Online automotive marketplace Drive and Nine.com.au have teamed up to launch a month-long campaign, 'P-Plate Drive Safe', aimed at raising awareness about the importance of defensive driver training courses. The campaign is strategically launched ahead of the Easter break, a period known for increased traffic on Australian roads.

According to the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics, young drivers aged between 17-25 years account for 20% of all driver fatalities in the past five years. The 'P-Plate Drive Safe' campaign aims to address this issue by promoting further training for young drivers, sharing stories of those impacted by road tragedies, and encouraging all drivers to take action.

"The best way to build safer driving behaviours is to influence drivers at a young age, before bad habits set in. There are many young drivers on the roads who may have been taught by parents and adults with old or outdated driving techniques. Defensive driving courses provide the most up-to-date training to better prepare young drivers on today’s roads," says Kevin Flynn, Master Trainer at Driver Dynamics.

Defensive Driver courses, available nationally, are designed to improve the driving knowledge and skills of all drivers. The campaign, according to Ipsos iris Online Audience Measurement Service, is expected to reach more than 10 million Australians.

According to Drive CEO, Simon Halfhide, "Inexperienced young drivers involved in road trauma events have such a lifelong impact on too many Australian families, including my own. At Drive, we want more young drivers and their parents to have access to these potentially lifesaving resources, which we know can make a difference. Money and location should not be a barrier to saving lives on the road."

Nine.com.au Director, Kerri Elstub, also a mother of two young drivers, said she supports the campaign's mission. "As the mother of two young men at the beginning of a lifetime of driving, I know first hand how valuable these courses are in setting safe driving behaviours. We want to ensure this training is available and affordable for as many families a possible."