As the summer holidays approach there'll be a noticeable smattering of cars with ubiquitous yellow L plates on our roads.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
For many Australians, those grueling hours (up to 120 hours for Victoria and NSW) of supervised driving practice can be a stress-inducing process.
New research from Allianz Australia has found that teachers, mostly parents, guardians and siblings, are just as nervous as their teenage students sitting in the drivers seat.
The study of 1000 Australian drivers over 18 found that 60 per cent of parent or sibling teachers didn't read up on road rules before taking their kids on their road and 56 per cent didn't reflect on their own bad habits.
Sydney-based driving instructor with thirteen years experience Angelo Russo said most parents aren't equipped to transfer driving knowledge that had become rote.
"You can't teach what you don't know," he said.
"Most parents learnt to drive 20-30 years ago, the rules have changed, everything's changed over the years."
Many learners agree, with 41 per cent saying their teachers didn't always set a good example when driving.
Stress-inducing habits of teachers include visibly tense posture, impatience, and raising their voice.
Melbourne-based father of two Joseph described teaching his children to drive as a "test of parental patience".
"It tested my own driving knowledge and revealed some gaps, I became a better driver as a result," he said.
"It was ultimately very satisfying when they passed the test."
IN OTHER NEWS:
Minimising stress has a big impact on passing driving tests with 76 per cent of learners who had a stress-free experience passing their test on the first attempt.
"Sit back, relax, don't yell at them. Start at a quiet place and go around the block, practice left and right, that's what the professionals do," Mr Russo said.
"The safest you'll ever be in the car is when you're being taught to drive."
Parents and siblings should confirm their insurance is up to date before sitting in the teaching seat.
Alllianz research shows 26 per cent of those surveyed who were doing the teaching didn't check their existing insurance policy at all, while 15 per cent checked and had to arrange a new policy.
"People always hit the most expensive cars, so make sure you're insured, and if something does happen it's not going to put the family in financial stress."
- Angelo Russo
"It de-stresses you, because you know that if something happens, you're covered by insurance," Mr Russo said.
"Make sure your policy is up to date and it covers the learner. Because people always hit the most expensive cars, so make sure you're insured, and if something does happen it's not going to put the family in financial stress."
