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RAA welcomes the State Government commitment to incentivise learners to undertake professional driving lessons in a package of reforms to improve driver training.
RAA has been advocating for wholesale reforms to the driver training industry for several years to stamp out corruption, improve the availability and affordability of lessons and train safer drivers.
RAA supports the State Government’s proposed Bill that will benefit learner drivers and improve the industry by:
Further, following collaboration with RAA, the State Government’s proposal will also include a new incentive scheme, with every hour (up to a maximum of five hours) of supervised driving with a professional instructor to count as three towards the mandatory 75 hours of supervised driving.
Similar incentive schemes exist in NSW, ACT, Queensland and Tasmania.
RAA Senior Manager Road Safety Charles Mountain said the State Government’s reforms were welcome.
“RAA supports these much-needed reforms which will build a better foundation for the driver training industry to give learner drivers the best chance to learn the correct skills, attitude and roadcraft,” Mr Mountain said.
“Ultimately, RAA wants learner drivers to be safe drivers – so we have safer roads and safer communities and reduce the number of people killed or injured on our roads in the long term.
“We support this Bill which will help stamp out corruption, improve safety for learner drivers and build more rigour and better standards for the industry.
“Introducing an incentive scheme recognises the value of spending time with a professional instructor to build positive habits behind the wheel – and will encourage learners to undertake lessons.
“We also support the Government appointing Authorised Examiners to conduct practical driving tests, which will improve consistency of assessment and create a level playing field for all learners.”
RAA also welcomes the Government’s commitment to establish a consultative forum with industry to develop the regulations.
Through the consultative forum, RAA will continue to work collaboratively with Government on the regulations that will inform the implementation of the legislation – including developing a new practical driving test and the potential to retain some elements of a competency-based system (like the current CBT&A or ‘logbook’ system) and ensuring the cost of obtaining a licence remains affordable for everyone.
“Ideally, we would like to see some elements of a competency-based system retained, which allows learners to progressively work through key driving skills with an instructor,” Mr Mountain said.
“The current CBT&A method is a comprehensive way for learner drivers to get their licence and is particularly helpful for those who don’t perform at their best under all-or-nothing exam conditions, including nervous and anxious drivers or those with a disability.”