A new youth road safety program is delivering a lifetime of safe driving habits to young Tasmanian drivers.
The Youth Road Safety Program 'Alongside' is being rolled out to guide and support people embarking on their learning-to-drive journey by the Tasmanian Government, RACT and the Road Safety Advisory Council.
The program includes statewide 'Learning to Drive, Together' workshops designed to give supervisors and learners skills and knowledge needed to prepare for a lifetime of safe driving.
Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Kerry Vincent, said we are investing $8 million in Youth Road Safety over the next five years.
"Importantly, $2 million of the funding is dedicated to improving road safety and licensing outcomes for disadvantaged youth," Minister Vincent said.
"Having a driver's licence can be critical to connecting young people with education, employment and services, particularly in regional Tasmania.
"Road safety is everyone's responsibility, and this program demonstrates our commitment to ensuring young people are developing safe driving skills.
"Each year, around 300 Tasmanians are killed or seriously injured on our roads, and young people aged between 17 and 25 are consistently overrepresented in this toll.
"We know the P1 licensing phase is when young drivers are most at risk of being involved in a crash. I encourage all Tasmanians to do their part to be safe on our roads.
"Improving road safety is a key part of our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania's Future and workshops like this helps Tasmania unite to deliver improvements."
The 'Learning to Drive, Together' workshops launched recently with pilot sessions in Kingston, marking an important milestone following extensive consultation, research, and co-design.
Further pilots are planned across Tasmania, including the West Coast.
"Supervisory drivers play a critical role in teaching young learners the responsibility which comes with driving on our roads. I encourage everyone to attend one of these sessions. It might save your life," Minister Vincent said.
