120 Hours Too Onerous

Author: NRMA Motoring & ServicesDate: 20 May 2009

The 120 hours of supervised driving is placing enormous strain on learner drivers and their families and leaving the system open to abuse, according to new research by NRMA Motoring & Services' Free2go program.

A survey of almost 1,300 young drivers in NSW found that 40 per cent have either lied, know someone who lied or may lie in their logbook. With more than 240,000 learner drivers in NSW this means more than 96,000 have either lied or may lie.

More than one-third (36%) also believe the logbook system is difficult to manage.

Under changes to the learner licensing laws introduced in 2007, L-platers must complete 120 hours of driver-training.

The NRMA is calling on the NSW Government to:

• conduct a review of the system, as previously promised to determine if 120 hours of compulsory training is necessary to make safer drivers; and
• adopt a fairer system that rewards quality driver-training hours.

Under the proposed new system learner drivers would have their logbook hours reduced when undertaking driver training with an accredited instructor. The Free2go survey found that 75 per cent of learner drivers already have some professional instruction.

NRMA President Wendy Machin said the current system was too heavily focused on the quantity of training hours rather than the quality.

"The message from young drivers and their parents is clear - the 120 hours is onerous and it is easy to fudge the logbook figures," Ms Machin said.

"There is little benefit in having a system that is so open to fraud, particularly since the 120 hours is arbitrary. We are also concerned that many learner drivers clock up hours along freeways during holiday times while not learning the key skills needed to be a safe driver.

"It is also unreasonable to expect parents to spend 120 hours in the car with each child, especially for families who have more than one child going for their licence.

"Extra credit for time spent with an accredited instructor makes completing the hefty 120 hours of training more achievable and ensures young people will get a more thorough and diverse driver training experience."

The NRMA survey also found that the NSW Government's restriction of one passenger for drivers under the age of 25 between 11pm-5am has affected:

• One-in-10 at work
• More than half (54%) during social activities
• Almost one-quarter (23%) during family activities
• Almost three-quarters (74%) believed the passenger restrictions are inconvenient.

Ms Machin said passenger restrictions had forced more young drivers on the road and hurt people living in areas without viable public transport.

The Free2go survey found 95 per cent of young drivers get taught by their parents, forcing parents to spend up to 120 hours in the car with each child.

"Passenger restrictions have caused all sorts of problems for young drivers and their families and two years on the NRMA is still calling on the NSW Government to release evidence which proves they've worked," Ms Machin.

"Most parts of NSW have little to no late-night public transport so now we have more young people driving to work, study or social activities than before."

Comments about P-plate restrictions extracted from the NRMA survey include:

"A perfect example of conflicting government campaigns, stopping the concept of 'designated drivers' dead in its tracks."

"It disallows the use of designated drivers... and 90% of the P platers that drive don't act like idiots… and the ones that do act like idiots ruin for the rest of them... the system is flawed."

"In a country town, there are no public transport options, so if my parents have too much to drink, I can't drive my family home, which defeats the purpose of getting a licence, as I have two brothers under 25 years old."

"Because there has been many time that I have needed to drive work colleagues home after a close at work which is after 12 o'clock and haven't been able to due to that."

"With 4 friends going out in the restricted hours we have to take 3 cars instead of 1."

"With the restrictions I use 3 times as much fuel as I did before the restrictions came in."

Free2go provides roadside assistance for almost 100,000 young drivers regardless of which car they are travelling in. Information is available at http://www.befree2go.com.au/.