Hit From Behind While Teaching a Learner | Geelong Driving Lessons

Being Hit From Behind While Supervising a Learner: A Real-World Driving Lesson

On 15 December 2025, I was involved in a car crash while supervising a learner driver. We were travelling at 40kp/h on a two lane road when a truck changing lanes collided with the rear of our vehicle. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured but the incident highlights an important truth about learning to drive: even when you do everything right, you can still be involved in a crash.

As a professional driving instructor, this experience reinforced why high-quality driver education is about far more than just passing a test. It’s about preparing learners for real-world driving risks — including situations that are completely outside their control.

Why Rear-End and Lane-Change Crashes Are So Common

Crashes involving lane changes and rear-end impacts are among the most common incidents on Victorian roads. Larger vehicles, such as trucks, require significantly more space, time, and visibility to change lanes safely. When drivers misjudge blind spots, following distances, or speed differences, collisions can occur, even if the vehicle ahead is driving correctly and predictably.

For learners, this can be confronting. They’re often taught to focus on their own lane position, speed, and observations and rightly so. But experiences like this demonstrate why situational awareness, safe following distances, and defensive driving are essential skills from day one.

What Learners Can Take Away From This Experience

One of the most valuable lessons learners can gain is that safe driving doesn’t guarantee other drivers will do the right thing. That’s why I place such a strong emphasis on defensive driving techniques during lessons, including:

• Maintaining buffer zones around the vehicle

• Identifying high-risk situations, such as nearby trucks and heavy traffic

• Understanding blind spots, both their own and other vehicles’

• Staying calm and controlled when unexpected events occur

In this incident, the learner was doing exactly what they were taught. That matters — because correct driving reduces injury risk, improves outcomes, and builds confidence even after a scary experience.

Why Professional Supervision Matters

Supervising a learner isn’t just about giving instructions, it’s about anticipating risk, staying alert, and managing complex traffic environments. Situations like this reinforce why professional instruction can make a genuine difference, especially in busy areas like Geelong, the Surf Coast, and the Bellarine Peninsula, where traffic conditions vary significantly.

Learning in real traffic, with proper guidance, helps learners build resilience and confidence, not fear.

A Final Message for Learners and Parents

Crashes are frightening, especially when a learner driver is involved. But they can also be powerful learning moments when handled correctly. This experience reaffirmed my commitment to teaching calm, safe, and defensive driving skills that prepare learners for the realities of Victorian roads, not just the driving test.

If you or your child are learning to drive, make sure the focus isn’t just on getting a licence but on becoming a safe, confident, and prepared driver for life.