After experiencing abuse, driving instructors have urged those on the road to have more patience with learner drivers

The NSWDTA recently submitted a statement to a NSW parliamentary inquiry into road safety in regional NSW, arguing that new drivers need to learn to drive at higher speeds, earlier in an effort to eliminate the current speed restrictions on provisional licenses.

NSWDTA vice president Christine Hillis noted that in addition to the inexperience at high speeds for young drivers, more experienced people behind the wheel could get frustrated and inadvertently cause accidents.

Sandro Coledan from the AAA Driving School in Griffith disagreed, saying that it was a double-edged sword and emphasised that teaching safety was crucial.

"They need to experience that, but then they are slowing other traffic down. So do we wait longer for them to achieve that confidence to drive at quicker speeds, or do we put them out there and give them the experience," he asked.

He said they encouraged their learner drivers to drive five kilometres under the limit, whether that be the posted sign or their provisional restrictions. For example, even on a 100km/h road, he encourages his drivers to stick to 85 - five kilometres under the 90km/h restriction.

"We don't want them getting used to hovering at the exact limit, because then they go over and fail the test."

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Mr Coledan added that other drivers simply needed to exercise patience and understanding, noting increasing amounts of abuse coming from other drivers while his students were taking lessons.

"It's not on, the abuse and the unsafe way they drive ... they forget that each one of these impatient people were a learner driver once."

"A few months ago, my student had one of the worst forms of it. Someone leaned out the window and screamed some very bad expletives to her ... I try and reassure them to stay calm and not to worry about it - that day, my student got shaken up because this guy was leaning out the window."

Mr Coledan ultimately suggested leaving the current rules the way they are, but encouraging more experienced drivers to have more empathy and kindness towards those who are just learning.

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