Three ready for the road

By Bridget Cook
THE Varga family had three good reasons to celebrate recently.
The 18-year-old Varga triplets, Nathan, Aaron and Annaleise, received their probationary licences after successfully taking part in the City of Casey’s L2P – Learner Driver Mentor Program.
The trio were the first participants in the program and commenced driving with their mentors – Trevor Fry, Tom Neary and Jenny Anderson – in May 2010.
They turned 18 in May this year and recently obtained their probationary drivers’ licences.
The L2P Program matches learner drivers, between the ages of 16 and 21, who are without appropriate family support, with mentor drivers while they complete 120 hours of required driving practice before applying for a probationary licence.
City of Casey Mayor Shar Balmes said road safety research has identified that novice drivers were two to three times more likely to have an accident in their first few years on the road.
“It is for this reason that the L2P Program is so important for Casey’s young people,” she said. “It provides them with the support required to achieve the mandatory 120 hours of driving experience and gives them the skills needed to drive safely on our roads.
“I’d like to express my appreciation to the dedicated mentors who freely give their time and expertise to assist the young learner drivers as they take this important step towards independence.”
Since the launch of the program in April 2010, 1778 hours of driving experience have been clocked-up by the participants.
Eleven young people have received their probationary licence as part of the program and a further 20 learner drivers are currently participating.
The L2P Learner Driver Program is sponsored by Berwick Mazda, which has donated the fully-maintained vehicle used for the driving sessions, ConnectEast, which provides credit for use on tollway roads and RACV Fountain Gate.
For more information on becoming a mentor driver contact City of Casey customer service on 9705 5200.