WHEN IT COMES TO LEARNING how to drive and understanding road rules, many of the skills are naturally taken from the person you learnt from – whether that’s a parent, family member or professional instructor.
But what happens if the way you were taught compared to someone else was… not the same?
New research conducted by Ford’s Driving Skills for Life program asked 1000 Queenslanders their opinion on the driving habits of their fellow road users – with some eye-opening (if hardly unexpected) results to match.
Nearly three quarters (74 percent) of Queenslanders don’t believe their neighbours are good drivers, and just over one quarter (26 percent) of Queenslanders believe they’re better drivers than drivers in other states. (This conforms with the usual, if completely irrational, response that 80 percent of drivers believe they are better than average.)
Not indicating (80 percent), tailgating (79 percent), and running red lights (63 percent) are some of Queensland driver’s biggest turn offs.
However, when it came to learning how to drive on different terrain, only half of respondents learnt on different surfaces, which raises the question – was this enough?
“Driving is a lifelong skill, and every day, we are all still learning,” says Ford Driving Skills for Life Program Director in Australia, James Stewart.
“When first learning how to drive, we rely on the skills and knowledge of the person who taught us, as well as the roads and surfaces we were comfortable practising on.”
“However, as road conditions are always changing, and weather and traffic is unpredictable, it’s important we teach young people the basics in as many ways and places as possible.”
“If a teacher has a bad driving habit, that will be passed onto the student, so it’s important to break that cycle with professional training. The lessons taught in the Driving Skills for Life program will arm the next generation of drivers with skills that will help them when they need it most on the road.” Stewart adds.
Other traffic and driving etiquette turn offs include not using lights in wet weather (43 percent), speeding (42 percent), going under the speed limit (41 percent), and not giving the ‘thank you’ wave (34 percent).
When asked about their experience when first learning how to drive, 71 percent of Queensland respondents agreed they passed their learners permit with the necessary driving skills needed for life, and 94 percent claim they would be better (or at the same level) as the person who taught them!
And when it comes to this generational comparison, the sentiment rings true for Queensland local and legendary race driver Dick Johnson, and his grandson Jett, currently racing in Super2 for Zane Morse Racing.
According to Dick, “The biggest thing I could say to parents when they’re teaching their kids to drive is to be very patient and remain calm. And if you don’t think you’re a good driver – get someone else to do it, otherwise you’ll just make them as bad as you are,” Dick Johnson says.
“A lot of driving schools teach you how to pass your test, but at the end of the day, the biggest thing is getting your hours up and getting experience. Every day you’ll get on the road, and nothing is the same, everything is always different, so there’s no substitute for experience,” Jett Johnson adds.
The 2024 Ford Driving Skills for Life program will be collaborating with local councils and high schools across regional Queensland including Charleville, Barcaldine, Hughenden and Charters Towers throughout May.
The program will also be calling for expressions of interest from learner and newly licensed drivers to participate in a free public session in Brisbane.
As part of the free program, learner drivers are given hands-on experience in everyday driving obstacles, including hazard recognition, vehicle handling, speed management, space management and distracted and impaired driving.
A signature program of Ford Philanthropy, Ford Driving Skills for Life has provided free, advanced driver education to more than one million people worldwide since 2003.