Licences set for shake- up

Extra attention on young driver safety

SWEEPING changes are coming for Tasmania’s novice drivers.

From December 1, the state government’s graduated licensing system will come into effect.

Transport Minister Michael Ferguson said an awareness campaign, called Plates Plus: Safer Driver for Life, would educate young drivers, their parents and guardians, and other road users of the changes.

“We’re reducing cost, we’re putting less bureaucracy in, we’re increasing the supervised driving time that learning drivers will have, and we’re making our licensing system much safer, not just for young drivers, but for all road users,” Mr Ferguson said.

“We know from the evidence that the most dangerous time in a young person’s life is actually not the learner stage, it’s the provisional stage.

“Young people are overrepresented in our crash statistics, both in terms of serious injury and deaths.

“Most of that crash evidence is unfortunately occurring when our young people are for the first time licensed to drive on their own as provisional drivers.

“It’s our greatest concern and that’s why we do need to see the a really strong learner system with more hours in more conditions including at night time.”

One of the key changes is learners must accumulate 80 logbook hours.

Mr Ferguson said those hours can be bolstered by participating in lessons or certain programs.

By attending a Rotary Youth Driver Awareness program a novice can gain five hours, and by taking a onehour lesson with a qualified instructor, they can gain two hours.

Other major changes include a mobile phone ban, passenger restrictions and the use of green P plates.

RACT chief member experience officer Stacey Pennicott said the new rules would help keep learners safe.

“Road safety is a key focus for the RACT and these new rules will help learner drivers develop the skills they need to keep themselves and others safe on our roads," she said