Ford Driving Skills for Life focuses on cyclists
And free driver training course will run in regional centres for the first timeFord's Driving Skills for Life program in 2018 will partner with the Amy Gillett Foundation to make drivers better aware of the need to share roads with cyclists.
The initiative was prompted by new research indicating that cyclist fatalities on Australia's roads have increased by 80 per cent over the past 12 months.
"When we choose active transport, we are at our most vulnerable on the roads," says Amy Gillett Foundation CEO Phoebe Dunn.
"Yet there is little to no content in driver training and licensing programs around Australia on how to share the road safely with cyclists. Drivers are simply not being given the skills they need to safely share the roads."
"Education and training are vital components of achieving behaviour change and making the roads a safer place for all road users. We are looking forward to working with the team at Ford to do just that, and we commend them for their efforts to include vulnerable road users in new driver training."
A Ford survey of nearly 2000 Australian motorists has found that 49 per cent of respondents did not feel confident sharing the road with cyclists, and 18 per cent admitted to experiencing road rage directed towards cyclists. Roughly a third of those surveyed felt they could use more training to drive safely in close proximity to cyclists.
The Driving Skills for Life program subjects drivers to virtual reality and real-world scenarios in a closed environment for safely exploring the best strategy and tactics for risk-free motoring.
In 2018 the Ford Driving Skills for Life program will expand into regional areas, kicking off with Wollongong at the Kembla Grange Racecourse this Sunday, September 23. Other events in the program will follow, with Brisbane, Ballarat and Toowoomba added to the agenda, in addition to Wollongong. The course will also be held in Sydney and Melbourne, as for the previous three years.
Tickets may be obtained by registering interest through a Ford website.
Driving Skills for Life Event Dates:
• Wollongong at Kembla Grange Racecourse: Sunday, September 23
• Melbourne at Todd Road Go Kart Track: Saturday, October 20
• Ballarat at Ballarat Greyhound Racing Club: Sunday, October 21
• Toowoomba at Toowoomba Go Kart Club: Sunday, October 28
• Brisbane at Lakeside Raceway: Saturday, November 3
• Sydney at Sydney Motor Sport Park: Saturday, December 8
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
