Advanced Driver Training

The National Motorists Association Australia has long advocated improved driver skills as a means of reducing the road toll. Many of our members have completed one or more advanced driving courses and can attest to the effectiveness of such courses.

We are particularly encouraged by the recent initiatives by Deputy Prime-Minister John Anderson to get squarely behind the idea as a means of addressing the over-representation of young drivers in the road toll statistics. We do however have a concern that this initiative, if left to the states, may get derailed by the 'road safety club' that has been responsible for the Australia's disastrous "speed kills" culture of Australian road safety for the past ten years.

What kind of courses are there?

It seems there are several kinds of courses typically offered.

(a) A course designed to make drivers aware of the dangers on the road and educate them about such things as speed, fatigue, attitude, courtesy, braking distances etc.

(b) a practical, experiential driving experience where, under controlled circumstances (often a race track or other non-public place) you learn advanced car control techniques - cornering, how to correct a skid, optimal braking techniques etc.

(c) a combination of (a) and (b) above.

Whilst we recognise that the material taught in type (a) courses is important, in the absence of type (b) material it does not in our opinion constitute an "advanced driving course".

The worst kind of type (a) courses will be little more than speed kills propaganda dressed up as a driving course - be especially wary of any company or individual in the business of driver training who argues that "advanced driving courses" have been shown not to work.

Most of the reputable advanced driver training organisations have some association with motor sport, and the training will be conducted either at a race track or a purpose built facility.

We have compiled a list of some of these organisations below.