Strengthening the learner driver experience through parent involvement and education

Effective learner driver education promotes a partnership between the learner and the supervising driver, who is often the parent. To enhance the quality of this partnership, the supervising driver requires support that combines practical and theoretical components, whilst remaining financially accessible. A model recently developed by RACV called the Parent Plus Program provides the supervisor with a free modelled on-road lesson with their learner and a professional driving instructor. The driving instructor acts as a mentor for the learner as well as the supervisor. The supervisor also receives sequential instructional information which is specific to the supervisor?s and learner?s experience, over a 3 month period.  A program evaluation has shown that parents who actively participate in the program report being more likely to provide greater levels of on-road experience for their learner.

This paper provides an overview of the Parent Plus Program and reports on evaluation results of parents who participated in the program. Conclusions and implications for effectively engaging with parents and learners will also be highlighted.