Local young people and the community at large will benefit from a program designed to educate and support young learner drivers on the Mid North Coast.

The Young Driver Training Program, funded by the Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation, will be launched at the PCYC in Taree tomorrow (Tuesday) morning.

The program has been developed in response to the over-representation of young people involved in road crashes and fatalities. It focuses on the underlying cognitive, behavioural, attitudinal and social factors which can lead to crashes and aims to educate young and novice drivers about the issues and consequences of driving.

Recent research shows that continuing emphasis on car control skills alone will not produce safer drivers, according to program coordinator Beverley Barnard.

“It’s actually been proven that young drivers are far more receptive to road safety information when they are in their safest phase, for example the Learner Driver phase, because they’re keen for information and training,” she said.

For this reason, the program has been targeted at young people aged between 16 and 19 years who have their Learners permit.

Participants will receive instruction and information from local service providers including: NSW Ambulance Service, the Community Health Team, NSW Police Service, PCYC and the NRMA. As well, they will acquire basic car maintenance skills along with professional driving lessons from a qualified instructor. They will also undertake a two-day course with St. John’s Ambulance to obtain their Senior First Aid Certificate.

More than 70 young people from the Taree and Port Macquarie areas are expected to participate in the program over the next 12 months.

“The gains from this program are enormous – not only for the young people themselves but also for the wider Taree and Port Macquarie communities which will benefit from reduced road rage, less trauma and cost, safer drivers and more employable young people.”

Charitable Foundation Chairman, Michael McDonald, congratulated Mission Australia on their initiative.

“The Foundation is pleased to be supporting such an innovative and far-sighted program.

“This has the potential to make a real difference to the statistics and therefore, to the well being of the whole community.

“We look forward to a time when programs such as this become the standard for driver training throughout Australia”.

For further information and interviews please contact Anne Long at Mission Australia on 0407 402 935.