Emma's Street Smart Experience: A Different Way to Think About Driving

Emma and her dad Greg

When Emma and her dad Greg attended a Street Smart training day in Manawatū earlier this year, they were both hoping to learn something new.

Emma was looking to become a more capable driver, while Greg wanted to better understand how to support her as she gained experience behind the wheel.

For Greg, the motivation to attend was straightforward. He recognised that while parents play an important role in teaching young drivers, there are some situations that simply can't be recreated safely on public roads.

"New Zealand’s roads are dangerous places. When I heard about the practical focus, hazard avoidance, using ABS, and the highly qualified driving instructors I knew I could learn from this experience too. If you are teaching your own child the basics, you don’t know, what you don’t know."

Emma arrived with a few reservations of her own. Driving a manual car made her feel different from many of her friends, and she found it difficult knowing how to respond in situations where other road users could behave unpredictably.

During the training day, that mindset began to change. Conversations with the Street Smart coaches helped her see her manual car in a completely different light.

"It made me have more of a positive attitude towards driving a manual, and realise that it gave me an advantage to have more control over the car and understand how the gears work."

The practical activities reinforced that change in thinking. While experiencing ABS braking was a highlight, it was the scanning and slow manoeuvring exercises that have had the biggest impact on Emma's everyday driving. Learning where to look, how to use her mirrors effectively and how her vision influences the movement of the vehicle are lessons she still uses every time she gets behind the wheel.

"The car control/scanning activity is the one that made me realise how important constantly taking in your surroundings are, and the impact your eyes have on the direction and movement of your car."

Today, Emma says those lessons are especially valuable on country roads, where looking further ahead gives her more time to recognise and respond to potential hazards. She has also changed the way she parks, making much greater use of her side and rear-view mirrors.

Greg noticed those changes too. Watching Emma progress through the seven activities, he saw her initial apprehension fade as she became more settled behind the wheel and more thoughtful in the way she approached each exercise.

"She surprised herself! There was some apprehension before starting and this dissipated as she progressed through the seven activities. Emma became less anxious but more cautious in a positive way."

Since the training day, Greg has continued to see those lessons carried into Emma's everyday driving.

"There have been a range of improvements in Emma’s vehicle handling with more of a defensive approach to driving. Her spacial awareness in tight spaces has improved. She minimizes distractions and turns the radio off to concentrate on her driving and uses more of her mirrors when reversing."

Looking back, both Emma and Greg agree that the value of Street Smart extends well beyond the training day itself. It's an opportunity for young drivers and their guardians to experience situations that can't safely be practised on the road, while learning from experienced coaches in a controlled environment.

Greg says the experience stayed with their family long after they drove home.

"Street Smart was the talk of our household for several days so it really resonated with our family."

Emma has one piece of advice for other young drivers who are thinking about attending.

"The experience is 100x better than I could have imagined... The lessons that you learn completely outweigh the cost, this experience is very likely to change the outcome of someone's driving experience or even their life. Just give it a go!”