Update on lessons during Covid-19 in 2021

2021 UPDATE: 28 June 2021 

 With the Delta strain lockdown affecting Greater Sydney region from 26 June and ‘stay at home’ requirements, we remind all Driving Instructor Members to take necessary precautions even if you continue to operate and offer driving lessions interpreted as allowed from the Public Health Order, 26 June. https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/rules/greater-sydney 

 Please read and follow our original recommendations for precautions and protocols we recommend.

From our original post: 17 March 2020

These are challenging times.

With the recent escalation of containment activity to combat Covid-19, we want to give good advice to our Driving Instructors who face the public every day as part of their business.

The NSWDTA have reviewed medical and Government advice regarding the current Pandemic.  Given the stage 3 restrictions issued by the Australian Federal Government directing Australians to limit contact with one another, the NSWDTA is strongly recommending its members to cease all driver training and assessing immediately. 

The Australian Government has implemented the Job Keeper assistance package to provide financial assistance during these times.  NSWDTA urge you to log onto the ATO.GOV.AU website and register your details.

We’ve taken on board the National position from ADTA as well as NSW Health and NSW Transport and given you our Best Practice suggestions here to conduct your business responsibly. Please take this advice seriously.

We suggest for all our Members

Following good hygiene practices is especially crucial. You also need to use good judgement when giving lessons whenever they were booked. Please adopt this regimen:

• Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly all day. Carry a hand sanitizer.
• Wipe all car interior surfaces down with a disinfectant product like wipes or sprays
• Ask all Lesson Clients the following:
  • Have they experienced flu-like symptoms such as fever, aches, coughs, runny nose or sneezing in the last 5 days?
  • Have they recently travelled from any other country in the last 20 days?
• If yes to either, please advise them they should reschedule for a later date.
• Take note of any sneezing or coughing clients and accelerate hygiene practices.
• Provide portable hand sanitizers and offer them to your lesson customers.

Here is a helpful fact sheet for workplace advice from SafeWork NSW (13 March 2020). NSW Transport has also issued this Coronavirus statement on their website on 16 March 2020 about general health and safety practices they have adopted and how the public should respond.

Status of Safer Driver Course providers

We are in ongoing discussion with Safer Driver Course providers about how our Members should proceed during this time. For the delivery of the Safer Drivers Course for Learner Drivers, we are in ongoing review and pending advice. 

What this means is that we are in the process of discovery for Modules 1 and 2 whether booked and not taken due to health concerns or booked and potentially High Risk on the day. We will keep you informed of any developments or specific outcomes as they arrive from these stakeholders.

As always, thank you for being a member and we hope you are looking after yourself.

David Kennedy
NSW DTA President