Throughout May, the 2024 Ford Driving Skills for Life program will collaborate with local councils and high schools across regional Queensland, including Charleville, Barcaldine, Hughenden and Charters Towers.
A Ford Philanthropy program, Ford Driving Skills for Life has provided free, advanced driver education to more than one million people worldwide since 2003.
The program will also call for expressions of interest from learners and newly licensed drivers to participate in a free public session in Brisbane.
As part of the free program, learner drivers are given hands-on experience in everyday driving obstacles, including hazard recognition, vehicle handling, speed management, space management and distracted and impaired driving.
To register interest, visit www.forddsfl.com.au
Queensland driving habits
New research conducted by Ford’s Driving Skills for Life program asked 1,000 Queenslanders their opinion on the driving habits of their fellow road users – with some eye-opening results to match.
Nearly three-quarters (74%) of Queenslanders don’t believe their neighbours are good drivers, and just over one-quarter (26%) think they’re better drivers than drivers in other states.
Not indicating (80%), tailgating (79%), and running red lights (63%) are some of Queensland drivers’ biggest turn-offs.
However, when it came to learning how to drive on different terrains, only half of respondents learnt on different surfaces, raising the question – was this enough?
“Driving is a lifelong skill, and we are still learning every day,” says Ford Driving Skills for Life Australian program director James Stewart.
“When first learning how to drive, we rely on the skills and knowledge of the person who taught us, as well as the roads and surfaces we were comfortable practising on.
“However, as road conditions are always changing, and weather and traffic is unpredictable, it’s important we teach young people the basics in as many ways and places as possible,”
“If a teacher has a bad driving habit, that will be passed on to the student, so it’s important to break that cycle with professional training. The lessons taught in the Driving Skills for Life program will arm the next generation of drivers with skills to help them when they need it most on the road.” Stewart says..
Other traffic and driving etiquette turnoffs include not using lights in wet weather (43%), speeding (42%), going under the speed limit (41%), and not giving the ‘thank you’ wave (34%).
When asked about their experience when first learning how to drive, 71% of Queensland respondents agreed they passed their learners permit with the necessary driving skills needed for life, and 94% claim they would be better (or at the same level) as the person who taught them.
And when it comes to this generational comparison, the sentiment rings true for Queensland local and race driver Dick Johnson, and his grandson Jett, currently racing in Super2 for Zane Morse Racing.
“The biggest thing I could say to parents when teaching their kids to drive is to be patient and calm. And if you don’t think you’re a good driver – get someone else to do it, otherwise you’ll make them as bad as you are,” Dick Johnson says.
“A lot of driving schools teach you how to pass your test, but at the end of the day, the biggest thing is getting your hours up and experience. Every day you’ll get on the road, and nothing is the same, everything is always different, so there’s no substitute for experience,” Jett Johnson says.
