RACQ Unveils Groundbreaking Teen Driving Program as Queensland Road Crisis Deepens
The Royal Automobile Club of Queensland (RACQ) has launched an unprecedented driving education initiative designed specifically to assist parents in training teenage drivers. This urgent response comes following the release of shocking new data that reveals three-quarters of young motorists regularly exceed speed limits, while more than half engage in dangerous mobile phone use behind the wheel.
Alarming Statistics Prompt Immediate Action
RACQ's comprehensive 2025 Road Safety Survey paints a disturbing picture of young driver behavior across Queensland. The data indicates that 76 percent of respondents aged 18-24 admitted to driving above posted speed limits. Furthermore, 62 percent confessed to operating vehicles while fatigued, 52 percent acknowledged driving with mobile phones in hand, and 29 percent reported driving under the influence of alcohol.
These troubling statistics emerge as Queensland confronts its most severe road toll in sixteen years, with 308 lives tragically lost during 2025 alone. This represents a stark reversal of pre-pandemic safety improvements, with RACQ estimating the annual toll should be closer to 200 if previous progress had continued.
The Coaching Lane: A Comprehensive Solution for Families
RACQ's innovative program, named The Coaching Lane, has been developed through extensive consultation with parents who understand the realities of teaching from the passenger seat. The course offers both online and in-person modules specifically designed to address the unique challenges faced by families during the learner driver period.
Tiffany Boyd, RACQ's coaching and development specialist, explained the program's development: "For many parents, supervising a learner driver can be a genuinely daunting experience. While teens are taught how to handle the car, adults are often left to handle the stress on their own. We wanted to create a practical program that aims to take the pressure off parents teaching teens and ensure young drivers develop the skills and mindset they need to stay safe."
Addressing the Confidence Gap Between Parents and Professionals
Research reveals that 82 percent of learner drivers receive most of their instruction from family members rather than professional instructors, despite 80 percent of learners reporting greater confidence with professional guidance. This confidence gap presents a significant challenge during the crucial learning period.
The Coaching Lane program focuses on five critical strategies for parents:
- Treating every drive as a structured lesson rather than just transportation
- Carefully selecting destinations and routes matching the learner's skill level
- Building trust through calm responses in stressful situations
- Introducing varied driving conditions progressively as confidence grows
- Creating supportive coaching environments that emphasize small achievements
Parental Perspective: "Most of Us Are Flying Blind"
Brisbane father Mike Louchart, who is currently teaching his third child to drive, has embraced the new program. "Even though Ella is the third child I've taught to drive, that moment of surrendering control from the passenger seat is still nerve-racking," Mr. Louchart admitted. "I put my hand up to help because I know how little guidance exists for parents teaching their children to drive. I'm on my third child, and I still question whether I'm instilling the right, safe driving habits."
Mr. Louchart emphasized the program's potential impact: "If a program like this had been available when my older children were learning, I would have absolutely taken part. Most of us are really flying blind when it comes to teaching our kids to drive properly."
Broader Road Safety Crisis Demands Comprehensive Response
David Carter, RACQ Managing Director and Group CEO, highlighted the systemic nature of Queensland's road safety challenges. "The status quo is not working. We cannot continue to accept this level of road trauma as inevitable or unavoidable," Mr. Carter stated emphatically. "Only a strong program of behaviour change, greater data transparency and bold policy reform will reverse this alarming trajectory."
The social and economic costs of road trauma have reached staggering proportions. Between 2020 and 2024 alone, road accidents are estimated to have cost Queensland more than $37.5 billion, with 40,873 people suffering fatal or serious injuries that have permanently altered thousands of lives.
Disproportionate Impact on Vulnerable Road Users
RACQ's data reveals several concerning patterns in road trauma statistics:
- Young Queenslanders aged 15-24 are 60 percent more likely to crash than older drivers
- Road trauma represents the second leading cause of death for this age group
- Between 2019 and 2024, 444 fatalities involved young drivers aged 16-24
- Male drivers account for over 70 percent of road fatalities annually
- Motorcyclists, despite representing just 4 percent of vehicles, accounted for over 26 percent of road deaths in 2024
The Coaching Lane program represents a critical component of RACQ's broader strategy to address these systemic issues. By empowering parents with proper tools and techniques, the organization aims to create generational change in driving attitudes and behaviors across Queensland.
"Governments have a critical role, but they cannot do it alone," Mr. Carter concluded. "Every road user must take responsibility for their behaviour behind the wheel. We need every driver to make safer decisions, every day. But we also need to confront the root causes of this crisis – and that means better data, better insights and evidence-driven solutions."
