A parliamentary petition has been launched calling on the Labor Government to reduce the minimum probationary drivers’ licence age from 18 to 17, in line with every other Australian state.
The Nationals’ Member for Northern Victoria Gaelle Broad said she had been contacted by many young people, parents and grandparents keen to see the probationary driving age reduced.
“I raised the issue in Parliament last year but was told the Minister had safety concerns with the idea.
“As a parent of two P-platers and one L-plater, I agree that safety is crucial, and training is vitally important to ensure our young people are ready for the responsibility of driving solo. Any road accident statistic is a bad one, regardless of your age,” Ms Broad told Parliament.
“But in Victoria right now you need to do more training to serve coffee than you do to drive on our roads. We require learner drivers to record 120 hours of driving in a logbook, but unless they have someone teaching them properly, at the end of it they may still not know how to park a car.”
Ms Broad urged the Minister to consider the driver training programs used in New South Wales. If a learner driver completes a one-day safer driving course, they earn 20 hours of credit on their logbooks and 10 hours of professional driving lessons will receive a further 20 hours of credit.
“I have been contacted by people across the state keen to see the law changed in Victoria, particularly in regional areas where there is limited or no public transport available, and not everyone has a parent or carer available to ferry them around.”
Ms Broad said some teenagers were avoiding the rules by using a NSW address to get their licence.
“For young people who have done the hours of training and are ready to drive safely on their own, a drivers licence opens doors to educational and employment opportunities, access to health services, to engage in community events and sports and to help others.”
In 2017, a parliamentary committee inquiry recommended Victoria lower the age to 17.
Ms Broad is sponsoring the petition in the Legislative Council. The petition closes on April 30 and can be found here: Reduce probationary driving age.
Media Contact: Linda Barrow 0484 303 764
