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South Australia Planning Tough New Laws For ‘P-Plate’ Drivers

South Australia is set to follow other states with the introduction of tough new legislation for drivers on probationary licences.  The hard-hitting new laws would see dramatic restrictions placed upon provisional licence holders, with limits


South Australia is set to follow other states with the introduction of tough new legislation for drivers on probationary licences. 

The hard-hitting new laws would see dramatic restrictions placed upon provisional licence holders, with limits on passenger numbers and a ban on driving altogether after midnight.

Road Safety Minister for South Australia, Michael O’Brien, said that the government is aiming to introduce the new laws later this year.

Under the new scheme, provisional 'P1' licence holders would be restricted to one passenger between 16 and 20 years of age, however immediate family members would not be restricted. 

The P1 group would be banned from driving between the hours of midnight and 05:00, although exemptions to this rule would be available for employment purposes.

The passenger and night-driving restrictions will not apply if the driver is aged over 25 or if a Qualified Supervising Driver (QSD) is a passenger in the vehicle.

(A QSD is a driver who has held a full driver’s licence for at least two years continuously without disqualification.)

P-platers would also be required to hold their provisional licences for an extra year - three years instead of two.

South Australian Government figures state that drivers and riders aged 16 to 24 years make up 14 percent of the total driving population in the state, but account for 26 percent of driver and rider fatalities and serious injuries.

“Statistics show that South Australia has the second worst fatality rate for the 16 to 19-year-old age group of all Australian states and territories, and almost double that of Victoria and New South Wales,” Minister O’Brien said.

“These initiatives, which were shaped by extensive consultation and feedback from the community, are about saving young drivers’ lives."

Full details of the proposal can be found here: http://www.premier.sa.gov.au/images/news_releases/13_03Mar/gls.pdf

 

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