Page 509 - Week 02 - Thursday, 22 February 1990
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of students. Very serious consideration should be given to the action that needs to be taken in order to give young people the same sorts of opportunities with motor bikes. With that small comment, I should like to add my support to this Bill.
MR STEFANIAK (4.33): I would like to add my support to this Bill to amend the Motor Traffic Act 1936 to require compulsory pre-licence rider training for novice motorcycle riders. As Mrs Nolan indicated, this idea has been on the table since 1984. There have been some schemes in the past. I recall participating in one in 1971 which was run by the then ACT Police as a community service and I found that particularly useful and helpful.
Mr Collaery: What, when you were 11?
MR STEFANIAK: Oh, no! I was considerably older than that. There are four approaches that are available to governments to reduce the numbers of road accidents - improved roads, appropriate laws, effective enforcement and finally, education and training of road users. It is my belief that insufficient attention has previously been given to providing adequate driver and rider training to learners, prior to their being given the considerable responsibility and right to operate a vehicle on the road.
Others are aware of this problem as well. Newspaper article writers and letters to the editor correspondence continually refer to the inadequacy of current driver and rider training programs available for motorcycle learners. This Government recognises the importance of providing effective road safety education programs for our youth and the need to target special road safety programs towards high risk groups such as motorcycle riders. Having been a motorcycle rider since I got a licence, I know from personal experience that one is very vulnerable out there. The compulsory rider training course will ensure that young riders will have the fundamental understanding of the knowledge, skills and defensive rider attitudes that will improve their life chances. For this reason I commend the Bill.
MR COLLAERY (Attorney-General) (4.35): I rise to make a few comments and certainly I think Mrs Grassby will appreciate them. Firstly, Mrs Grassby said that her party was the only party with a policy on this matter. I read into the record the policy of the Residents Rally in this regard:
In recognition of the importance of improving safety on roads, all learner drivers will be required to undertake a recognised driver training course which includes audio visual lectures and tests ...
It is there, Mrs Grassby, and you have to acknowledge it. As Mrs Grassby spoke, I thought of some of the causes of
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