By Callum Ludwig
For many teenagers, getting their license and going for their first solo drive is a rite of passage into the adult world, opening up an exciting avenue to independence.
But for some, it may be difficult to organise and find opportunities to get their 120 hours of driving practice while on the learners.
However, the L2P program is providing a helpful option to supplement those hours and get regular driving practice in, with spots for new volunteers available.
L2P Project Officer Steve D’Abico said the program is looking to rebuild to bring in new mentors and learners.
“We need more help to support the learners who have come to the program, especially after the impact of Covid, and we want to be able to get more young people out there driving and connecting with work, education and their community,” he said.
“It’s a way to really hone in on your own driving skills as well, when you’re teaching someone else a skill, like driving, you find that you have a bit more focus on it yourself, and you find that you improve your own driving skills at the same time.”
L2P mentors are asked to volunteer one to two hours of their time each week with a matched learner that fits their schedule.
Mr D’Abico said a learner will be found that matches their mentor’s schedule.
“Whereas other volunteering opportunities, you might have to attend at certain times of the day or week, it might be an ad hoc situation, or they call you in when they need you, with L2P you specify when suits you,” he said.
“It’s also a fantastic idea for any parent that that has teenagers that are coming up to that age of being a learner, because to be able to teach that skill of driving is a skill in itself. We focus on how to share that knowledge of driving with the learner in a way that is going to really help them understand, keep both of you safe and get the best out of those driving sessions.”
Designated L2P cars are also provided for the sessions, so there is no concern abut learners needing to supply a vehicle or mentors using their own.
Mr D’Abico said they’re keen to increase their capacity and support as many young people in the communities as they can.
“In terms of the last year we’ve been able to go from having very few learners getting their P’s through the pandemic to in the last couple of months we’ve seen about four or five learners get their P’s, which is fantastic news,” he said.
