AA Driver Education Foundation, in partnership with researchers from Monash University and Waikato University has adapted the Australian 'Going Solo' brochure to the New Zealand legal system and driving context. This new brochure will assist parents and young drivers.
The brochure is proudly sponsored by Mobil New Zealand and was launched by Hon Steven Joyce, Minister of Transport, on 29 April 2009.
The New Zealand 'Going Solo' brochure will be of particular interest to parents who are training or helping to coach their children as learner drivers, particularly if they are nearly ready to obtain their Restricted Licence and drive 'solo'.
The brochure explains the level of crash risk new drivers face when they first drive 'solo'. It also sets out ways international research has determined that parents can actively help reduce the risks to their young driver.
Government agencies that are responsible for New Zealand road safety education initiatives contributed to the draft before it was published. The Ministry of Transport, in particular, gave valuable input to the statistical data and its presentation in the brochure. Several groups of parents in the Wellington community also added their suggestions.
How to get the 'Going Solo' brochure
Free print copies
The 'Going Solo' brochure is available free to parents as long as printed copies last. Get your copy from AA Driver Training, AA Centres and AA Agencies, the New Zealand Institute of Driving Educators driving instructors, Road Safety Coordinators based at District and City Councils, and from Mobil service stations.
Download the brochure
Going Solo (386 Kb PDF)
Note: When Graduated Driver Licence System changes are introduced, the online brochure version will be edited to reflect the changes.
Brochure a success in Australia
The Going Solo brochure sponsored by ExxonMobil and Esso Mobil in Australia is regarded as a success by academics who are researching road safety, and by many parents who have used it across Australia and taken part in evaluation of the Australian version.
For example, Australian driving instructors commented that they now have a 'concrete' discussion point to use in discussion with the parents/driving supervisors of learner drivers - rather than taking an ad hoc approach to pointing out how parents could help their learner drivers.
Parents have contributed comments such as: 'My husband and I can sleep easy now knowing our son won't drive while tired and us waiting up for him to come home. He's changed his behaviour based on the booklet - as it was there in black and white about the risk of fatigue. We now have it on the kitchen bench for our L-plate daughter'.
Why is 'Going Solo' valuable to parents and Restricted Licence drivers?
There are three major reasons:
1. To understand the high risk situations faced by the Restricted Driver, and have an opportunity to reduce these risks.
Crashes involving Restricted Licence drivers are a major road safety issue. The risk of Restricted Licence drivers having a crash decreases dramatically with experience gained over the first 6-12 months of driving solo.
Even if parents and young drivers are aware of this, they may not be aware of exactly what the high risk situations are for a young person just about to drive 'solo', and how that risk can be reduced.
2. To have a source of well-researched ideas for family discussion on how best to support a Restricted Licensed Driver's safe driving.
The over-representation of newly licensed drivers in crashes is evident world wide, which has led to a lot of interest and research into good practice in teaching safe driving.
Research has shown that Graduated Driver Licensing Systems (GDLS) are very effective in reducing young driver crashes. New Zealand has a Graduated Driver Licensing System.
GDLS phase in on-road driving conditions, so that beginners can acquire at least their first six months of driving experience in low risk driving situations. GDLS conditions gradually introduce the new driver to more complex, higher-risk driving situations, such as driving solo, including driving after dark until 10.00 pm.
The GDLS continues to restrict some types of driving - such as carrying passengers unless supervised - until a Full licence is gained.
3. The Parent-Restricted Driver Agreement.
Parents play an important role in promoting safe driving, and also ensuring that their son/daughter keeps to the GDLS conditions.
Research shows a link between parenting style and young driver crash risk. Low parental monitoring and control can be related to risky driving behaviours, traffic violations and crashes. Use of the 'Going Solo' brochure can support parents to reach an agreement with their young driver to drive according to GDLS conditions.
At the back of 'Going Solo' there is a sample agreement form for parents and Restricted Licence drivers to sign. It includes parental expectations for their young driver, and also the parents' own role in promoting the safety of their son/daughter as a Restricted Licence driver.
More information
Please let your friends and family know about 'Going Solo', and provide any feedback you have to Kath Henderson (04 931 9988) of the AA Driver Education Foundation.
'Practice' driver training programme for young drivers
'Practice' is a fun, free driver-training programme designed for new drivers aged 15-19. With Practice, the learner nominates a dedicated driving guide (usually a parent, family friend or fully-licensed sibling) who can also access resources on the Practice website. There is a range of easy-to-follow practical tools to help the driving guide teach, and the learner driver achieve learning milestones. Incentives include excellent gift rewards for achievement of milestones.
The aim of the programme is to get the learner to clock up 120 hours of supervised driving in a range of conditions before the learner gets their restricted licence and starts to drive solo.
Find out more on the Practice website.
Driver licensing
To learn more about the rules for driver licensing, browse these pages on the New Zealand Transport Agency website.