Guidelines for Overseeing Inexperienced Motorists
Preparing Your Learner Driver for the Road: A Comprehensive Guide
For those embarking on the journey of teaching a learner driver, here are some essential tips to ensure a safe and effective learning experience.
Booking Professional Lessons
If you're unsure about your learner's readiness or need a refresher on specific skills, it can be beneficial to book a professional driving lesson. This will provide your learner with structured guidance and help you brush up on your own driving abilities.
Supervising Drivers and Insurance
In Victoria, learner drivers must always have a supervising driver seated beside them. The supervising driver must be listed in the learner's myLearners app or paper logbook before starting to supervise. Under RACV Car Insurance policy, learner drivers are automatically covered, but it's crucial to check your insurer's Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) if you don't have RACV.
Logbook and Hours
Learner drivers under 21 years old require 120 hours of supervised driving (including 20 hours of night driving) recorded in their logbook or myLearners app before they can take their driver test. Keeping the logbook up to date is essential to ensure a smooth path to the driving test.
Planning Drives
As you and your learner driver progress through the mandated hours, plan your drives to match their experience level. Start with quiet streets during daylight, gradually moving to busier roads, and eventually driving during nighttime and adverse conditions.
Practice Areas
It's recommended to take your learner driver to areas where they can practice skills like turning at intersections and roundabouts, performing three-point turns, hook turns, and parallel parks, and merging onto highways.
In-Car Guidelines
Turn both your and your learner driver's phones on silent and put them away out of sight during the entire drive. Keep the music off during early lessons to aid concentration, and turn the music volume up to normal levels during later drives.
Communication
The Transport Accident Commission (TAC) recommends getting your learner driver to talk through their driving decisions as they make them, praising them whenever they make a good driving decision. This encourages open communication and helps reinforce safe driving habits.
Supervising Skills
Many driving schools also offer lessons for supervisor drivers to learn valuable supervising skills. Sitting in the back seat for one or two lessons can provide valuable insights into effective supervision techniques.
Patience and Positivity
Remember to remain calm and positive when teaching your learner driver. Avoid beginning a practice session if you're feeling tired, stressed, or upset. Everyone makes mistakes, especially when learning new skills, so approach each session with patience and encouragement.
Safety Driving Techniques
Unfortunately, no search results specify a driving school in Victoria offering lessons in safety driving techniques and good driving habits. However, these skills are crucial for all drivers, and practicing them consistently will contribute to a safer driving experience for everyone.
RACV Drive School Offer
RACV Members can save 10% on 5-lesson packages with the RACV Drive School, one of Australia's oldest driving schools, which has a six-stage learning program that focuses on developing drivers to stay safe beyond test routes.
Post-Drive Debrief
After each drive, debrief with your learner driver for a few minutes, asking them what they think went well and what they might have done differently, and taking note of any areas they are struggling with to work on during the next lesson. This will help reinforce good habits and address any areas for improvement.
BAC Limit
The supervising driver must have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) under 0.05 while supervising. If the supervising driver is a driving instructor, their BAC must be 0. It's important to remember that driving under the influence of alcohol is not only illegal but also extremely dangerous.
License and Vehicle
The supervising driver must have a current, full (not probationary) driver licence that matches the vehicle being driven by the learner. The vehicle used for supervising must also be registered, roadworthy, and in good working condition.
In conclusion, teaching a learner driver is a significant responsibility, but with patience, consistency, and the right approach, you can help them develop safe driving habits that will last a lifetime.
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