Meeting Notes – 10th June 2026 – SADI Chat – SADI

Mark Fraser · 2026-07-20T09:58:15Z

SADI Meeting Notes 10/06/2026 Discussion Topic – Preparing Clients for a Test in an unknown car. Members were encouraged to brainstorm ideas to help prepare clients for planned new Government Practical Driving Test (PDT). Once the new system starts (some time before Mid 2027) all car driving tests will be conducted by a Government Examiner in a random Government Supplied Car. Members shared ideas about how we can best prepare clients for driving tests under the new system. Thank you so much to everyone who attended the meeting and pitched in ideas. It was great to see the group working together. Here is what we came up with. Learner Preparation & Vehicle Familiarisation: - Emphasis on understanding various handbrake types (manual, foot pedal, automatic) due to significant car-to-car differences. - Discussion on teaching all vehicle operations during the first couple of lessons, including steering wheel adjustment, seat positioning, and indicator locations. - Standardisation of teaching universal symbols, e.g., rectangle for rear windscreen, fan shape for front demister. - Promoting familiarisation with diverse vehicles, including parent's, uncle's, or friend's cars, to broaden experience. - Practice tests with different instructors and vehicles to simulate actual testing conditions. - Reassurance to clients that similarities exist in pivot points (e.g., for parallel parking) across different car models. - Importance of parent education and early involvement to build client confidence in new and different vehicles. Driving Assessment Standards & Evolution: - Current Vehicle On-Road Test (VORT) standards for mirror checks (minimum standard centre mirror) are outdated. - CBT&A (Competency-Based Training & Assessment) standards have evolved and are more current. - RA assessment preparation must be to current CBT&A standard. Under the new system, it will need to be to the new PDT (Practical Driving Test) standard. Just following VORT standards will not get you a pass. - The new test system may incorporate a "cabin drill" and warm-up component, similar to Queensland's existing practice and Victoria's "prepare to drive" process. Teaching Methodologies: - Deliberately setting car controls incorrectly (e.g., seat too close/far, steering wheel too high/low) to encourage client problem-solving / adjustment familiarity. - Encouraging clients to identify and articulate their own parking systems, then applying these systems to different vehicles. - Using analogies such as "you are the car" to help clients adapt to different vehicle sizes and types. - Suggesting the "fourth mirror" concept for reversing cameras to integrate them into observation techniques. Logbook & Resources: - Highlighting the importance of clients reading the blue section of their logbook early in their training. - Recommending external resources such as road rules videos from Queensland Transport and SA RAA Give Way Practice Test - Emphasising the relevance of "stopping and moving off from the kerb" as it teaches fundamental skills applicable to other manoeuvres and is early introduction to System of car control Aged Drivers & Licencing: - Case examples of older drivers obtaining or regaining licences: - 68-year-old lady obtaining a licence from scratch. - 89-year-old gentleman regaining his licence via CBT&A for a specific purpose (to show his visiting girlfriend around Adelaide). - 90-year-old gentleman with fatigue issues towards the end of a driving assessment, obtaining a 20km radius licence. - No maximum age for obtaining a learner's permit or licence in Australia. - The process for elderly drivers is now focused on medical assessments and capability rather than age-based testing. - Discussion on fatigue as a factor in older drivers' assessments. Reverse Parallel Parking Strategies: - Using consistent reference points (e.g., back door handle aligned with back tyre) across different vehicles. - Getting clients to observe the car from the outside to understand mirror-to-wheel relationships. - Guiding clients to understand that internal visual cues (e.g., hand proximity to kerb) are important. - Encouraging independent problem-solving for 90-degree parking by visualising the space as a garage with walls. - Observing that current reversing cameras have varying guideline interpretations (e.g., Corolla: parking lines; Camry: wheel lines), which can cause confusion. - Reversing cameras are now considered a "fourth mirror" and part of the standard observation package due to changes in vehicle design and safety ratings. Organisational Relations: - Importance of maintaining a strong, collaborative relationship with the Department of Transport (DIT). - Suggestion to email the reform committee with questions from the group regarding testing procedures. - Inquiry regarding the extent to which examiners can answer client questions during a test, particularly regarding unf...

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