Parents: learn to love your learner
By NRMA Insurance
22 November 2006
Learner drivers may not be getting enough experience in a wide range of conditions,
with new research by NRMA Insurance showing some parents are reluctant to teach
their children to drive.
Over 40 per cent of parents revealed they had relied on others to supervise their
children learning to drive*. However, research has also shown that learner drivers
who increase their supervised on-road experience can reduce their crash risk by
up to 40 per cent in the first two years of driving.**
NRMA Insurance Road Safety Manager, Pam Leicester, said a critical part of learning
to drive safely is on-road experience but almost 40 per cent of parents who don't
play a role in teaching their children to drive think leaving it solely to professionals
is better for their children.
“Learners need much more experience than most people would be able to accumulate
with a driving instructor so parents really have a role to play in supervising their
children’s on-road driving experience.
“We encourage learner drivers to aim for 120 hours of supervised experience and
a combination of supervision from parents, professional instructors, other family
members or friends is the best way to achieve this,” she said.
The research also indicates that those taught to drive by their parents were more
likely to experience a broader range of driving conditions including dusk, night
time, highways, and dirt roads as there is greater opportunity for practice sessions
in varying conditions.
To encourage parents to spend more time on the road with their learner drivers,
NRMA Insurance waives the young driver age excess for learner drivers if involved
in a collision, providing they are accompanied by a full licensed driver aged 25
or older.
“Parents are in the fortunate position of having greater flexibility in providing
supervised practice in conditions such as wet weather and after dark,” Ms Leicester
said.
“You don’t want your children experiencing new conditions for the first time when
they are on their Ps and driving alone. Get your children out on the road as much
as possible and make sure they have experienced driving in all sorts of conditions.”
Additionally, the research showed fathers were almost 20 per cent more likely than
mothers to supervise their children’s learning on the road.
“It’s great to see fathers taking the lead in this area but we encourage all parents,
where possible, to share this responsibility and help their children gain as much
practical experience as possible.
The research also confirmed that being a supervising driver for a young person can
be stressful for parents and learners, with 45 per cent of learner drivers admitting
to arguing with a parent while being taught to drive.
“It’s not unusual for emotions to run high during an on-road session so if either
of you are tired, upset or stressed, reschedule the practice session for another
time,” added Ms Leicester.
November is NRMA Insurance Road Safety Month - a road safety initiative aimed at
educating motorists about the dangers on NSW roads and how to avoid them.
For more information, please visit www.nrma.com.au/roadsafety
*Research undertaken by Woolcott Research, October 2006, amongst a representative
and statistically valid sample of 1,000 Australians aged 16+. **www.rta.nsw.gov.au