Free lessons on offer for learner drivers

Wangnaui City PHOTO/FILE

Wanganui's learner drivers are in line to get some extra tuition if they have held their learner licence for less than two months.

The only prerequisite is that they are NZ Automobile Association members or the sons or daughters of AA members.

The free lesson project has been trialled for three months in Hamilton and Tauranga and expanded to include Taupo, Rotorua, Whangarei and Nelson.

From Monday it is Wanganui's turn to join the programme and local AA driving instructor Dave Pitt is ready.

Mr Pitt said anyone wanting to take up the offer needs to contact AA on a designated 0800 number or website (see details below).

"I'm anticipating I'll get learners directed my way through head office from next week," he said.

Last year the Government introduced a tougher driver testing regime as part of its Safer Journeys road safety strategy.

It was designed to create a safer road system increasingly free of death and serious injury. Part of achieving that was the introduction of a tougher driver testing regime with a higher failure rate.

AA Driving School general manager, Nigel Clark, said about half the country's newest drivers fail their restricted test because they are unprepared and potentially unsafe behind the wheel.

Mr Clark said since AA started its pilot programme in July this year more than 250 learner drivers had taken part in the programme and the free lessons were starting to make a difference.

"In our experience, a large percentage of new drivers start to learn with lessons from mum or dad from the beginning and then consider driving lessons before they go and sit their practising driving test to earn their restrict licence," he said.

"Those who have taken advantage of it realise they're starting their journey towards obtaining their full licence on the right foot."

Mr Clark said parents and others have an important role to ensure the learner drivers get plenty of practice behind the wheel but the learners needed to be practising the right things and doing it the right way.

"Parents want their kids to be safe but they don't want to keep shelling out for fresh attempts at sitting the driving test. This is why professional driver training is important."

He said some parents have chosen to ride along with their child during the free lesson, and the AA encouraged that.

The hour-long lesson provides an introduction on key driving skills, how to set up a car for driving, an explanation on instruments, gauges and vehicle controls, moving off, stopping, steering, gears and basic intersection types.

Mr Clark said the AA expects more than 500 new learner drivers will participate each month across the country.

To apply for a free driving lesson call 0800 223 199 or go to aa.co.nz/free-driving-lesson