Learning to drive is often one of the most exciting milestones for teenagers, but it can also be an expensive process.
As well as the costs of running a car, the average driving lesson costs about $90 per hour.
It is an expense not all families can easily afford, particularly in light of the current cost of living pressures, as 15-year-old Skye Hunt has found out from friends.
"My friend who's just gotten her Ls is doing her lessons right now, and she's told me the prices and my face just blew up," she said.
Skye said she expected to do most of her supervised driving with her parents, and while they were good drivers, it was not the same as time with a professional instructor.
"You're going to have to learn from someone who's not trained to teach you, and so you have less qualifications when you're going onto the road," she said.
Skye is among dozens of young people who have taken their first steps in learning how to drive with the help of outreach organisation Woden Community Service (WCS).
WCS provides the mandatory Pre-Learner Licence Course for vulnerable and disadvantaged young people it has regular contact with.
But without additional funding, the group is unable to "finish the job" and help participants meet the minimum driving hours required.
"The average cost is anywhere from $4,000 to $6,000 per young person to get to their Ps," WCS youth engagement team leader Joel Artup said.
"It's good to be able to get through step one ... but it does leave us yearning for more."
Driving lessons 'would help me feel more confident'
Learner driver David O'Sullivan knows how important it is to be prepared when getting behind the wheel.
"I am a bit nervous because I do have some people in my life who have been in car accidents and that does affect me a lot," they said.
Last year was one of the deadliest years on ACT roads in more than a decade, with 18 fatalities, up from 11 the year before.
David said they were unsure about whether their family could meet the cost of driving lessons, but ideally they would like to do some.
"If I did have the option and cost wasn't an issue ... it would help me feel more confident about the whole experience," they said.
WCS wants to run a sponsored driving program to help young people like David and Skye, and has made an ACT budget submission for $200,000 over 12 months to provide the service.
Mr Artup said the cost of the program would be worth it to increase a young person's independence and employment opportunities, as well as making them safer drivers.
"If we're able to give them access at either subsidised or free rates, we would hopefully be able to see some lower road tolls," he said.
The proposed program would also cover budgeting and financial planning for when a young person purchases a car.
Mr Artup fears, without the learning support, some young people may be more tempted to drive unsupervised before they are allowed to.
"For some young people, we know that they're not going to have access to it," he said.
"They may turn to ways of just driving without that official licence, and that's what we want to avoid."
