Learners rate fathers as best driving tutors

Fifty-two per cent of the 600 people surveyed were taught by their father, with 37 per cent saying he was the best teacher. Photo / Getty Images

Just 14 per cent of drivers rate their mother as the best person to teach them to drive, a survey has revealed.

The survey of 600 people, released yesterday by the New Zealand Transport Agency and ACC, has revealed that 29 per cent of New Zealand drivers were taught to drive by their mother.

Fifty-two per cent were taught by their father, with 37 per cent saying he was the best teacher.

NZTA national manager road-user behaviour Michael Cummins said parents were a fundamental part of the Kiwi learning-to-drive experience.

He said a combination of supervised lessons with a professional instructor and lots of practice driving with experienced drivers, like parents, was the best way to learn to drive.

Ninety per cent of respondents "significantly underestimate" how much driving practice they need, saying that driving practice below the recommended 120 hours was enough to be safe on the road.

"Parents may not always know what to teach and research indicates that people aren't aware of the amount of practice needed."

He said learning to drive could be an emotionally-charged experience, with 21 per cent of respondents saying that they fell out with their driving teacher with impatience, stress and anger getting the better of them.

The survey also showed it took time to feel confident behind the wheel, with 31 per cent saying it took three to six months to feel like a confident driver.

A further 26 per cent said it took up to 12 months to feel confident driving.

Parallel parking was the hardest thing to learn for 54 per cent of drivers, followed by hill starts (25 per cent).

Mr Cummins said yesterday that the NZTA and ACC were placing a renewed focus on a free learning-to-drive computer tutorial programme called Practice as part of the Government's Safer Journeys to Road Safety Strategy, which aims to reduce the crash rates of drivers aged 15-19.

The programme, which has been running about six years, is based around ensuring learner drivers clock up the recommended 120 hours of experience in different driving and weather conditions before they sit their restricted licence.

Young drivers were most likely to have a crash in the first six months of going solo than in the rest of their driving career, Mr Cummins said.

Each year, there were about 5000 injury crashes involving drivers aged 15-24 - more than 13 every day.

However, new drivers were 40 per cent less likely to have a crash if they had 120 hours of supervised driving practice in a range of conditions.

THE FACTS

*52 per cent taught to drive by dad - 37 per cent say dad's the best teacher

*29 per cent taught to drive by mum - 14 per cent say mum's the best teacher

*21 per cent had a falling out with their driving instructor

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