• Action Plans

• Safer roads and roadsides
• Safer road users
  • Speed and speeding
  • Drink and drug driving
  • Fatigued driving
  • Driver distraction
  • Older drivers
  • Young drivers
  • Motorcyclists
  • Cyclists
  • Pedestrians
  • Heavy vehicle safety
  • Public transport users
  • Sharing the road
  • Country road users
• Safer vehicles
• Download the First Action Plan: 2008-2010
• Have your say on road safety

Young drivers

A new graduated licensing system will ensure that young Victorian drivers gain adequate supervision and experience before moving to a full licence.

Young drivers (aged 18 to 25 years) are over-represented in Victoria’s road crash statistics: while making up 13 per cent of all licensed drivers in Victoria, young drivers make up over a quarter of driver deaths and nearly one-third of all road deaths result from crashes involving young drivers. The First Action Plan of arrive alive 2008-2017 introduces important new initiatives to encourage safer behaviour by young drivers and significantly reduce their involvement in road crashes.

 

Area of action	Actions
Public education	Undertake a public education campaign to coincide with the key milestones of the new graduated licensing system (GLS), advising target audiences of changes that will affect them. Target vehicle safety information to learner drivers in the market to purchase their first car. Promote peer-to-peer communications to discourage risk taking by young drivers in cars with multiple passengers. Roll out and promote new traffic safety education resources in Victorian schools to prepare young people for driving.
Enforcement	Enforce new high-powered vehicle restrictions for young drivers. Enforce the new provisions of the GLS. Enforce the new peer passenger restriction for P1 probationary drivers in their first year of driving.
Licensing	Roll out the new graduated licensing system (GLS). Under the GLS, people under the age of 21 years applying for a probationary licence must hold a learner permit for a minimum of 12 months and obtain a minimum 120 hours on-road supervised learner driving experience. Following that, they must go on to a minimum one year P1 licence, followed by a minimum three year P2 licence. Key initiatives under the GLS are: require extended supervised learner experience prior to probationary licensing  implement an improved driving test for all probationary licence applicants introduce a peer passenger limit for P1 drivers who will be limited to driving with only one peer passenger (no multiple peer passengers allowed) introduce  a ban on all mobile phone use for learner and P1 drivers introduce a requirement for a good driving record to progress to the next stage of licence introduce a revised high powered vehicle restriction for P1 and P2 drivers introduce a requirement to fit an alcohol interlock for first time drink driving offenders on P1 and P2 licences or those aged under 26 years implement support programs for new drivers, supervising drivers and driving instructors. Roll out community based driver support programs to provide disadvantaged young drivers with access to suitably experienced supervisors, facilitating the 120 hours GLS requirement for these young drivers. Trial the National Novice Driver Program. The program targets and educates newly licensed drivers aged 18 to 22 years and aims to: reduce the number and severity of young driver crashes improve safe driving behaviour of young drivers increase awareness of risk factors that contribute to the high crash risks of young novice drivers.