CALL FOR ACTION: Driving experts say the majority of people behind the wheel have an inflated opinion of their ability. Patrick Woods
Our road is full of inept drivers
27th Oct 2018 11:09 AM
EGOTISTICAL and inexperienced drivers of all ages are an accident waiting to happen.
While young drivers are overrepresented in accident statistics, those with decades of being behind the wheel are equally dangerous.
Advanced driving instructors say about 75 per cent of people don't have the necessary skills to stay out of trouble.
The majority of drivers are taught by people with no professional experience.
"If I want to learn how to play golf I don't ask my mate to teach me who sends it into the creek every time," Performance Driving chief instructor Steve Robinson said.
"Driving is the only thing where they say 'go and get taught by your parents'."
Most agree, the hardest to teach are middle-aged males.
Roadcraft chief executive officer Sharlene Makin said there were two things blokes would never reveal they're bad at - one of them was driving, the other "we are not going to discuss here".
The not-for-profit organisation has lobbied to implement a national training program.
"People have a false sense of security. They think because they have been driving for a long time they are safe. You don't know what you don't know," Mrs Makin said.
Overseas studies have found 94 per cent of crashes are caused by human error.
The annual cost of road crashes in Australia is estimated at $27 billion.
Queensland's 'Fatal 5' road safety campaign - which is said to address the biggest contributors to road trauma yet driver skill is absent - focuses on speed, alcohol and drugs, fatigue, not wearing a seatbelt and driver distraction.
See our special report investigating driver safety in today's Motoring section.
dangerous driving drivers driver safety roads