Our biggest hazard on our roads

In my opinion the biggest hurdle to over come in road safety is our governing bodies eg. Vic Roads and the TAC. Why you may ask? You see ever since I lost my son in a road crash I have been involved in road safety first via the TAC Campaign The Ripple Effect ( which you can see at www.everybodyhurts.cm.au) I have seen, heard and be involved in so many co nversations. I have formed an opinion that most who are employed in this space are more interested in saving their jobs over what is best to reduce road crashes.

The Tac have just be given $8 million to research the causes of serious crashes. What have they been doing for all of these years has all the research they have conducted not given them the answers?

What I have learned from being in this space is the education into getting our licence is very poor what is done is token education that only gives if we are lucky only 1/2 the knowledge that we need to give us and our kids a fighting chance to survive on our roads.

The authorities are to scared to show and support realistic stories because they don't live it and are not able to tell someone else's story with the power of the message that a real victim can deliver.

They tell us what's best for children to learn is from us driving yet the ones that make that disission don't have teenaged children or none at all yet they know what works and what doesn't. I wander how they can be so forthright in this with no real experience in dealing with teen aged children? 

They insist that the 120hrs is working but p plate drivers still remain high in road trauma and the road toll. It is a good idea but would work better if the people that are instructing knew what to teach and why. 

Just sitting in the passenger seat isn't quality instruction. What we tend to do is pass on how we drive but not everyone can relay what's in their head into constructive instructions. For example in my employment we have a instructor that has over 20 years as a b doubledriver with lots of knowledge but didn't know how to teach after being taught how and what to teach he is an excellent instructor. I put it to the TAC that we could put on seminars on how and what parents could and should teach. But got an email back saying that it wasn't something that they would be interested in doing. So for now our drivers aren't getting any better which is a concern to all of us road users. 

You see the TAC operates that if we didn't think of it it won't work. Because it makes them look bad and they are always trying to justify their place in road safety. 

Over the summer break I will be working on an education program to give learners and their parents the knowledge of what to teach and why. These seminars Will point out what the criteria is to gain your licence because if you are taught what is required to pass then you should have a better understanding on the safest way to drive a car.