Learning to drive and getting your licence are significant milestones for most young people. The freedom of having your car and going wherever and whenever you please is a coveted feeling.
If you’ve recently received your Learners Licence, you should consider taking a Safer Drivers Course to improve your abilities further and ensure your safety on the road. You can learn how to avoid hazards to reduce your crash risk and become a more confident driver.
Why You Should Attend the Safer Drivers Course
Statistically, your first six months on a provisional licence are the most dangerous. After passing the test, you might feel confident enough that you’re a good driver, but there’s a lot more to learn yet. Experience comes with time or lessons.
The course will teach you how to identify hazards in advance and low-risk driving techniques. You’ll learn how to deal with distractions and external influences safely and how to think ahead and try to predict traffic flow to reduce your chances of crashing.
When you complete the course, you’ll better understand safe driving and how to deal with the new challenges on the road ahead. You’ll also receive 20 logbook hours, while the course itself is only 5 hours long.
How the Course Is Structured
The Safer Drivers Course is divided into two parts. You’ll start in a group of about a dozen of learner drivers, with a three-hour facilitated group discussion featuring engaging activities. In this first module, you’ll explore safe driving behaviours and strategies, including:
● Predicting and managing road hazards
● Avoiding distractions
● Controlling your speed
● Keeping a safe distance from other vehicles
● Safe selection of gaps
● And more
The second module consists of a two-hour practical part with two drivers per car, plus a trainer. Each will have some drives to teach you how to mitigate the risks of the most common crashes on New South Wales. This module includes:
● Dealing safely with stationary objects in your path
● Checking your surroundings
● Dealing with hazards
● And more
How to Enrol
The course costs $140, and you need to under 25 years old and hold a Learners Licence issued in NSW, as other states are not accepted. You also need at least 50 logbook hours previously completed, and these must be actual driving time, not bonus hours.
You can then use Trent’s online booking system to enrol and book your classes in venues across Sydney, Newcastle, Central Coast and Illawarra. You can even book with a friend, provided they meet the requirements as well.
Final Thoughts
Having a provisional licence is just one of the first steps to become a good driver. You’ll face many new situations after your driver’s test that will test you and might represent risks. Safe and defensive driving skills are essential to ensure everyone’s safety in and out of the car. It’s not only about you.
Driving can be fun and practical, but accidents can be a nightmare. Besides possible personal injuries, you also need to deal with insurance and damages, and it can end up causing a lot of stress. Safe driving techniques allow you to reduce the chances of a car crash significantly, so you can enjoy driving without anxiety or worries.
Take your friends and family out for a spin and enjoy the road knowing you’re driving as safely as possible.