Certificate IV ? the road ahead for driver trainers

There has long been a need for driver trainers to take a much greater role in the education and development of competent and safe new drivers.  The crash statistics are still showing alarmingly high figures for younger drivers, who are particularly vulnerable within the period immediately after licensing.  Much has been done to make new drivers aware of the problem including restrictions on their driving, advertising campaigns, education programs and so on, but the figures remain high.

Some Researchers have stated that driver training has had little effect on the crash statistics in the past.     There certainly has been much debate about the problem but there is a suggestion that perhaps it is the type of driver training that is the issue and that the time is right for driver trainers to take a much harder look at the way in which the job is done.

The development of a new Certificate IV course for driver trainers is a big step in that direction, particularly with a much greater emphasis on the driver trainer?s ability to impart knowledge on the safety factors of hazard awareness, anticipation, decision making and the correct use of space. The new course also enables the driver trainer to thoroughly assess as well as train new drivers.