The Fit to Drive Foundation is dedicated to protecting the world’s international students and workers on our roads. They’ve added more educational programs to better serve those who are just getting acclimated to the Australian roadways. Jack Carpenter, the program coordinator, knows that knowledge of local driving regulations and an understanding of possible consequences for violations can go a long way. This new initiative is built around that practical knowledge. Indeed, its aim is to take the pressure off with not having to learn all new traffic regulations on strange roads.
As newcomers to our communities become increasingly vulnerable to roadway trauma, this critical program couldn’t have come at a better time. Since mid-2020, 23 workers under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme have tragically lost their lives in Australian road accidents. In light of these incidents, Jody O’Brien, a key figure at the foundation, underscores the importance of equipping new drivers with the necessary information and skills.
At the end of the program, O’Brien noticed that everyone in the pilot program started buckling up and obeying speed limits. They indicated that no demerit points were awarded while training them. This proactive approach creates positive, welcoming experiences through safety that build the confidence of international drivers.
Educational Workshops for Understanding Road Rules
Persuasive, passionate, and persistent, Jack Carpenter’s workshops offer critical, trailblazing perspectives on the Australian road network. They address the responsibilities of local authorities, judicial authorities and law enforcement in their penalties on infringement on road laws. For attendees like Tanya Anastacio and Muhammad Wahyu, this information has been invaluable. Anastacio said it’s important to learn the rules of the road, especially the basics, like saying,
“Cross when it’s green, and stop when it’s red.” – Antoinette ‘Tanya’ Anastacio
As Carpenter puts it, “a lot of new drivers go into this really naive about the challenges that they’re going to experience. In doing so, he emphasized how a lack of awareness and misinformation can create deadly circumstances on our nation’s roadways.
“All these things that we think are really intuitive aren’t necessarily the case,” – Jack Carpenter
O’Brien emphasized that newcomers are paired with interpreters right away. This assistance allows them to bypass the language barrier and be informed completely of important information prior to beginning their driving experience.
“They’re like, ‘I don’t know, what is a ‘dip’? Like, are we having hummus,’” – Jack Carpenter
These amusing stories serve to underscore the bewildering experience most people encounter when trying to adjust to Australian traffic rules.
Driving Experience and Support for Newcomers
The program additionally focuses on the specific challenges presented by international drivers. Participants uniformly reported a sense of anxiety when navigating an unknown environment, particularly one with complicated driver- and pedestrian-centric designs. Muhammad Wahyu shared his experience after arriving from Indonesia about 18 months ago, stating:
“It looked very scary, and when we did our road trips we specifically tried to book a car outside the city limit so we didn’t need to deal with the hook turns.” – Muhammad Wahyu
To support these newcomers further, the Australian government offers reimbursement of up to $600 annually for training expenses, including obtaining an Australian driving license. Jody O’Brien elaborated that as soon as newcomers set foot on the ground, they are registered for a VicRoads profile. This step gets them ready to receive their learner permit.
“Making sure that our new residents from around the world and across the country don’t get hurt or confused while driving is paramount,” O’Brien said.
“Everyone deserves to come to work safe, healthy, and happy and go home safe, healthy, and happy,” – Jody O’Brien
The foundation wants to ensure that all international drivers know what to expect. It equips them to be safe road users themselves.
Road Safety Statistics and Recent Initiatives
Recent international and national statistics further highlight the importance of the road safety initiatives, particularly to Australia. In those two months, Victoria Police issued 289 fines to food delivery riders in Melbourne’s CBD alone. These stiff penalties were punitive towards relatively harmless or dangerous riding behavior on bicycles, e-bikes, and e-scooters. This enforcement action underlies broader issues related to infrastructure and public safety that extend beyond just the pedestrian experience.
Jack Carpenter noted that a lot of the folks who came to the driving workshops were shocked. They were most surprised by Victoria’s zero tolerance for drugs and drink driving. As he aptly put it, for new residents, they need to understand these restrictions. It’s important, too, for those unaccustomed to such strict enforcement.
“The fines are big for a reason; there are rules for a reason. It made me feel safer as a pedestrian and as a future bike user,” – Tanya Anastacio
The NT Police’s Acting Senior Sergeant Shaun Allen recently described his enthusiasm for the workshops. In short, he told us new arrivals are driving the artistic process and doing the work to safely carve out space in their community.
“It’s been very well attended by new arrivals coming into our country, and they’re really engaging and really, really friendly,” – Acting Senior Sergeant Shaun Allen
