Namate ons langer ry, raak die leerlingbestuurder rustiger.

Namate is a conjunction meaning as, in proportion as, or sometimes the more ... the more ... depending on context.

In this sentence, it introduces a change that happens gradually over time:

Namate ons langer ry, raak die leerlingbestuurder rustiger.

So the idea is that as we keep driving longer, the learner driver becomes calmer.

It is a slightly more formal or written-sounding word than the most basic everyday connectors, but it is very common and natural.

Because Namate introduces a subordinate clause, and in Afrikaans subordinate clauses usually send the verb to the end.

So:

• Main clause: Ons ry langer.
• Subordinate clause after namate: namate ons langer ry

That final ry is normal Afrikaans subordinate-clause word order.

This is one of the most important patterns in Afrikaans:

• Ek weet dat hy kom.
• As ons huis toe gaan
• Namate ons langer ry

Langer is the comparative form of lank, meaning long or for a long time.

Here it means for a longer time / longer.

So ons langer ry means we drive longer or we keep driving for longer.

Afrikaans often uses the comparative this way when talking about duration:

• Ons wag langer. = We wait longer.
• Hy slaap langer. = He sleeps longer.
• Namate ons langer ry = As we drive longer

Here raak means become or get.

So:

• raak rustiger = becomes calmer / gets calmer

This is a very common use of raak in Afrikaans. It often describes a change of state:

• Hy raak moeg. = He gets tired.
• Dit raak donker. = It is getting dark.
• Sy raak kwaad. = She gets angry.

So in this sentence, raak does not mean touch. It means become.

Because Afrikaans usually forms the comparative of short, common adjectives by adding -er.

So:

• rustig = calm
• rustiger = calmer

Using meer rustig would sound unnatural here. The normal form is rustiger.

Other examples:

• groot → groter
• klein → kleiner
• vinnig → vinniger

So raak ... rustiger is simply gets calmer.

Yes, it is one word, because Afrikaans very commonly forms compound nouns as single words.

leerlingbestuurder breaks down into:

• leerling = learner / pupil
• bestuurder = driver

Together, it means learner driver.

This is very normal in Afrikaans. English often writes such combinations as two words, but Afrikaans usually joins them:

• huisdeur = house door / front door
• skoolbus = school bus
• motorongeluk = car accident

So die leerlingbestuurder means the learner driver.

The comma separates the opening subordinate clause from the main clause.

So the structure is:

• Namate ons langer ry, = subordinate clause
• raak die leerlingbestuurder rustiger. = main clause

This kind of comma is very common in Afrikaans when a subordinate clause comes first.

Because Afrikaans is a V2 language in main clauses, which means the finite verb normally comes in the second position.

The first position here is taken by the whole opening clause:

Namate ons langer ry

So the finite verb must come next:

raak

Then comes the subject:

die leerlingbestuurder

That is why the sentence is:

Namate ons langer ry, raak die leerlingbestuurder rustiger.

and not:

Namate ons langer ry, die leerlingbestuurder raak rustiger.

Yes. Ons means we.

It is also used for us in many contexts, so Afrikaans does not distinguish we and us the way English does.

Examples:

• Ons ry. = We drive.
• Hy sien ons. = He sees us.

In this sentence, ons is the subject of the subordinate clause:

• ons ... ry = we drive

Yes. That is a very natural way to express the same idea in English.

Afrikaans namate often corresponds to this kind of gradual parallel change:

• Namate X gebeur, gebeur Y ook.
• As X increases or continues, Y changes too.

So this sentence can be understood as:

• As we drive longer, the learner driver gets calmer
• The longer we drive, the calmer the learner driver gets

Both capture the meaning well.

It describes die leerlingbestuurder.

The structure is:

• die leerlingbestuurder = subject
• raak = becomes / gets
• rustiger = calmer

So the learner driver is changing state. It does not mean the driving becomes calmer.

Yes, very often. It is especially useful when one thing changes progressively as another thing changes.

For example:

• Namate hy ouer word, word hy wyser.
  As he gets older, he becomes wiser.

• Namate die dag vorder, raak dit warmer.
  As the day goes on, it gets warmer.

• Namate ons meer leer, verstaan ons beter.
  As we learn more, we understand better.

So in your sentence, it fits perfectly because the learner driver gradually becomes calmer over time.

Yes, it is natural and grammatically correct.

It sounds like normal written or careful spoken Afrikaans. The sentence is clear, idiomatic, and well-formed:

• Namate gives a gradual-change meaning
• the subordinate clause has correct verb-final order
• the main clause has correct V2 order
• raak rustiger is a very natural way to say gets calmer

So this is a good model sentence for learning several important Afrikaans patterns at once.