Skaife is in favour of everything from a travelling school show with interactive driving simulators to go-kart racing as ways to build skills before youngsters hit the road for the first time in a car.  He is keen to see more pre-license training to prepare for kids and says there is plenty of proof that early education works.

"Driving is a life skill. It's as simple as that. It's essential and kids need all the training they can get," Skaife says.  "There is a reason why country kids are, generally speaking, better drivers. They get more experience at an early age.

"They are out on the farm driving a ute with a load of hay, or a mower, or a quad to do the chores. They understand the basic skills of driving so they have less to worry about when they get a license."  Skaife is a father of three and says he started his eldest, his son Mitch, on go-karts to teach him about driving.

"He's been on karts, well, forever. It's not just about racing, it's about learning to drive," Skaife says.  "I've been at the track and seen kids who couldn't even drive out of the pitlane. They don't understand the basics of turning the wheel to the right to get the kart to move to the right."

The Bathurst winner and V8 Supercar champion wants people to look beyond his speedy past to the life lessons he brings to driving.  "I don't car how many XBoxes or Wiis or computer games there are, because that's not driving. Driving is not a binary process and once you get on the road there are consequences," he says.

Skaife would like to see more driving education in schools and his dream is a travelling roadshow that covers all the basics.  "You could have a mock-up cabin so kids learn how to sit the right way in a car. Then a proper driving simulator, talks from experts, films on the consequences when things go wrong.  All this stuff exists. It's just a matter of pulling it all together." 

What do you think? Is Skaife on the right track, and how do we get official backing? Send in your comments below.