I
once stopped a vehicle being driven at 96 km/h in a posted 50 km/h
construction zone. Approaching the passenger side, I spoke with the
woman in the front seat and the young lady driving. When I explained why
I stopped them, the woman suggested that she was
unable to get the driver to slow down, and maybe I could do something
about it.
The driver produced a learner driver’s license and no L sign was displayed on the vehicle.
To me, the solution was simple. The woman should have denied her
daughter access to the vehicle unless she was willing to follow the
traffic rules. The conversation told me that this was a known issue
rather than a one time lapse on the part of the driver.
After they had departed and I sat doing the notes for the violation
ticket I had issued, I wondered to myself if maybe it wasn’t so simple.
Perhaps this woman should not have been given the privilege of teaching
her daughter to drive. If the teacher is ill
equipped to teach, the new driver will not learn what is necessary to
drive correctly and safely.
Do parents read the Tuning Up for Drivers guide that their teen receives
in the package with their new learner’s licence? The book contains 20
lessons to prepare for the class 7 road test presented in order for good
skill development.
We all tend to think that we are better than average drivers, but I
occasionally find myself in conversations with parents who tell me that
their teen taught them about things that they were doing wrong when
driving.
Yes, ICBC does test the new driver to see if they meet standards as they
progress through the Graduated Licensing Program. These standards are
much more stringent than they were when I took my driver’s test 30 years
ago. The trouble is, attitude can easily
be hidden for the duration of a test, but put back on as soon as the
driver hits the highway alone.
Perhaps this young lady would be better off taking the complete GLP
package at a driving school. She will receive instruction in both the
mechanics and the ethics of being a good driver that she might not be
getting at home.
Currently Nova Scotia, Quebec and Saskatchewan require a new driver to
take formal training in order to get a full privilege driver’s licence.
Given the level of complexity facing a learner driver today presented by
both the vehicle and the driving environment,
perhaps formal training should be mandatory in all provinces.
Story URL:
https://www.drivesmartbc.ca/behaviour/perpetuating-mediocrity
—
Constable Tim Schewe (Retired)
DriveSmartBC: Where better than average road users satisfy their curiosity.
