Race legend Allan Moffat's safety plan to teach children to drive

[Bobman]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/nat...-1225895839663

CHILDREN as young as 12 should be taught how to drive as part of the school curriculum, legendary racing driver Allan Moffat says.

The touring car driver, who won four Bathurst 1000 titles in a stellar career, said that car dealers could get involved by providing training vehicles to schools.

"Not learning how to drive a car properly at a young age is a quick way to kill yourself if you're really stupid behind the wheel and you have no idea what you're doing," he said.

A survey to be released today by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport shows that 72 per cent of the organisation's members want driver education to be compulsory in secondary schools.

More than 80 per cent believe that driver education would have a much greater impact on cutting the road toll than increasing the driving age.

CAMS president Andrew Papadopoulos said that the roll-out of education programs, such as the CAMS Ignition program would help to save lives.

Mr Papadopoulos called on the Federal Government to back the idea, saying that road trauma cost Australia about $17 billion a year.

"(An education program) is not a lot of money compared to what we are already spending on road crashes," he said.

"This is a preventative measure to stop bodies being mangled. I have heard a mother say, 'If my kid is taught about sex education why can't he be taught about driver education?'."

Under the plan, high school students would initially do an all-day driving course and then have refresher sessions during the year.

Canadian-born Moffat said it was a great idea and could also include a North American practice in which car dealers provide local schools with training vehicles.

"Kids are left too late to get behind the wheel. They get frustrated. They see mum and dad driving and they think, 'Oh, that can't be too hard, anybody can do that'," he said.

Trinity Grammar principal Richard Tudor said a compulsory program wouldn't be realistic, but he supported voluntary sessions after school.

"I believe if a small proportion of willing students were involved it should prove very beneficial," he said.

Mr Tudor said the issue of drink-driving should be an essential part of the school curriculum.

I think Moffat is onto something and agree about drumming important car control lessons into kids before they turn 18.

Unfortunately with our pathetic Governments who only want money but not spend any, this will probably be brushed aside.