirds of the 110,000 tests held in Queensland each year currently score a pass mark, but that is predicted to fall as more novice drivers face rejection under the tougher test”, The Courier Mail reports.

Tip: How to Merge Safely

What is the rule about merging lanes? It depends on if the lane is marked.

Merging with lines. Dept TMR Qld.

On roads where there are lanes marked on the road, if your lane comes to an end, you must give way to traffic already in the lane you are moving to. (See Image 1, TMR, Qld).

Tip from Department of Transport and Main Roads: When entering a motorway, look for a gap between the vehicles in the closest lane and safely build up speed on the on-ramp, so you enter at the traffic’s speed.

Merging without lines. Dept TMR Qld

But, on roads where there are no lanes marked on the road, when lines of traffic merge, you must give way to any vehicle that is ahead of you. (See Image 2, TMR, Qld)

While it is common courtesy to allow a driver into the lane if their own lane ends, it’s always better to take the defensive position on the road.

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People used to have more courtesy on the road, but now everyone is in a hurry to get to school or work. One lady has said that she cannot judge the gaps to get across one road to a main road (Victoria Ave) at 9am because many people are speeding through the 40km/h school zone! There are many young children about and there could be a tragic accident one day.

So what can we do about this problem? Let’s explore two options.

Answer 1: Driving Lessons around Redcliffe area

If you are 17 to 22 or are newly here from overseas, then you might not have much experience on our roads. Driving lessons from a patient, professional instructor is surely going to help you become a skilled and aware driver.

The Government’s ‘Keys 2 Drive’ program also allows one free lesson for new learners, once registered, and it focusses on defensive skills.

Driving schools that are small and caring, like Northside Driver Training, aid new drivers to pass their driving test more easily – but also to be safe on the road. We may advise you to get some more practice before taking the test, and this is the kind of unbiased advice that helps drivers long term.

Answer 2: Defensive Driving Course

If you’ve been driving for years but keep having near misses or small crashes, then an answer for you could be a Defensive Driving course. Or you could just need one lesson to update your defensive skills.
If you’re a nervous driver who wants to learn about driving defensively, then tell your driving instructor on your first lesson. He or she will assess you on your first driving lesson for skills, and teach you low-risk driving techniques in a safe dual-controlled environment.

Whether you’ve been driving a little or a lot, making a safe U-turn is just one of the things you must practice, and later on, defensively merging into a lane is another practical skill.

Northside Driver Training does teach defensive driving methods and gives you practice on our busy Redcliffe and Pine Rivers roads.

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Choosing a Supervisor or Instructor

RACQ also offer sound advice on choosing a Driving Instructor and choosing a Supervisor (you can have both of course). Let’s hope you’ve got access to a patient and helpful supervising driver…  If you haven’t got a regular supervisor who holds a Class C open license for at least one year, perhaps it is best to hire a patient and accredited driving instructor for those much-needed skill-building driving lessons. Look no further than Northside Driver Training, where all our instructors are accredited and have many years of instruction experience.

The RACQ also gives free 12-month memberships to 16 and 17-year olds (called Free2Go) which helps out with roadside assistance, free L or P driver plates, and discounts on vehicle inspections/car insurance, retail discounts, free maps, etc. Free2Go membership with RACQ is also offered half price for 18 and 19 year olds.

Lessen Your Youth Driving Risks

And if you’re a responsible young driver who wants to lessen their risks (and prevent your parents having stress and worry over your driving), then the Risks and Facts guide is for you. Some of the advice for avoiding becoming a road statistic is very straightforward:

• Always watch your speed

• Wear a seatbelt (that applies to everyone in the car),

• Don’t drink/take drugs before driving or allow a driver to,

• Don’t use any mobile phone while driving (even hands-free), and

• Don’t drive when tired.

As an ‘oldie’ it’s been my pleasure to teach many young people to drive and see them graduate through the practical driving skills. But I still remember hearing of the horrific crashes in my teen years and in every case, it was a lapse in one of the above that killed a friend (except for mobiles, we didn’t have them then). Stay safe, and keep alert while driving.

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This type of accident is bound to happen again, considering the many youths in North Lakes, Deception Bay and Rothwell that are bored, unsupervised and careless. We suggest thinking about finding a good North Lakes Driving School for your teen.

If a concerned parent had ensured their teen had driving lessons, then these reckless driving incidents would probably happen less often. The more serious that parents take the driver training of their sons and daughters, including providing some paid lessons and some positive steps towards getting their driving license, the more likely it is that youths won’t need to go careening off in someone else’s stolen vehicle unlicensed, unskilled, and place many lives in danger.

We suggest that paid lessons and help to get a pass on the license test are positive steps towards becoming an independent adult. It may be tempting to hold back that independence, try to ‘save’ on lessons and prevent panel damage to the family car, however, this can have a terrible affect on teens who need that outlet for their independence. Far better to persuade your child to do a Defensive Driving course, take some lessons, and perhaps promise half towards their own jalopy when they get the Provisional licence, than to get some very sad news of them taking their own ‘joy ride’.

While a few hundred dollars may seem a lot now, think of how a reputable North Lakes driving school can result in safer driving, less arguments, and most importantly, the saving of more young lives.

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Transport Minister Scott Emerson commented that younger drivers are more at risk, so they have to be more prepared and educated when it comes to fatalities on our roads.

“Last year 84 young drivers aged 16 to 24 were involved in fatal crashes – five ahead of the previous year,” he told the International Business Times.

So rather than focussing on reverse parking, new checks during the driving test will be on how the driver handles high-risk manoeuvres – such as turning across oncoming traffic and merging safely into busy lanes at high speed.

We at Northside Driver Training applaud these changes, which serves to highlight the focus on defensive driving that we already have in our driving lessons, especially within the busy environ of north Brisbane.

These driving test changes will not come into effect until mid-2014, so there is plenty of time for new drivers to brush up on their high level driving skills.

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News.com.au Confidential reports that the Frenchman took a driving lesson in his silver Renault Koleos. Nice ride, but we at Northside Driver Training prefer to instruct new drivers in a late model Suzuki Swift, with dual controls and a really small turning circle.

Manu’s story proves that you don’t need to be young to brush up on driving skills and get your licence.

In fact, if you grew up in another country, you may be quite nervous about Australian roads and rules.

The good news is, the more you have a patient and courteous instructor with you while driving, the more comfortable you will become with our system and driving defensively in general. A good driving instructor will let you know all those little tips about driving in lanes, who gives way in a roundabout, driving slowly past schools, and so on.

What About Young Drivers?

We have all heard about the devastation caused after a car crashed that was driven by a youth without a licence or only on their Learners. Young guys and girls really want to drive and often will disregard their own safety (and a few laws) to have a go. While driving lessons may seem unaffordable to some sectors of the population in the Moreton Bay area, if it potentially saves the life of your son or daughter to drive a little better and react defensively, then it is well worthwhile.

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