One-in-four teens fudges learner logbooks

Almost a quarter of all teenagers polled in a young driver survey have admitted they would falsify (or have falsified) their learner logbooks about the number of hours actually driven before applying for their P-plates.

Last month youth website habbo.com.au polled 1058 teens under 18 years of age -- evenly split among males and females -- and asked them more than a dozen questions about car safety issues. The study results released today (April 7) said 76 per cent of respondents would fill out -- or have filled out -- their learner logbooks honestly, leaving a question mark over the remaining 24 per cent.

Following the disturbing findings, Jeff Brookes, the regional director of Habbo, called on the Federal Government to consider a national subsidised driving skills program.

"We are encouraging the Federal Government to develop a national plan to better prepare Australian teenagers for the road," he said.

"Professional driving lessons can be an expense many families cannot afford, however, the skills learned from a professional instructor could be life-saving for Australian teens and others sharing the road."

The study found more than half of all young drivers (53 per cent) are taught by their parents or other family members -- while only one-third (33 per cent) received professional driving tuition.

At present, only NSW offers any incentive for young drivers to receive tuition by learner driver professionals -- but it is not a financial incentive.

In NSW, learners under the age of 25 must accumulate 120 hours (including 20 hours at night) of driving supervised by a parent or guardian -- but the system relies on the honesty of those filling out the booklet.

Following complaints from parents last year who were struggling to complete the necessary hours of supervision, the Roads and Traffic Authority made an exception that one hour under the guidance of a profession learner driver instructor would equate to three hours in the logbook. But the RTA says a maximum of only 10 expert tuition sessions (equal to 30 hours) would count towards the driving time of each applicant.

In Victoria, learners under the age of 21 must complete 120 hours of supervised driving including 10 hours at night. Queensland learners under the age of 21 must complete 100 hours (including 10 night hours), while South Australia's young drivers must complete 50 hours of supervised driving, also with a 10 hour night minimum.

Western Australian learners require just 25 hours of supervised driving and in the NT no minimum is set. There novice drivers must hold their learner's permit for at least six months and according to the NT Government transport website are "encouraged to get as much supervised driving experience as possible".

Tasmania and the ACT require 50 hours of supervised driving, though the home of our Federal politicians merely recommends the amount and does not enforce it.

The study also found that 78 per cent of teens wore a seatbelt all the time; 13 per cent said they wore a seatbelt "most of the time", 3 per cent said they wore a seatbelt only when they were a passenger, 3 per cent said they only wore a seatbelt when they were driving and 3 per cent said they never wore a seatbelt at all.

Most respondents (84 per cent) said they would not get in a car with a driver who had been drinking -- but seven per cent said they would and nine per cent weren't sure.

More than three-quarters of all respondents (77 per cent) said they would tell a friend to slow down if they were speeding, the remainder wouldn't say anything or were unsure if they would say anything.

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