Queensland’s young drivers can learn how to respond to police, but at a cost

Queensland Raceway has introduced Learner Driver Nights in conjunction with Queensland Police, which provides training to people under the age of 25 on how to respond to police and other emergency vehicles.

It follows a model introduced by the Australian Racing Drivers’ Club in 2016, which gives learners the opportunity to interact with NSW Police Force at a mock random breath test site – a potentially stressful situation for inexperienced drivers – while also allowing some time behind the wheel in the safe environment of a race track.

However, while driver-training company Driving Solutions, ARDC, the NSW Police Force, and the Sydney Motorsport Park all donate their time and resources to run the event free-of-charge, learners in Queensland will have to pay $40 for the privilege of being pulled over.

Both events allow young drivers to familiarise themselves with police procedures, such as how to respond safely when an emergency vehicle is attempting to pass, or if a police car is prompting them to stop – with the Sydney event helping more than 2000 learner drivers over five years.

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But while the monthly Sydney event is limited to 60 cars over a period of 1.5 hours, the upcoming Queensland event on 14 December 2022 can cater for 200 vehicles split across five groups, running each hour from 5pm to 9pm.

It’s believed the two events are the only such programs in Australia at this time, with young drivers in other states and territories having to learn how to pull over the old-fashioned way.

Click here for more information on the Night Drive at Sydney Motorsport Park, or click here to learn more about the Learner Drive Nights at Queensland Raceway.

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