Transport for NSW will host a free online workshop to help parents and supervisors of learner drivers better understand and fulfil their roles.

Teaching a young person to drive safely on our roads is a great responsibility and one that falls largely to the learner’s parents or guardians – whether they’re ready for it or not.

“It’s one thing to be an experienced, skilled driver ourselves but it can be a different thing all together to suddenly find ourselves in the role of teacher for a new driver,” a Transport for NSW spokesperson said.

“We may have been driving for 20 or 30 years by the time we’re asked to teach a new driver the rules and standards of the road, but it’s not always easy to pass on what we know.

“For most experienced drivers it could be decades since they last read up on the rules of the road and while we might know in practice how far to park from a corner and how much distance to leave to the vehicle in front when driving, it can be challenging quantify such things for a new learner.

“But teaching someone to drive can also be one of the most rewarding and enjoyable experiences for any parent or guardian, and this online workshop is designed to help make it so.”

The online workshop from 6pm-7.30pm tonight (Thursday, 14 November) will cover a range of topics including current driving rules for L-platers and P-platers, along with the benefits that supervised on-driving can deliver for learners.

“There will also be practical advice on how to use the learner driver’s log book, how to plan a practice session, dealing with difficult situations during a lesson and tips on giving constructive feedback to the learner,” the spokesperson said.

“A key goal of the workshop is simply helping to make learning to drive a safe and positive experience for both the learner and supervisor.”

Interested parents and supervisors can book their place at the free online workshop at https://www.trybooking.com/CSYUS.

More information for young and learner drivers is available on the Transport for NSW website.