IF THERE is anyone who could learn a thing or two about driving, it is those who passed the test. More than 13 years ago. Coastwide driving instructor Brendan Becker believes young drivers have been given quite a bad rap, from those in no position to judge.
"I believe most drivers over the age of 30 would fail their test if they did it again" Mr Becker said.
Coastwide is the RACQ Recommended Driving School and is a member of the Australian Driver Training Association. Mr Becker has been an instructor for the past 12 months and knows plenty about defensive driving. In the 1990s he spent three years as the coordinator of Targa Tasmania and, later in Queensland, he became the head of spectator safety in rally events for two years.
He has been responsible for International Rally Queensland car safety checks and last year he had the key role in the Australian leg of the championships.
"I would feel safer in a rally car than driving in a normal family sedan on the Bruce Highway to Brisbane" Mr Becker said.
Regardless Mr Becker said he insists on taking his learner drivers onto the highway, because that is where everything goes "pear shaped". His advice is keep away from distractions including hands-free phones and navigation devices. Mr Becker advises young drivers to keep calm at all times despite growing impatience of other motorists.
With a teenage son currently preparing for his driver's test, Mr Becker sympathises with other parents but says getting a manual licence needs many hours of manual driving experience.
"Parents should also have a look at the tests themselves. I encourage parents to come with me when I take my students out" he said. "Often it is the parents who come away learning something."
Australian Road Deaths higher than those with Compulsory Driver Education
Tuesday the 26th October 2010
Note the world map below comparing Road Deaths across the world. In particular scandinavian and European countries with compulsory driver education continue to experience dramatically lower road deaths despite regular snow and ice conditions.
Precise Driver Training is now a part of Coastwide Driver Training.
Monday 14th June 2010
Coastwide Driver Training has acquired Precise Driver Training, a well established and highly respected driving school on the Gold Coast. .
Precise Driver Training has a long and proud history of providing top quality training by experienced and committed instructors. We are delighted to have the Precise team on board.
Coastwide now provides structured driving lessons from the Gold Coast to Noosa.
Instructor Jan Clarke Joins the Ipswich Driver Training Team.
Monday 10th May 2010
Coastwide Driver Training is now offers automatic driving lessons in Ipswich, with Jan Clarke joining our team of experienced Driver Trainers. We are delighted to have Jan on our team, who brings a wealth of skill and experience to the role. Jan has previously worked as a Police Officer and also run her own Driver Training business.
If you are looking for driving lessons in Ipswich QLD, give us a call. Jan is a friendly and professional trainer and has worked with students from a range of backgrounds to become safe and licence ready drivers.
Road safety program drives home
Bayside Bulletin - DANI VOLKE 06 May, 2010 03:54 PM
IMAGINE being behind the wheel of a car that caused a major traffic crash where a small child was left fighting for life in the back of an ambulance.
That was the confrontational scenario Year 11 students from Alexandra Hills State High School were faced with during a presentation at a driver awareness program held at the Sleeman Sports Centre, Chandler last week.
The Rotary Youth Driver Awareness (RYDA) program, a community based initiative of the combined Rotary clubs of the Redlands, aims to help stop the tragic loss of young people in road crashes.
The program included six sessions designed to be interactive and very confrontational to cover a range of topics including a practical demonstration of stopping distances, hazard perception, the effects of alcohol and fatigue, and a police session telling the stories of real-life crash victims.
Year 11 students Alyce Zerner, Joel Thorley, Emma Thomas and Brad Choules said they found the workshop very beneficial.
Alyce Zerner said learning things about driving from a hands- on experience was important.
"I have learned today that if you increase your speed by 50 per cent, your breaking distance should double. When I turn 16 this year, I will be going for my learner's driver's licence and I am looking forward to the freedom," she said.
"During the practical demonstrations in a car, I learnt the more you use your brakes, the weaker they become. This is the first time I have done a course like this and it has been a bit of an eye opener. I think it will benefit my skills down the track," Joel Thorley said.
"I already have my learner's driver's licence and found the presentation to be educational, despite how graphic it was. It made me aware of what responsibility you are taking on by having a drivers licence," Emma Thomas said.
BRAD Choules said watching how drink driving can change lives during the presentation had been confronting.
“If I was ever going to be in a situation where I was the passenger of a car and the driver wasn’t driving appropriately, I would tell them I didn’t feel safe and ask to be let out of the car if they didn’t change their driving attitude,” Brad said.
Instructor Graham Hourigan Joins the Brisbane Driver Training Team.
Monday 3rd May 2010
Coastwide Driver Training is now offers automatic driving lessons in the Brisbane Bayside Region, with Graham Hourgian joining the Brisbane Team. Graham brings a a great deal of practical industry experience to the role.
Graham joins Edward Chivers in providing driving lessons in the Brisbane Bayside area. Welcome to the team Graham.
Instructor Susan Gerrard Joins the Sunshine Coast Driver Training Team.
Susan joins Peter Hannah, Belinda Harper, Jo Jordison, Lee-Ann Evans, Duane Watson and Derek Chambers providing affordable driving lessons across the region.
Coastwide Driver Training Smashes World Record
Wednesday 28th April 2010
25 Instructors and students this morning took part in smashing the record for the World's Largest Driving Lesson at Lakeside Raceway.
Aimed at raising awareness for Fatality Free Friday on the 28th May, Coastwide was one of 11 locations nationally, for a total of over 250 syncronised driving lessongs.
Thanks to all the students and Instructors who participated in this important industry event.
Behaivoural Training Day
Wednesday 28th April 2010
Coastwide Driver Training instructors today undertook further behaivoural
training today with David Nelson from the Queensland Police Service.
Coastwide instructors provide our clients with more the just the skills and knowledge to drive a car, but also impart the attitude and perspective necessary to remain safe on the roads.
This approach sets us apart and is cornerstone of reducing Road Trauma among young drivers.
Instructor Brad Lyons relocates to South Brisbane.
Friday 5th March 2010
Brad Lyons, Driving Instructor with Coastwide Driver Training has relocated to the Southside of Brisbane. Brad, author of the Pocket Driving Instructor (see article below) delivers Brisbane driving lessons for Learner Drivers, and also delivers corporate driver education throughout South East Queensland.
Brad joins Letisha Eyers, Edward Chivers and Maged Rizk providing affordable driving lessons in Brisbane south and Logan.
Coastwide Delivers Driving Lessons to Red Cross on Behalf of Leighton Contractors.
February 2010
As part of the Leighton Contractors Youth Drive Safe Initiative, Coastwide Driver Training is delighted to provide driving lessons to participants of the Brisbane Red Cross Beyond Crisis program.
Coastwide Driver Training, Brisbane's premier driving school, congratulates Leighton contractors on their excellence in community participation by assisting at risk youth attain the critical milestone of independence and freedom that are provided by a driving licence.
Brad Lyons launches The Pocket Driving Instructor
Brad Lyons, a Driving Instructor with Coastwide Driver Training has written and published his guide for supervisors to assist in training their Learner Driver. Congratulations Brad on this great acheivement.
From the Caboolture Herald | 16th January 2010
School students wanting to better prepare themselves for life on the road will benefit from the work of a local driving instructor. Morayfield's Brad Lyons has produced a pocket guide to help young drivers and their parents become better equipped for driving. The 25-year old wrote The Pocket Driving Instructor earlier this year.
"Its about basic vehicle control skills with a few general road rules," Mr Lyons said.
Steering technique, gears, clutches and real-life road scenarios are mentioned in the 54-page book.
"It's written how I would explain it to a student" Mr Lyons, an instructor with Coastwide Driver Training, said. "It's not technical, it's not overwhelming."
Mr Lyons said the introduction oft he 100-hour learner log book in 2008 compelled him to write the book.
"With the introduction of the log book system in Queensland, a lot of parents started taking on the majority of the 100 hours. We when we see a student after 40,50 or 60 hours, by then they've already got thier bad habits. It's easier if mum and dad can teach them good habits first."
My Lyons will also sell copies at Angus and Robinson on Thursday.
1 Min Clip on how not to train your learner
Posted By Lain Baigent | 27th November 2009
Here's how NOT to train your Learner!
It gave me a laugh, so I hope you like it too.
Road Campaign sets a grim target as fatalities increase
Courier Mail I November 7th 2009 I Michael Madigan
Statistics have made Mitch Lollback a marked man as Queensland awaits that grim event that will shatter the “Below 299” campaign.
Police expect the 300th death any day now, and with the holidays about to start all they can do is attempt to contain the number of deaths beyond the ambitious target set at the start of the year in a joint campaign with The Courier-Mail and the State Government.
By last night, there had been 296 deaths in 2009, spread across the state and across all age groups.
But the most likely group has been identified from a string of victims killed in Queensland last year. It has to be a man - more men have died this year – and it has to be someone aged 21-29.
And it has to be in the police North Coast region, where more that one-quarter of victims have been killed in a toll which is 50 per higher than any other region.
That's where Mitch Lollback comes in. Aged 21, lives on the Sunshine Coast. And he's a
man ready to drive. But Mr Lollback, who was under instruction from Coastwide Driver Training yesterday morning, insists he is wary of the road dangers.
“Any idiot can go and drive but it takes the right attitude and the right skills to do it properly, “ he said.
The dangers of alcohol and cars are uppermost in his mind. “Anyone who does it deserves to lose their licence.”
Mr Lollback says he's already developed a keen understanding of how important it is to adjust his attitude the moment he turns the ignition key.
Director of Coastwide Driver Training Lain Baigent, who oversees 24 instructors, says national and international research points to attitude as either the saviour or the killer when it comes to young male drivers. “It's not roads, it's not cars and it is not skills – it's all about attitude”, Mr Baigent said.
Mr Baigent said the most dangerous time for a young driver was those few weeks after losing the “L” plates.
They were up to 30 times more likely to run into trouble when moving from a structured environment of learning.
Coastwide training day gets two thumbs up
By Lain Baigent | 25th November 2009
Instructors from South East Queensland rated the October 26 Training day as two thumbs up!
Topics ranged from using in car driver assessment technology to the physics of braking. Also guest speaker Scott Lewin from RACQ Driver Education spoke on future of the industry and the impending federally funded Keys2Drive program.
Congratulations go to :
Russell Adams - Winner of the award for the highest pass rate.
Letisha Eyers - Winner of Pete's award for consitency and quality.
Peter Hannah - Winner of Judy's Bulldog award for tenacity & looking after the young pups.
Thanks to everyone involved for making this day such a success.
Driver training cost cutting spells danger
Sunshine Coast Daily, By Katy Duke | 6th July 2009
Tough economic times are creating a serious road safety issue as cash strapped youth turn to unqualified family members for driver training, a Sunshine Coast driving school director has warned.
Richard Martin, from Coastwide Driver Training, said even though driving was “the most dangerous thing that most people ever do”, many parents were happy to take responsibility for driver education on their own shoulders instead of entrusting the safety of their children to professionals.
Learner drivers must log 100 hours of supervised on road driving before they can attempt to obtain their licence, but the Queensland government allows the first 10 hours of lessons with an accredited instructor to count as 30 hours.
“Young people on a budget can’t afford to pay a bulk sum towards driving lessons and so end up scrimping and just learning from an older brother or parent,” Mr Martin said. “That is simply not the way to learn how to be a safe driver – and you can see the results every day on the Coast’s roads.” While a parent may be able to successfully “drag” their child through the driver test, using accredited instructors could mean saving a life. Sixteen year old student Allanah Young agrees there is no substitute for professional driver training. “It’s easy to forget that you are learning to drive – not just how to pass the test – and my instructor has taught me lots of ways to avoid danger,” she said. “I passed on a few of these tips to family members and some friends and I think they are really great.” Mr Martin is so concerned about the problem that he is offering a long term payment plan to encourage new drivers with financial woes to seek the skills to stay alive. He says his “recession buster” plan is a Queensland first and possibly unique within Australia. “I believe in making safe driving affordable and accessible to all, so that we can see a real difference in the skill level of drivers,” he said. Coastwide Driver Training also delivers free lessons to students through Leighton's drive safe program and are working closely with local Rotary clubs to deliver the Rotary Youth Driver Awareness (RYDA) program in local schools.
Safety Driven Home
North West News 31 July 09 @ 01:44AM By Taryn Davis
The Youth Drive Safe Program referred to below is proudly delivered throughout South East Queensland by Coastwide Driver Training.
FERNY GROVE: A bright blue and orange car is cruising the Hills district as year 12 students embrace a driving safety course at Ferny Grove State High School.
The Leighton Contractors Youth Drive Safe Initiative will provide free training to hundreds of teenagers across Brisbane to improve road safety skills, vehicle awareness and identification of hazards.
Darren Weir, General Manager for Leighton Contractors Northern Region, said the company was committed to creating safer communities through its Leighton Contractors Road Safety Program.
“Through the Leighton Contractors Youth Drive Safe Initiative we are keen to help develop safer young drivers,” Mr Weir said.
“Sadly, road accidents remain a major cause of death for young Queenslanders.
“Last year alone, young drivers aged 17-24 accounted for 73 deaths on Queensland roads, 22 per cent of fatalities.”
The program offers students the chance to win one of 625 packages for five hours of professional driver training.
The project has been rolled out to 15 Queensland schools.
Anna Cox, 16, a student at Ferny Grove State High School, said she had a productive first lesson with Peter Nelson from Coastwide Driver Training.
Anna said she and her classmates found it “a bit scary” getting behind the wheel for the first time, but were growing in confidence.
Nova's Stupid Stu finds out theres more to driving !
Stupid Stu joined Leighton Contractors Youth Drive Safe Initiative this morning out at Goodna for their campaign launch and gave reverse parking a go. Turns out driving doesn't get much safer than being stalled on the side of the road. Stu failed but check out how you can drive safe at the website; http://www.leightondrivesafe.com.au
Coastwide Driver Training appoints new Instructors in Noosa.
Driving Lessons in Noosa have never been more affordable than with Coastwide Driver Training. Noosa Driving School, Coastwide Driver Training has packages available from $25 per week. Jo Jordison now joins Lee-Anne Evans and Duane Watson delivering affordable driving lessons in Noosa, Tewantin, Coolum and the northern Sunshine Coast.
Coastwide Driver Training is proud to be an RACQ Recommended Driving School, running delivering top quality driver training from Logan to Noosa.
Coastwide Driver Training appoints new Instructors in Caboolture.
Quality Driving Lessons in Caboolture have never been more affordable than with Coastwide Driver Training. Caboolture Driving School, Coastwide Driver Training has packages available from $25 per week. Barry Spencer and Russel Adams now join Peter Nelson, Derek Chambers, Rod Aston and Will Ballard delivering affordable driving lessons in Caboolture, Bribie Island and surrounding regions.
Coastwide Driver Training is proud to be an RACQ Recommended Driving School, delivering top quality driver training from Logan to Noosa.
Coastwide Driver Training appoints Instructor Ross Niebling in Redcliffe.
Quality Driving Lessons in Redcliffe and Deception Bay have never been more affordable than with Coastwide Driver Training. Redcliffe Driving School, Coastwide Driver Training has packages available from $25 per week. Ross Niebling joins Gail Carrol, Patrick Buckley, Elisha Sanderson and Rod Aston delivering affordable driving lessons in Redcliffe, Deception Bay, Kallangur and Strathpine.
Coastwide Driver Training is proud to be an RACQ Recommended Driving School, delivering top quality driver training from Logan to Noosa.
