Local driving instructor comments on proposed P plate age change

ADAM Neeves, the owner-operator of Drivetrain Education, teaches driving in the Murrindindi Shire. He was keen to comment on the proposal to lower the driving age to 17.

He said, “It has always been my experience that when I teach people a little older than usual, sometimes I get people come to me that are 19, 20 or 21, they have a cautious attitude and they almost inevitably do better when they’re older in terms of safety. I think there is a valid argument to keep the age at 18, but I also see arguments for lowering it when it comes to things like apprenticeships and stuff like that.

“I think that if there was a discussion of reducing the age to 17, for example, that it could be made conditional on things like being enrolled in a trade or being apprentice or something like that. You could make it linked to employment.”

He commented on an article he read on cognitive development. Having wisdom teeth come through at around age 20 or 21 is one of the last vestiges of the physical aspects of puberty.

There are also cognitive development things that go along with that, and risk assessment is one of those late developing skills. That seems to be exacerbated in boys as well.

“I think that there’s a prevailing attitude among some teachers where they want to use negative reinforcement, like scaring young people with the threat of violence and stuff, if you don’t drive properly you’re going to die and all that kind of thing. It just falls on deaf ears because they’re not actually able to perceive danger at that age.

“That’s one of things we’re up against. It’s not a lack of will to understand, it’s a lack of a capability of understanding in a lot of cases,” he said.

It terms of the gender divide, Adam said, “Certainly you see a little bit more risky behaviour in boys, but it’s certainly not exclusive. I’ve seen plenty of girls do….