NEW YOUNG DRIVER LICENSING CHANGES

TT Driver Training Welcomes the New young driver licensing changes, these include:

120 hours Supervised Driving
20 hours of Supervised Night Driving
Hold learners permit for minimum 1 year

We need to get serious about driver education and the amount of driving experience new drivers have prior to driving without supervision. A copy of the media release is below.

Eric Roozendaal
NSW Minister for Roads
Assistant Minister for Transport
M E D I A R E L E A S E
Keeping our young drivers safe
October 27, 2006
All young drivers in NSW will have to spend a minimum of four years on the graduated licensing
system under reforms to be put before the NSW Cabinet.
The Iemma Government will introduce further changes to the young driver licensing scheme to
improve driver safety, Roads Minister Eric Roozendaal announced today.
The latest reforms are:
. Increase the mandatory period of supervised driving for Learner drivers from 50 to 120
hours.
. Include a requirement of 20 hours of night supervised on-road driving for Learner drivers.
This would be an Australian first.
. All Learner drivers will have to have their L plates for a minimum of one year before they
can apply for a P plate licence. This is a 100 per cent increase on the current six month
minimum while the validity of the Learner’s licence will also be extended from three to
five years.
. The NSW Government will convene an advisory panel, including the NRMA, to examine
the option of passenger restrictions for provisional licence holders.
. Automatic licence suspension and confiscation for any P plate driver caught speeding
30km/h or more above the speed limit.
The changes to the Learner licensing scheme will come into force on July 1, 2007.
"P plate drivers pulled over for speeding at more than 30km/h will not be allowed to get back into
their cars – their licences will automatically be suspended and confiscated," Mr Roozendaal said.
"NSW will also lead Australia with the introduction of a mandatory 20 hours of night time
supervised driving for L plate drivers before they can sit for a P plate licence."
Mr Roozendaal said some research suggests passenger restrictions would reduce young driver
crashes while others believe it would have a negative impact on the designated driver scheme.
"I have asked for further advice on this issue after speaking with my Queensland counterpart,"
Mr Roozendaal said.
"Any decision taken on this issue needs to be weighed against the social equity issues of
mobility and access, the potential effects of such restrictions on compliance and the potential for
increasing or decreasing the number of young people driving."
MEDIA CONTACT: Stavro Sofios 9228 3535 or 0418 685 960