Parents should learn to teach

.. at least until they have completed a driver competency test, according to a leading road safety campaigner.

Russell White, who developed the national Fatality Free Friday (FFF) initiative, urged parents to get involved with their children's driver education. His call comes as 182 student drivers and the same number of instructors and cars bunny-hopped their way to a world record for simultaneous driving lessons in 10 venues around the nation yesterday. The world record driving test was held to launch this year's FFF on May 28.

"What we wanted to do was launch FFF as a campaign, not just a one-day event," he said. "We also wanted to highlight the need to focus on training as an important part of the road safety solution. It's not high enough on the road safety agenda."

The road safety author and former boss of the Holden driver training school at Norwell, south of Brisbane, called for a higher standard of professional training and for parents to get involved.

"Unless parents work on their driving every day they will develop bad habits and then pass them on to their children," he said. "It's important that they keep refreshed and go back and learn. They should also sit in on at least one of their children's professional driving lessons to reinforce what's being taught to their child. I would like to see parents banned from teaching a young driver until they have completed a competency test. At present we're asking non-trained and possibly incompetent drivers to sign off on learners' log books. Driving instructors are saying that half the good work they do with young drivers is undone by parents."

Learner driver Rhiannan Woods, 17, of Burpengary, who particpated in the lesson, agreed with White that parents shoud be more involved.

"When you drive with your parents you pick up their bad habits without realising it," she said. "Your parents don't tell you what to do like the instrctors. They don't know what to say. Definitely I would like one of my parents to come on a lesson so they would be able to help teach me."

The world's largest driving lesson was held at two venues in Brisbane and Melbourne, and one event each in Townsville, Darwin, Sydney, Adelaide and Canberra. White said the launch was a "great success with no hitches".

Drivers who wish to take part in Fatality Free Friday can register their interest online at www.fatalityfreefriday.com.