Gabby Read - freelance Noosa Driving Instructor

18/08/2026

Ready for the Road Program -

Teaching someone to drive? Here’s help.

Supervisors play a critical role in helping learner drivers build the skills, confidence and judgement they need to drive safely.

Learning to drive is more than completing logbook hours. It's about gaining real-world experience, recognising risks and making safe decisions on the road. With calm guidance, supervisors can help learners become safer, more capable drivers.

Creating confident supervisors

Ready for the Road: Guiding your learner from L to P workshops are delivered across Queensland to help supervisors feel more confident and better prepared to support learner drivers.

In 2026, the program is expanding to reach more communities across the state – making it easier for Queenslanders to access free practical road safety education and support safer driving outcomes.

What to expect -

Ready for the Road is a practical, facilitator-led session designed to help learners and supervisors understand the realities of being on the road.

Through guided discussions and real-world examples, participants build awareness of risks and learn how to make safer decisions in everyday driving situations.

Sessions are interactive and flexible, with plenty of opportunity to ask questions and share experiences.

By the end of the session, you will:

understand the key risks facing learner drivers and other road users
recognise how choices and behaviours impact safety outcomes
build awareness of Queensland road rules and the graduated licensing system
feel more confident supporting safe driving on and around the road.

11/08/2026

Learning to drive is more than ticking off logbook hours. ✅

It is about building confidence, recognising risks and making safe decisions on the road.

“Ready for the Road: Guiding your Learner from L to P” is a free workshop, helping supervisors guide learner drivers safely from L to P.

Free sessions are available across Queensland.

👉 Find a workshop near you and register today: events.humanitix.com/host/tmr-road-safety
🔗 Learn more: www.tmr.qld.gov.au/ready-for-the-road

11/08/2026

🚙 Types of car insurance -

Being without your car can be a huge inconvenience and damaging another car can be very expensive, so car insurance is a plan for when things go wrong. When you’re buying car insurance, take time to compare the cost and understand what is (and is not) covered by different policies.

When deciding which type of insurance will suit you, think about whether you can get by without your car if it's written off or stolen. Also consider if you can afford to pay for the damage to someone else's car if you have an accident.

- Compulsory Third Party (you have to have this insurance)
- Third party property damage
- Third party property damage, fire and theft
- Comprehensive

Add on car insurances
1. Compulsory Third Party (CTP)

This covers injuries to people caused by your car. Does not cover damage to cars or property (which can be expensive). You must have CTP to register your car. In some states, CTP is included in your car registration costs so you don’t need to buy it separately.

2. Third party property damage

This does not cover damage to your car but covers damage to other people’s cars or property caused by your car. Some policies allow you to pay extra to protect your car if it’s stolen or damaged by fire (see below).

3. Third party property damage, fire and theft

This includes the same cover as third party property damage (above), plus it covers your car if it’s stolen or damaged by fire.

4. Comprehensive

This covers damage to your car and other people’s cars or property, even if you caused the accident. Also covers your car if it’s stolen or damaged by fire or weather events. It won’t cover everything though – make sure you check what the exclusions are. With comprehensive insurance, you can choose how your car is valued. The value is the amount you'll get if your car is written off or stolen:

Agreed value — a fixed amount that's decided by you and your insurer. As your car gets older, your insurer may reduce the agreed value every year. Always check the agreed value when you renew your policy.

Market value — the amount your car would have sold for, at the time of the accident. The market value of your car is decided by your insurer, based on industry information. It is not the amount you think you could sell it or trade it in for.
If you use the market value, you don't know how much you'll get if you claim, and you can't change the amount. If you use an agreed value, you'll pay a higher premium.

5. Add on car insurances

There are some other car insurance products that cover specific things, like tyre and rim insurance. These are generally offered by car dealerships as ‘add ons’ to a car purchase. Be careful with these kinds of insurances as they can often be hard to claim on, or expensive compared to just fixing the problem yourself.

If you want insurance that covers the cost of repairs to your car after a crash you cause, you usually need comprehensive car insurance.
Car insurance questions to ask

🚘 To help you choose the type of insurance that’s right for you, here are some questions to ask yourself:

Can I afford to be without my car if it’s damaged, stolen or written off?
Can I afford to repair or replace my car without insurance?
Can I afford to pay for the cost of other cars or property that I accidentally damage?
Is my car parked on the street, or at higher risk of theft or vandalism?
Do I have a car loan on this car, and could I afford to repay that loan if I also have to pay for another car?
Do I want to know exactly how much my insurer will pay if my car is written off?
If my car is financed, is there a minimum level of insurance the lender requires?

https://moneysmart.gov.au/car-insurance/choosing-car-insurance?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Moneysmart%20news%20-%20August%202026&utm_content=Moneysmart%20news%20-%20August%202026+CID_29e4fb98cc7561029b9c8429698ba21a&utm_source=CampaignMonitor&utm_term=Insurance%20guide

28/07/2026

Is it safer to reverse your vehicle into a car park space?
You bet.

The main reason is quite simple.
When you leave the space, you can drive forward into traffic or a shared car park area with a much clearer view. 👀

That means you are more likely to see pedestrians, children, shopping trolleys, cyclists and other vehicles before moving.
As we know shopping centre car parks are busy places and you can never predict what’s going to happen.

🚘 When you reverse out of a space instead, your visibility is far more limited, and that is often when problems happen.

If you reverse into the space when you arrive, you are doing the more difficult manoeuvre at a time when you usually have a better view of the space you’re wanting to enter and the area around you. Later, when it is time to leave, you can pull out more safely and smoothly.

That said, reverse parking is only safer when it is done carefully. Rushing, poor observation, or relying only on cameras and sensors can still lead to a crash. 💥 Technology helps, but it does not replace checking mirrors, looking around properly, and moving slowly.

There are also times when driving forward into a space may be the better option, especially if signs require it, if the space is designed for front-in parking, or if loading groceries, prams or equipment from the boot would be much harder with another car parked close behind you. So while reverse parking is often the safer choice overall, it is not a one-size-fits-all rule for every situation. ✅

What really matters most is not just how you park, but how aware you are while doing it. Slow speed, patience, proper observation and leaving yourself room to move safely all make a really big difference.

What do you think - do you feel safer reversing into a space, or driving straight in? Comment below and share your opinion.

Thanks to Hannah’s Blue Butterflies Road Safety Awareness Inc.. for this 👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽

28/07/2026

💰

Think speeding fines differ across Australia? That's just the beginning. Traffic laws and penalties vary between states and territories, meaning the consequences for the same offence can differ depending on where you're driving. Here's how the top five driving offences and penalties vary across Australia: mynr.ma/driving-offences

19/07/2026

🛑 Drivers and riders
If you receive an AusAlert while driving or riding, stay calm and don’t touch your device. Mobile phone laws still apply – don't read or respond to the alert while moving. Only check the message when your vehicle is turned off and it is safe and legal to do so. 🛑

The national test of AusAlert is happening on Monday 27 July 2026 at around 2pm AEST. 📅

AusAlert sends near-instant emergency messages to compatible mobile devices like mobile phones, tablets and smart watches. It uses vibration, sound and on-screen messages to get your attention.

If your device receives the national test, it will vibrate and make a loud siren-like sound for 10 seconds before stopping. As the national test is a Critical Alert, this happens even if your device is on ‘silent’ or ‘do not disturb’.

You may receive this test while driving, riding or using public transport. 🛻

If you are driving or riding, stay calm and don’t touch your device. ⚠️

The alert may also play through your vehicle’s speakers using Apple CarPlay, Android Auto or Bluetooth and may interrupt navigation or media like music or podcasts. 📱

🚨Mobile phone laws still apply – don't read or respond to the alert while operating a vehicle. Only check the message when your vehicle is turned off and it is safe and legal to do so.

🚌 If you receive an alert while on public transport, stay calm. Don't approach the driver about the alert.

This is just a test, and you do not need to do anything. You should always follow instructions or announcements from public transport staff.

13/07/2026

🚘 Tomorrow - Tuesday 14/7/26 🚘

Two way traffic lights are now installed at the Doonella Bridge roadworks 🚧
Allow extra travel time - especially if using the Beckmans Rd detour!

Drive SAFE 🩷

12/07/2026

Traffic lights installed at Doonella Bridge roadworks 🚧

Allow extra travel time - especially on Beckmans Rd detour!

Drive SAFE 🩷