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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 13 Hansard (5 December) . . Page.. 4513 ..

MS HORODNY (continuing):

involved because of their inexperience or their lack of maturity in driving. Unfortunately, it is the case that many learner drivers believe that they can adequately drive before they are really ready. I understand that 50 per cent of learner drivers currently fail their first driving test. The reason for this is that too often they are so keen to get onto the road that they feel they can rush through the driving test itself. For these reasons, it is important that any new system for testing learner drivers enhance and not reduce the standard of newly licensed drivers.

In introducing this legislation, Mr De Domenico argued that the proposed changes would improve road safety by producing a greater level of competence in newly licensed drivers. However, this claim is untested. The proposed logbook system is currently in place only in South Australia, where it was introduced some 31/2 years ago. We have tried to find out what studies have been done in South Australia, but we have been told that even after 31/2 years it is still too early to have sufficient statistics to see whether this new system is having any impact on the number of road accidents involving young drivers.

We contacted the Australian Automobile Association and the NRMA to get their views on this scheme; but they were not in a position to give it a clear endorsement, because of the lack of information available about its effectiveness. The South Australian Royal Automobile Association endorses the scheme; but they were involved in its implementation and they run their own driving school, which participates in the scheme, so they are not totally neutral on this issue. I understand that the NRMA is currently funding a study which is assessing the impact of the South Australian system on driver competence, and a report is expected in March of next year. An officer of the South Australian agency responsible for driver testing told us that at least five years' data would be needed to make a full evaluation of the system, which means that we would have to wait until 1998 for an evaluation.

We are, therefore, reluctant to support this Bill in its entirety without solid evidence that it will improve road safety. We see no reason to rush the introduction of this new system. Given the road safety implications, we want to make sure that this system really works. Otherwise, young lives, and the lives of other road users, could be placed at risk. I would think that is something that you would take very seriously, Mr De Domenico, and not flippantly.

Mr De Domenico: I take it very seriously. They would, if we also sat on our hands, Ms Horodny, and did nothing. Have a look at what has happened over the past week and a half.

MS HORODNY: Mr De Domenico, there is no evidence that there is any benefit in this system. That is what you have not shown yet.

The main aspect of this Bill that really concerns us is that it gives commercial driving instructors the power to test their own students. We have no problem, Mr De Domenico, with setting up an accreditation system for driving instructors. This should lead to better standards of instruction. We also have no problem with a logbook system which allows learner drivers to work through the achievement of a structured set of driving competencies at their own pace. Accreditation and training of instructors and a continuous assessment system may indeed produce better outcomes. What we do not

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