Is your learner P plate ready?

Your learner driver's readiness all depends on the preparation they've done; the current average learner driver's preparation is not adequate.

If your learner driver has had typical learn-to-drive experiences, he or she will probably have a typical risk of crashing on their P's - even if he/she has a great attitude and you think they're an OK driver.

Prepare for safe P plate driving, not for the driving assessment

As professional and well-constructed as driving tests are, they should not be your standard for safety. They cannot substitute for gradually accumulated solid experience, tested and re-tested in ordinary and varied situations. Thus, there is a big difference between P plate 'test ready', and P plate 'safe driving ready'.

Prepare your learner driver for safe P plate driving, and the test will come easily. Don't try it the other way around.

Blur the line between L's and P's to make a safer transition

Your learner driver is about 20 to 30 times more likely to have a crash on P’s than on L’s. As a parent/supervisor, it is part of your role to try to reduce the stark difference between the experience of L plate driving and that of P plate driving.

In theory, if there is no difference in the situations immediately before and after licensing, the risk should not change. By making the learning experiences as similar as possible to real P plate driving, you can reduce the risk for your learner driver.

If you are reasonably sure your learner driver is P plate 'safe ready', you can arrange for a keys2drive accredited driving instructor in your area to check for signs of readiness - you and your learner may be eligible for a free lesson.

You can practice doing the check yourself using the P plate Ready Indicator.