Driving instructors report rise in abusive behaviour towards L-plate drivers

Dramatic footage shows the moment a Commodore does burnouts around a learner driver in Melton, with instructors seeing a disturbing rise in “really aggressive” behaviour towards L-platers.

Distraught learner drivers have been left in tears after copping abuse on the roads, with instructors reporting a disturbing rise in “arrogant” and “really aggressive” behaviour.

Impatient drivers are increasingly blasting their horns, yelling abuse and tailgating learners on the roads, according to several Victorian driving instructors.

In one incident, footage shows the moment a Commodore does burnouts in front of a learner driver practising parking in the carpark of an old Bunnings in Melton.

Paul Langtry from GoWest Driving School captured the video when he was taking a learner driver to practise their parking in March this year.

“This guy in a red Commodore just decided to do burnouts around my learner driver,” he said.

“The learner already had a lot of anxiety because he was involved in an accident a few years before that, and then you get people doing this around him.

“The driver drove off, they didn’t get out of the car, they just did burnouts around the car, harassing the learner driver, thinking it was funny then driving off.”

Driving instructors have seen a rise in bad behaviour towards learners. Picture: Nicholas Eagar

Mr Langtry reported the incident to Crime Stoppers but never heard back.

He said it was an example of the abuse learner drivers are increasingly copping on the roads.

“I think if it was a normal person driving around in there they wouldn’t have done it.

“I think they thought ‘this will be funny, let’s do it to a learner driver’.

“I think people are getting frustrated with traffic, congestion, poor roads, and since Covid, people just have no patience.

“They sit right behind (learners), they tailgate them, they cut in front of them, they beep the horn at them, even if they’re doing nothing wrong.

“I always tell my learners if we didn’t have L-plates on the car, I guarantee 90 per cent of this wouldn’t happen.

“They wouldn’t do this to a normal driver.”

Mr Langtry said he would like to see heavier penalties for people who disobey the road rules around learner drivers.

Tony Salomone, from Pro Am Driving Schools in Mooroolbark, said the abuse towards learners was “getting worse” and labelled the drivers responsible “arrogant pigs”.

Among the worst examples he has seen was a semi-trailer driver tailgating a young girl he was instructing in Ringwood.

Tony Salomone from Pro Am Driving Schools has seen a rise in abusive behaviour towards learner drivers. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

“She was driving and he was so close behind us we couldn’t switch lanes safely,” Mr Salomone said.

“She was terrified.

“(Some of the behaviour) is actually disgusting.

“It’s like a grown up going into a kindergarten and cracking it at a three-year-old – it’s just stupidity.”

Mr Salomone called for more police on the roads to nab bad drivers and an advertising campaign promoting more awareness of the issue.

Shimon Geva from Boroondara Driving School said he was noticing abusive behaviour towards learners “more and more”.

“It used to be quite rare; it wasn’t as widespread as it is now,” Mr Geva said.

“People are getting less and less patient and sometimes not really being aware about the impact it leaves on learners on the road and sometimes on supervisors as well.

“If the instructor is getting stressed, the learner gets stressed.

“When a learner gets tooted at, they’re normally taking their time, they’re learning, they’re not as intuitive as an experienced driver – they are likely to just go for it and hit the accelerator.”

He said a lot of drivers had forgotten what it’s like to be learning on the roads.

“No doubt driver behaviour is getting worse,” he said.

“You still find kind people who will do the right thing, but generally people are starting to lose their patience, I think it is because the roads are getting more congested.”

Rude drivers are leaving learners in tears. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Cameron Gutterson, operations manager for Intelligent Training Solutions, a registered training organisation that delivers driver safety education, said driving instructors had reported a rise in “really aggressive, incredibly abusive” behaviour towards learners since Covid.

“Some said it’s not uncommon to have students in tears,” Mr Gutterson said.

“It’s not just in the suburbs or in the CBD, some of the worst behaviour reported is from our rural trainers.

“Some trainers say they have clients who want to learn manual but they’re too scared because they understand they’re going to get it wrong more often than if they drive an automatic and they’ll be exposed to abuse from other drivers.

“It’s not good enough.

“L plates don’t seem to be a filter – in some cases in brings out more impatience and aggression in other drivers.”

Instructors have reported a rise in “really aggressive” behaviour on the roads.

Lydia Kendray, the RACV’s manager of driver training operations, said its driving instructors had also witnessed road rage towards learners, including excessive use of the horn, tailgating and dangerous overtaking.

“RACV reminds drivers that learners are more likely to have delayed or late responses to situations while they are still developing their observation skills, and drivers should ensure they leave safe distances to avoid a collision,” Ms Kendray said.

“(We) encourage drivers to remain calm, patient and respectful and only overtake when it is safe and legal.”

A Victoria Police spokesperson said all motorists should maintain a safe distance from the vehicle travelling in front.

Motorists caught tailgating face a $296 fine and the loss of one demerit point.

“Police are always on the lookout for poor driving behaviour, and we won’t hesitate to hold motorists to account who show disregard for any road rules,” the spokesperson said.