The ADTA attended the Australian College of Road Safety Conference in Melbourne in September and obtained some interesting information.

For instance……

Australia is now outside the top ten OECD countries for road fatalities. The safest countries are Sweden, The Netherlands and The United Kingdom.

By 2020 road deaths will be the third most common cause of death

10% of drivers are involved in 50% of crashes

Fatigue contributes to 20% of crashes

90% of crashes are due to the behaviour / performance of the driver as opposed to driving conditions, vehicle malfunction or road structures.

A teenage driver travelling with a teenage passenger is 50% more likely to be involved in a crash.

Ten years ago there was only 5 one star ANCAP rated cars available. Now three quarters of new cars have 4 or 5 stars.

A 2 star car has double the accident / injury risk of a 5 star car.

Probationary drivers would be 80% safer if they drove 5 star cars, which would equate to 15% less road fatalities.

Wire rope barriers and bitumen on the side of roads with ripple strips lead to a 60%-90% decrease in serious injuries and fatalities.

Sweden has a default speed limit of 70kmph, compared with ours which is 100kmph

{Information provided by Australian Driver Trainers Association {Vic} Inc.

Young drivers are at the highest risk of any age group when it comes to fatal car accident statistics. Although Learner drivers are new to the roads and generally have no prior experience driving, they have the lowest fatality rate of any age group on our roads. Why do young drivers go from being innocuous to the most dangerous demographic of drivers? It’s all got to do with attitude. Young drivers relish the freedom when they finally obtain their P’s. As a consequence, there’s a lot that can go wrong.

Learning to drive without a qualified instructor is detrimental to the ability of young drivers. Though many parents are confident and often considered ‘good’ drivers, bad habits naturally accumulate with age. These are transferred to your children, possibly by accidental misinformation or lenient supervision. It’s nothing personal - we’re all human and make mistakes, after all, but don’t you want the best for your child?

Most learner drivers need some formal instruction to simply pass their Probationary License Test - parent supervision alone isn’t usually enough. However, to further ensure their safety on the roads, you need a patient, knowledgeable instructor who will guide your child through the ins and outs of driving. Doing so will enculture them with safe driving habits, making them less likely to take dangerous risks on the road.

Henceforth, Eastern Suburbs Driving School’s mission is to create drivers who will not only pass their P plate test, but also make safe, rational decisions on the road to protect themselves and those around them.

VicRoads creates its tests to ensure that drivers have the right combination of skills for safe driving. These represent the final challenge for most learner drivers, a kind of gateway before the world of solo driving is at last opened up for them. The result of these tests are a Probationary license, which now exists in a graduated system of red and green plates. Driving tests consist of two main parts, the Hazard Perception Test and the Drive Test.

It’s usually recommended by VicRoads that the two tests be completed on separate days. This is is done because, if the Hazard Perception Test is failed, you won’t have to relinquish your booking for the drive test immediately afterwards - a costly mistake to make. The Hazard Perception Test is a video-based test that takes place at a selected VicRoads office. A image appears on screen, and the potential licensee must indicate using a mouse when a hazard (such as a cyclist or passing traffic) arises or clears. With adequate preparation, the Hazard Test can be easily surmounted by most young drivers, placing the learner in a good position for the drive test.

The Drive Test is what most people think of when they consider going for their Probationary license. This involves an on-road test where a VicRoads assessor conducts a series of exercises designed to test driver’s abilities in actual traffic. This is often the most daunting and challenging part of the licensing ordeal. Of course, like the Hazard Perception test, it can be managed with prior preparation. Driving lessons are useful in their capacity for preparing young drivers for the test. The instructors at ESDS know exactly what skills are necessary for passing. That’s why it’s a great idea to book a lesson with us before your next drive test.

Remember, once you get you P-Plates, don’t forget to display them prominently on your vehicle. The tests are the first steps towards the world of independent driving.

ESDS is a family-run business that you can trust. We’ve been teaching young drivers sound road skills for years, and that’s why we believe that we have some of the best experience in the business. We pride ourselves on providing a safe learning environment that encourages mature and responsible driving, as well as courtesy on the road. Driving with a professional instructor is the best way to develop proper awareness of the road rules, and ESDS can provide the reliability and reassurance essential for learning these vital skills.

Once you book an appointment with us, either online or by phone, one of instructors will spend time assessing your driving ability and any potential areas for improvement. He or she will then guide you through the driving process, giving feedback and suggestions to help you improve. Our rates include pick-up and drop-off from and to your desired location, so lessons with us are convenient and require a minimum of fuss. Before your lesson, it’s a great idea to browse our website and look through our resources for learner drivers - our FAQ section, for example, has some very useful tips and tricks. Browse around, and book your lesson today!

Some learner drivers tend to rely on a parent or guardian to provide them with driving knowledge. It’s easy to see why; many older drivers have considerable experience on the roads, often in a wide range of conditions, and are familiar to the learner. Unfortunately, the scope of focus of parent ‘instructors’ is generally limited, and this can take a regrettable toll on the eventual skills of the learner. While driving with a parent can be a great way to get the raw hours of driving experience and culture a sense of independence and confidence, it’s virtually essential that professional instruction is available for the young driver. This will allow them to develop proper skills consistent with the demands of the VicRoads assessors and the regimen of safe driving.

Driving lessons focus on developing crucial skills within pupils. Many supervising drivers, despite their often sound experience, all too often lack an extensive knowledge of the road rules and situations outside of their routine driving patterns. Instructors are trained to educate young drivers on all essential facets of driving, ensuring that there are no holes in their knowledge base. This is one of the reasons behind our very high pass rate. Surprises may often come up in the drive test that can throw inexperienced young drivers, and at worst cause them to fail their drive test. Taking lessons greatly improves their chances of succeeding and remaining responsible drivers.

Whether at the beginning of the learning process or the final stretch before the final tests, driving lessons are excellent ways of consolidating driving ability or establishing a firm, reliable and secure skill base for aspiring motorists. Book a lesson today, and ensure that your skills are honed for the world of driving.

The two second rule is about the following distance behind the vehicle in front.

The following distance is the space or gap between you and the vehicle in front.

You must keep your vehicle a safe distance from any vehicle in front of you. A safe distance should be enough to allow time to slow down and avoid trouble.

You should be at least two seconds behind the vehicle in front. You can check this by a simple test:

>> Focus on a marker in the distance such as a signpost or tree and note when the vehicle in front passes the marker, then count the number of seconds before your vehicle passes the same marker. Ask your supervising driver to also do this and compare your results.

If your count is not at least two seconds then you are to close.

At least two seconds of time and the distance this represents under ideal driving conditions are necessary to give you time to react to any changes which may happen.

Often, you may need more than two seconds,

This includes:

>> when visibility is poor

>> if conditions are dark

>> if conditions are wet or slippery

>> when you have a heavy load

>> when the road is unmade

You need to develop your judgement skills about what distance at different speeds represents two seconds. This skill will only come with lots of supervised driving experience.

But remember , under any conditions that are less than ideal, a longer gap is recommrnded.

Souce:  The Road to Solo Driving

Drivers of all ages are involved in crashes. However, young drivers have more crashes than others and are more likely to be involved in the same types of crashes.

Two important things that can help reduce the involvement of young people in road crashes are:

1  Having plenty of driving practice during the learner period.

2  Slowing down to provide plenty of space and time to be able to react to the unexpected.

Common errors made by learner drivers are often as a result of:

>> Not scanning the environment well.

>> Misjudging the speed of other vehicles, particularly oncoming cars.

>> Travelling too close to other vehicles.

>> Travelling too fast, both for the road conditions and for their level of experience.

>> Being overconfident in their ability.

>> Speeding.

>> Inattentiveness or fatigue.

The three most common crash types for young drivers involve:

A  Both turning and driving straight ahead at intersections.

B  Rear end crashes.

C  Veering off the road to the left.

A. Both turning and driving straight ahead at intersections

Why do young people become involved in this type of crash ?

>> Poor or insufficient scanning of the driving environment.

>> Not judging the gap in the traffic well.

>> Overconfidence in driving ability.

>> Speeding.

>> Reliance on other drivers to avoid a crash.

B. Rear end crashes

Why do young people become involved in this type of crash ?

Driver at rear :

>>  Speeding.

>>  Not enough space left between vehicles.

>>  Relying on other drivers to avoid a crash.

>>  Driver distraction.

>>  Misjudging the required stopping distance.

Driver in front: 

>>  Driver distracted.

>>  Not doing enough or any mirror or head checks.

>>  Indicating intentions late or not at all.

>>  Misjudging stopping distance, and late braking.

C.    Veering off the road to the left.

Why do young people become involved in this type of crash?

>>  Speeding.

>>  Lack of steering control.

>>  Distraction from the driving Task.

>>  Fatigue.

Source:   ATSB   Key Facts for New Drivers

Why is it often safer to lower your speed limit to below the posted speed ?

Busy roads are full of unexpected problems. A child may see its parents on the opposite side of the road and dart across without looking. You may be in control of your vehicle but you can’t control what other road users may do.

If you reduce your speed, you have more time to react to an unexpected situation.

When roads are wet and slippery it takes much longer for your vehicle to come to a stop after applying the brakes. When it rains after a long period of dry weather it is even more important to go slower, as the rain mixes with oil and dust on the road, making it even more slippery than usual.

Bright sunlight can blind you just for a moment when a hazard appears in the distance. If you are travelling at a slower speed you have time to react safely.

If you are travelling in an unfamiliar area, you will not be aware of the dangers that are around. By slowing down, even by 5 km/h, you give yourself an opportunity to see any hazards and more time to react.

Remember, the slower you go, the more time you have to react to unexpected situations.

Source:  ATSB  Key Facts For New Drivers 

Imagine you are in a 60 Km/h zone

In which of the following situations would you slow down ?

When travelling near or through a shopping centre

When near a school zone just before school begins or after school ends

When there is more traffic than usual

When it is raining heavily

When it is raining lightly

When the sun blinds you for a moment

When there are road works

When the area you are driving in is unfamiliar to you

The answer is in every one of the situations listed above

Speed limit signs indicate Maximum speeds allowable

In every State and Territory of Australia you must adjust your travelling speed below the posted limit if the driving conditions mean that the maximum speed is unsafe.

It is not enough to be within the law: you need to be in control and able to cope with the unexpected.

Being legally in the right is not much comfort once:

* your car is off the road damaged, or

* you or someone else is injured or dead.

Source   Key Facts For New Drivers

In Victoria, there are several hundred thousand crashes every year.

These crashes are not accidents - they are due to drivers making mistakes.

Not all driving mistakes result in a crash. Think about the mistakes you’ve seen drivers make without causing a crash:

-cutting off other cars

-not giving way

-misjudging gaps

-trying to overtake when it’s not safe

-just not seeing other road users

If driving is so easy, why do so many drivers regularly make mistakes, sometimes resulting in crashes?

All young drivers face the same challenges because driving is complicated. It requires a lot of time and effort to become a good driver.

Research has shown that a minimum of 120 hours of supervised practice as a learner and restrictions on new solo drivers for the first few years, can help reduce the risk of a crash. This is why Victoria has introduced the Graduated Licensing System, including the mandatory 120 hours to be completed in the Learner Log Book  by those aged under 21 years of age when applying for a Probationary Licence.

Source VicRoads Road to Solo Driving