Learners need good examples

MANY parents will be familiar with the chore that is achieving 100 hours of driving before their children can sit a practical driving test and earn their P - plates.

The 100- hour logbooks were introduced in Queensland in 2007 with the aim of improving the skills and abilities of young drivers.

When those drivers take to the roads independently, statistics show they are most at risk of having a serious accident.

For many families the cost of getting professional lessons for some or all of those hours is prohibitive.

So, it is left to parents, other family members or friends to sit in the passenger’s seat as the seemingly endless 100 hours is accumulated.

However, this familiar method may be doing more harm than good with figures published in today’s edition revealing Townsville has the worst rate of passed practical tests of open C- class licences in the region.

On a statewide basis we are 3 per cent below the average.

The open C- class licence means drivers are able to get behind the wheel of both manual and automatic vehicles.

While some will argue having a manual licence is not as necessary these days with automatic vehicles increasingly common, there is an argument that to truly understand the art of driving you need to be able to drive a manual vehicle.

It is important for the person taking the learner driver for their lessons to be fully aware of the rules of the road, with some changing over time.

The instructor should also be aware of the many bad habits learner drivers can pick up, mainly from watching licensed drivers behind the wheel, and regularly correct them.

For those that can afford it, getting lessons from a professional instructor is invaluable.

They can give feedback on the driver’s progress and point out areas which may cause a problem when it comes time to sit for the test. Good luck.