As many of you know, the road toll is almost double to where it was for this time last year.  Here’s some horrifying stats direct from the TAC website (date 01/08/19).

The statistics are devastating and avoidable for our youth. How can we stop the carnage?

2018               2019

Age group 18-20 deaths                   6                    14        rise of 133%

Age group 21-25 deaths                     7                    14        rise of 100%

What can we do to change this figure?

Let’s get the conversation going on why some of our young think they’re invincible.  Let’s get the conversation going on why these deaths keep happening. How can we change this figure?

Professional or Mum and Dad!

Do professional driving lessons need to be made a priority?  Do parents need a refresher in helping their young adults learn to drive?  Should defensive driver training be a requirement as soon as you gain your licence?

Before I took up this profession I was a pretty average driver at best.  I’ll admit I had some pretty poor habits like other drivers I see every day.  Then I became a licence tester at Vic Roads back in 2012 and realised as my training progressed I had to change or I may become another statistic.

How times have changed.

I would love you all to just take a moment to think about what you see in traffic every day.  How times have changed over the last 20+ years of compared to today? When you’re stopped in heavy traffic, or at traffic lights.  Look around you.  How many drivers have their heads lowered staring at their mobile phones?  How often are you tailgated? How often are you tooted for doing the right thing?  Imagine how that feels for a learner.  No wonder anxiety is becoming increasingly present amongst the younger generation.

The signs are there.

I also want you to think about how we teach the next generation of drivers.  I’m finding increasingly that doing the hours is the easy part.  Lots of learners still don’t have a full understanding of what all the signs mean.  Many people still get confused about the signage around schools on whether they’re permanent 40 zones or just during the morning and afternoon school runs.  Traffic light turns that don’t have turning arrows – some still don’t know how to negotiate these turns.  Doing right hand turns out of residential streets and having to cross a median strip to complete their turn.

So, what can we do?

Have a conversation with your family around the dinner table one night and ask how can we all change our behaviours?  How can we help our friends and family become safer drivers?  This goes for all members of the family.  Include other family members such as grandparents for example.

Would love to hear your thoughts?

Until next time, Sarah