Help for young drivers (that you may not learn at driving school)

While Australian fatalities are lower than they were five years ago, road crashes are still a major cause of injury and mortality for young drivers under the age of 26. Both age and inexperience are associated with increased road crash risk on our roads, suggesting that young drivers must take additional steps beyond practice hours to be aware of the risks, and avoid them.

Anything that takes your eyes off the road, hands off the wheel or your mind off driving can be dangerous. Even a short two-second lapse in concentration can have lifelong consequences. At 50km per hour, 2seconds spent glancing at your mate means 28 metres of blind driving – and that’s all it takes for a crash to occur. 

Passengers can be distracting and noisy. They can also encourage you to take unnecessary risks such as speeding and breaking the rules. Don’t be shy to ask passengers to settle down and not distract you. When you’re driving, their life is in your hands and you all have a right to be safe. 

When you’re young, areas of your brain responsible for impulse control, planning and decision making are still developing. This, combined with inexperience, could mean you underestimate certain risks or situations, and overestimate your capacity to deal with them. This could involve speeding, dangerous manoeuvres, or driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.

Besides being illegal, it is imperative to your safety and the safety of others on the road that you abide by the speed limits and avoid alcohol and drugs if you intend on driving. If you drive too fast, you have less time to react. If you drive under the influence, your reaction time could be dangerously impaired – or you may not react at all. It only takes a split second for an action to change someone’s life on the road, so make sure you’re the one doing the right thing.

Between calls, texts and social media pings, our mobile phones seem to be continuously alerting us. These notifications can be distracting for anyone, but perhaps even more so for young people.  

It’s for this reason, that only full licence holders can use a mobile phone in a cradle or via Bluetooth connection. No learner or provisional licence holder is permitted to use their phone while driving, in any way.  

To eliminate the temptation, either pop your mobile on do not disturb, put it out of reach in the back of the car or glovebox, or switch it off altogether. 

Driver fatigue is one of the biggest killers on the road, and while it can affect anyone, young people are at higher risk due to less driving experience and high rates of sleep deprivation. Driving when you’re tired has been found to have similar effects to driving drunk.

If you’re planning a long drive, make sure you:

1. Get sufficient rest beforehand.
2. Break up the journey with rest stops or swap with a friend after 2 hours.
3. Avoid driving at hours you would usually be sleeping.
4. Pull over and take a power nap if you’re feeling tired.  
   

Your first set of wheels could be an older make and model, meaning it might have a few things that need a little extra love and attention. Ensure you’re regularly checking your car's fluid levels, including coolant, engine oil and brake fluid. You’ll also want to check your tyres to make sure the tread depth isn’t worn, and the pressure is up to standard. 

A safe car can be the difference between arriving safely and not arriving at all, so whether your car is old or new, be sure to get it serviced regularly, and never ignore safety lights or warning signals.