Queensland Youth - On the road and in control - Facilitator Report of Community Discussion Forums - Forum Number 9 - Sunshine Coast

Sep 18, 2026

Uploaded by Noah

Facilitator report for Community Discussion Forum No. 9 held on the Sunshine Coast at the University of Sunshine Coast Innovation Centre in Sippy Downs. The panel discussed youth novice-driver safety in Queensland using data-show slides, highlighting crash-rate differences, critical risk in Year 1 of provisional licensing, and the need for community participation. Key topics included learner licence initiatives with 120 hours’ supervised driving, parental involvement, logbook integrity, competency-based training, and assessment improvements aligned to planned driving experiences.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

General Description

Key Issues Highlighted by the Parliamentary Secretary

Major Viewpoints

Learner Licence Initiatives

Review of Penalties and Sanctions

Review of Q-SAFE Practical Driving Assessment

Introduce CBTA for Learner Drivers

Provisional Licence Initiatives

Queensland Youth: On the road and in control Facilitator Report of Community Discussion Forums Forum Number: 9 Location: Sunshine Coast Number of Participants Estimated 65 Forum Panel Members: Hon Lindy Nelson-Carr MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Mr Tony Kursius, Executive Director, Land Transport and Safety Division Dr. Barry Watson, Senior Lecturer, CARRSQ, QUT. Inspector Rod Frain, Traffic Coordinator, North Coast Region, Queensland Police Joel Tucker, Research Advisor, Royal Automobile Club of Queensland Ashlea White, Youth representative General Description The forum was held in the Innovation Centre, University of Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs. The forum operated as an iterative exchange between participants and the panel using data show slides to remind participants of the key initiatives within the discussion paper. The forum was opened by the Parliamentary Secretary who provided a brief and informative summary of the current level of safety surrounding young novice drivers in Queensland. Key Issues highlighted by the Parliamentary Secretary • Novices have 2.5 times the crash rate of experienced drivers • Is there support for greater parental involvement? • Queensland has had a 40+% reduction in fatalities, and 20+% reduction in young road user fatalities over the last decade • Government can’t deliver road safety on its own. The community must practice and participate to improve road safety • The major young driver issue is Inexperience (learning something for the first time), Year 1 as a provisional licensee is a critical risk period. As well some young drivers add to their inexperience risk with other behaviour. (i.e. Night driving, travelling with more than 2 passengers, speeding, using mobile phones while driving, being unable to deal with other distractions, drink driving, hooning and picking up bad habits from other drivers) • Young Drivers are safe as Learners!!! • In Queensland there is a need to consider the special circumstances of rural youth. Major Viewpoints Learner Licence Initiatives A package of measures, including 120 Hours of driving experience with a logbook, Education for learner drivers, supervisors and parents, holding the learner licence for at least 12 months and reducing the licence age to 16 years. Participants were enthusiastically involved in discussion about this package of initiatives. The intent of the package was embraced Despite these feelings, there were concerns which most participants felt had to be addressed if the concept was to be successful. These included: • That the total of 120 hours may not be achievable and that there were practical difficulties to be overcome. Concerns were expressed that parents may not be willing to give the time and effort required. Ideas to help included the provision of practice sessions in schools as an elective which could be an adaptation of existing electives and the concept of instructor hours counting fora multiple of hours towards the 120. • The need to advise, train and encourage parents in the role of supervisors of practice. . • The need to ensure that young drivers were exposed to a variety of different experiences during the practice. Participants endorsed suggestions that a range of experiences should be outlined, or perhaps even required, but doubted that without encouragement all parents would provide the time and their vehicles for wet weather driving, freeway driving, unsealed road driving, urban traffic, late night, into setting sun driving and other situations which would be met regularly as a provisional sole licensed driver. • The need to establish mechanisms to prevent or limit the potential of fraudulent preparation of the log book. Some innovative approaches were raised during discussion. One participant suggested adding activity to be undertaken by the young driver as a form of compulsory homework when moving through different stages of

FAQs

What forum was this report based on, and where was it held?

It summarizes Community Discussion Forum No. 9, held at the Innovation Centre, University of Sunshine Coast (Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs).

What did the report identify as the main risk period for young novice drivers?

It highlights Year 1 of provisional licensing as a critical risk period, driven largely by inexperience and additional behaviors such as night driving, multiple passengers, speeding, mobile phone use, distractions, drink driving, and hooning.

What learner licence package of measures was discussed?

Participants discussed a package including 120 hours of driving with a logbook, education for learner drivers and supervisors/parents, holding the learner licence for at least 12 months, and reducing the licence age to 16.

Sep 18, 2026

Uploaded by Noah