Ford Driving Skills For Lifea free program aimed at teaching young people valuable road skills, is back in action and this year’s focus is on night driving.
James Stewart, founder and director of Driving Solutions that runs the program locally, says the aim of the program is to help address driver-related behaviors before they become ingrained.
“We also understand that a lot of the habits of young drivers are the ones their parents had and their parents had, because it was the one who taught them how to drive,” said Mr.
“Look, if I could change the world overnight, I just wanted to say, from this line, everyone needs to know this, but the problem is we’ve got generations that don’t look forward to it. ability and understanding of motor vehicles, hence why nationwide tolls are so bad.
-
James Stewart
“We are losing more than 1800 people a year on the roads in Australia, because the roads are getting better, the cars are getting safer… the road tolls will be less.
“That’s where Ford is going, saying where are we going to start fixing this problem? Let’s start with the next generation and give them the best chance of survival.”
Driving Skills for Life resumes in May and after sessions in the Northern Territory this month, it will move to Victoria and New South Wales in July and August, and then to Queensland.
The program is open to drivers between the ages of 16 and 24, operates in both Australia and overseas, and is tailored depending on the country and whether the program is conducted in a metropolitan or regional area.
Among other things, the driver is instructed on how to make an emergency stop at speeds up to 80 km/h and on highly cracked surfaces, and is given a “fatigue suit” that simulates the alcohol content of a car. blood is 0.05.
They are also warned about the risks of modifying or overloading their vehicles and the importance of maintaining them.
Mr. Stewart said too many young people sit in cars that don’t have enough safety technology.
“I think the worst thing we’re doing right now is that we’re giving the most inexperienced drivers the worst cars they’ll be driving when they start, without the technology because we I thought, ‘Well, they’re going to crash or they’re going to damage something, so let’s not spend money on a good car’.”
“I would like to be able to take it as a HECS fee or something like that to start giving young drivers a five-star safety rating, so they have the best chance of survival right from the start. head.
“And when I say a five-star car, it’s not necessarily a brand new car but just a five-star car from five years ago.”
At a minimum, if you buy a car, it should have airbags, anti-lock braking system, stability control system and a good set of tires, Mr. Stewart said.
“I think it’s the best chance we can give our kids a head start and sadly when we make the first mistake, if we don’t have those safety features, sometimes we don’t. live to tell stories,” he said.
Mr. Stewart said another important reason road tolls are so high is lack of courtesy to drivers.
“There’s a lot of ‘me’ when we’re driving, we don’t care about other people and I think the courtesy of driving a motor vehicle has faded over time,” he said.
“Put a little courtesy on the road. Give each other some space, give each other some respect and we have to start somewhere with that message.
“And sadly, it’s very difficult for a 30, 40, 50 year old to change their habits, but if we can start with the next generation then maybe that’s the best way to do it.
“You look at places in Europe, you shine the lights on the Autobahn and people get out of your way. In Australia, someone shines a light on you and they wave at you with just one finger raised.”
Ford says it is focusing on night driving this year due to a higher risk of injury or death, citing data from the Victorian Transport Accident Commission showing younger drivers are 7 times more likely to die or be injured than fully licensed drivers when driving on the road. dark.
It’s using the new one Rangers And Mount Everest in this year’s program.
“When you look at drivers especially in the countryside, there are a lot of bigger SUVs, so 10 years ago the kids wanted to drive a bigger SUV. Concentrate or something like that, now it’s all about Rangers [let’s] Mr. Stewart said.
By using new media, the program also allows participants to experience the latest technology.
The size of each inlet depends on the area. At the recent Alice Springs session, it had 12 participants and two instructors. In Melbourne, it will feature groups of 50 participants and 10 instructors.
Ford Driving Skills For Life is funded by the non-profit Henry Ford Foundation, which is involved in many philanthropic endeavors and has been in operation since 2003.
Registration for further sessions is now open, for drivers aged 16-24 with a valid learner’s license or qualified driver’s license – you can register here.
Subsequent sessions are as follows:
- Melbourne International Circuit, Victoria: Friday, July 21
- Sydney Motorsport Parkway, Eastern Creek, New South Wales: Friday, August 18
- Lithgow, New South Wales: Saturday, August 19
Queensland locations have yet to be announced.
