Sixteen-year-old Racheal Wilson says young drivers need more education before being sent out on Victorian roads.

“I think new rules and enforcements need to be made,” she said.

“When you go for your licence you haven’t watched how paramedics treat people at the scene of a crash, and how people suffer when they have lost a loved one.

“(Drivers being tested) only have to know when to give way, when to stop – the basic rules.”

Th e year 12 student said new drivers would benefit from mandatory road safety classes.

“I strongly think that people should get lessons rather than just signing the book to make it look like they have done the kilometres,” she said.

“When you’re on your Ls you still have a supervisor.

“When you’re on your Ps there’s no one sitting next to you to tell you what to do, you’re in control.”

Racheal said many young people failed to understand the consequences of their actions because the message was not getting through. “People think it won’t happen to them,” she said.

“I know someone who was recently involved in an accident, they’re OK now but it made me think.

“Commercial ads aren’t real enough because it’s actors and a camera crew behind it all.

“You really don’t know until you’ve been in the situation yourself.”

Racheal had a word of advice for her peers.

“Everyone is responsible for their own actions and the consequences,” she said.

‘‘I think they should know that (unsafe driver behaviour is) just not worth it, people have to live with it for the rest of their lives.

‘‘No parent, family or friend would want to see you gone – don’t text or drink, just think.”