Stay Road Right becomes first one-stop shop for ACT learner drivers

Road safety provider also chosen to rewrite Canberra’s learner driver syllabus

Canberra, Australia – The road safety experts selected by the ACT Government to overhaul the syllabus of the ACT’s two-day Pre-Learner Licence Training Course has today launched Stay Road Right, the only road safety provider accredited to deliver all elements of the new licensing program.

Stay Road Right is the driver equivalent of Stay Upright, Australia’s favourite motorcycle school. Stay Road Right is accredited to support Canberra’s learner drivers from the first phase of the new licensing scheme, providing the mandatory two-day Pre-Learner Licence Training Course, the two new voluntary safety courses (Vulnerable Road User and Safer Driver), as well as provide on-the-road driver training with highly-skilled driving instructors.

Simon McAdie, ACT Regional Manager at Stay Road Right, said the organisation was dedicated to ensuring the safety of all road-users on Canberra’s road.

“We take road safety seriously,” McAdie said. “Whether it is learning the theory and road rules before getting behind the wheel or putting that theory into action while completing the 100 hours of logbook driving, we’re right there next to drivers every step of the way.”

Expertise Driving Theory and Practice – Bringing the ACT up-to-speed

Stay Road Right was selected by the ACT Government to overhaul the syllabus of the two-day Pre-Learner Licence Training Course (previously called Road Ready). With this new course looking to be rolled out in the first half of 2021, McAdie said Stay Road Right was the best-placed to teach learner drivers the skills they need to stay safe on the road. 

Among the new rules encapsulated in the updated syllabus is a total ban on mobile phone use, including through hands-free and Bluetooth, for learner and provisional drivers. With young drivers disproportionately represented in ACT’s road fatality figures – between 2006 and 2017, 15 drivers under the age of 25 lost their lives in the ACT – reducing distractions for inexperienced drivers is key to keeping them safe while they build up their skills.

“We literally wrote the book on how to drive in the ACT so there’s no one better to guide learner drivers through the journey of getting a licence,” McAdie said.

“The previous syllabus was around 20 years old. This meant it included gaps – particularly around mobile phone use – and focused on fear-based education that was prevalent in the 1990s, rather than an educational knowledge transfer approach required by the ACT Government in the new syllabus.

“We’ve completely modernised the course, optimised it for online delivery via Zoom, and moved from fear-based education to a more collaborative, risk-management approach that helps prepare learner drivers for the road ahead.”

Stay Road Right is a newly launched division of Australia’s leading motorcycle training organisation, Stay Upright. Founded in 1981, Stay Upright is Australia’s first and largest motorcycle training provider and operates official licensing and motorcycle training in five states and trains more than 45,000 riders annually across the country.

Stay Upright has helped train Canberra’s motorcycle riders for more than two decades and McAdie said this deep experience with motorcycle safety gave Stay Road Right another unique advantage in preparing learner drivers to stay safe on the road.

“Many of the same principles of roadcraft apply to car drivers as they do to motorcycle riders,” McAdie said. “Our history in motorcycle training means we have a better understanding of how to share the road with all vehicles and pedestrians – something we take pride in instilling in all our learners.”

ABOUT STAY ROAD RIGHT AND STAY UPRIGHT

Stay Road Right is a division of Stay Upright launched in 2020 to deliver the ACT Government’s Pre-Learner Licence Course for Drivers. It has since expanded to provide all elements of ACT’s new graduated driver training scheme.

Stay Upright is Australia’s first and largest motorcycle rider training and safety organisation. Founded in 1981 by Warwick Schuberg, the ex-Head of the NSW Police Rider Training Unit, the organisation was the first to offer rider training to the Australian public.

The company was founded in 1981 to help motorcycle riding become a safer activity and to deliver improved safety standards via excellent customer service. These two foundations of safety and customer service remain the guiding principles of the company today.

Stay Upright is an official registered training organisation which works with governmental motoring and licensing authorities in each state and territory to ensure riders are provided with the best safety guidance and training for new and experienced riders, both during the licensing process and beyond.

For more information, visit www.stayroadright.com.au or www.stayupright.com.au.