Accomplished race-car driver John Tetley has created his own 2 day course for kids to gain a better attitude on the road.
Driver attitudes need to be shaped before young people reach driving age, according to Qld Raceway owner John Tetley.
That is why he has set aside $500,000 to create what he believes is Australia's first behavioural driver training school at the historic Lakeside International Raceway at Petrie, north of Brisbane.
“We need to get young people's attitude to driving right before they get their driving skills,” he said, quoting Albert Einstein; “Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age 18.”
“Scary when you think about it, but at least it supports my notion of getting it (the right driving attitude) into them before they get their licence,” he said.
Tetley plans to launch his two-day Road User Boot Camp (RUB) in July, targeting school children in Years 10 and 11.
Rather than teaching road skills or driving skills like most driver training schools, Tetley plans to teach basics such as car maintenance, attitudinal skills to resist peer pressure, and how to avoid road rage and dangerous road situations.
“Some 75 per cent of drivers under 25 can't change a wheel,” he said. “No one teaches kids the basics such as checking the car before they drive off.
“There will also be some fun things as well, such as simulators and go-karts.”
Tetley said cars were becoming safer, but he was concerned that technology such as anti-skid brakes and stability control were replacing driving skills.
“Kids don't understand the forces involved in a car,” he said.
Currently any driving tuition done off the road, such as at a driver-training centre or racetrack like Lakeside, is not eligible to be credited in the 100 hours of training; yet learners must do it before they can sit for a licence.
He hopes his RUB camp may be considered exempt from this ruling because it does not teach driving or road skills.
“I'm worried that the 100 hours is just reinforcing negative practices and attitudes. In Britain you have to go to driver training before you can even drive on the road. I can see a political battle to get it accredited,” he said.
Tetley said his school would not compete with other driving schools."
“I'm giving kids the right attitude before they go to a driving school.”
Tetley's program includes a self-assessment and asks the students to assess their parents' driving.
“We want them to understand that no one is a perfect driver,” he said. “We need to change their attitude to other people's driving and drive as though other people are going to make an error.
“I still make mistakes and have other drivers blowing the horn at me,” said Tetley, who is an accomplished race-car driver.
“Five per cent of drivers are total idiots. Ten per cent are so smart they will never be a problem. The others just need some guidance.”
Tetley said he initially would aim at private schools and charge about $200 a person to “cover costs” for the two-day course with accommodation and meals included.
“I'd also like to see it go national but not as a franchise. I'd just like others to pick up the idea.”
Learner logbooks
* Learner drivers under 25 are required to complete 100 hours of supervised on-road driving experience, including 10 hours of night driving.
* When they get their learner licence, they receive a learner logbook to record supervised on-road driving.
* Supervisors can be anyone with an open licence for one year.
* A one-hour lesson with an accredited driving instructor counts for three hours in the learner logbook, up to a maximum of 30 hours.
* Time spent at advanced driving courses at off-street venues cannot be credited to the logbook.
* If Queensland Transport suspects the logbook has been fudged, learners will have to wait six weeks after a completed logbook is submitted before taking a practical driving test.
Do you think young driver training like John Tetley's boot camp is a good idea? Should it become a compulsory step in acquiring a licence? Share your thoughts below...
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