Reduce the risks
Allow bigger safety margins
It takes years to get to a point where you can react instantly
and correctly to a sudden, serious mistake, the way experienced
drivers do. In the meantime, give yourself more time and space to
react well to mistakes - both yours and other drivers’.
Here are some safety margins you can work on:
- Keep your maximum speed slightly under the speed limit.
- Follow at least three seconds from the car in front (preferably
more).
- Pull over or change lanes if you are being followed very
closely.
- Ease up on the accelerator when you see brake lights on any of
the five cars in front of you or to the sides.
- Start by driving within range of your L driving
experiences.
- Drive little by little, not lots immediately, and gradually
widen your experience.
Drive a safe car
Safer cars significantly reduce your chances of being seriously
injured in a crash. If you make a mistake and crash, they can
reduce the effect.
Here are some ideas for safer solo driving:
- Buy the highest ANCAP-rated car you can afford.
- If you can, borrow a safer car for longer or more difficult
trips – when driving at night or in adverse weather, for
example.
- If you own a car with a low star rating, make it safer: fix
mechanical faults and buy the safest tyres and shock absorbers you
can.
- Look after your tyres.
- Avoid making sports-oriented modifications to the car.
Keep having supervised sessions
While most people stop having supervised sessions when they get
their P’s, having lessons on your licence is potentially one of the
most powerful times to learn. By sharpening and refining skills
with your parent/supervisor, you build knowledge that you can take
away and practice solo.
Make a note of anything that gives you trouble or confuses you
while out driving on your own, then take it up with your
parent/supervisor and get it right without trial and error.
Recognise risky conditions
There are specific conditions which have been identified as
especially risky for P plate drivers:
- Driving at night, particularly late on Friday and Saturday
nights.
- Driving with friends in the car.
- Using a mobile phone or other digital device.
- Driving while tired.
Reduce your risk of crashing by making plans to manage these
known risky conditions:
- Make plans on how to manage night driving when you first get
your P's. Consider not driving after dark at all for a while and
arrange to get a lift or take a taxi.
- Limit passengers for your first six months of P plate
driving.
- Avoid driving when you'd normally be asleep.
- Recognise the early signs of fatigue – if you feel tired,
arrange to get a lift or take a taxi.
- Learn not to use a mobile phone while driving (whether hands
free or not)
- Agree to leave messages and call before you drive or
afterwards.
- Learn not to automatically look at the phone display or answer
the phone when it rings.
- If you’re a passenger, be helpful – don’t make loud noises or
distract the driver. Choose not to be a passenger in a car when you
don’t feel safe with the driver.
