A PARLIAMENTARY petition has highlighted concerns over the lack of standardisation in Australia’s driving system, specifically addressing issues related to varying regulations on the minimum driving age and licensing requirements.
Spearheaded by Member for Northern Victoria Gaelle Broad, the petition has called upon the State Government to lower Victoria’s minimum probationary drivers’ age from 18 to 17, citing young drivers’ struggle in accessing education and employment in rural and regional Victoria as a barrier many faced.
Ms Broad also emphasised the importance of incentivising learners to undertake driver training programs—like those available in New South Wales—and called for a similar system to be implemented in Victoria.
Under the neighbouring state’s laws, if a learner driver completes a one-day driving course, they can earn 20 hours of credit on their logbooks, while undertaking 10 hours of professional driving lessons will entitle them to receive a further 20 hours of credit.
Ms Broad said that she had been contacted by many residents, including young drivers, their parents, and grandparents, who were all in support of lowering the age requirement.
“I raised the issue in parliament last year, but was told the minister had safety concerns with the idea,” she said.
“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.
“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.
“For young people who have done the hours of training and are ready to drive safely on their own, a driver’s licence opens doors to educational and employment opportunities, access to health services, to engage in community events and sports, and to help others.”
Yet despite the benefits highlighted by Ms Broad, the petition had only garnered 1720 signatures as of Monday, March 17.
With the request seeming unlikely to progress, a Victorian Government spokesperson confirmed that the state was not considering lowering the minimum age requirement.
“While we’re not currently considering lowering the driving age, we’re always looking at ways we can improve the settings in Victoria,” they said.
Transport Accident Commission Chief Executive Tracey Slatter shared a similar sentiment, emphasising the concerning correlation between age and road fatalities.
“Young drivers continue to be over-represented in crashes resulting in death and serious injury compared with every other age group of drivers on the road,” she said.
“That’s why there is a driving age of 18 in place in Victoria.”
Victoria currently enforces the strictest regulations when it comes to obtaining a probationary licence, requiring drivers to be at least 18 years old and having recorded 120 hours of driving.
In stark contrast, the Northern Territory enforces the most lenient regulations, with learner drivers only required to hold their licence for six months before becoming eligible to apply for their ‘Ps’. There are no minimum driving hour requirements, and with the learner licence available from the age of 16, drivers could be as young as 16 and a half when they first begin driving independently.
While the minimum age for every other state and territory is 17 years of age, the required driving hours varies significantly, with Western Australia requiring 50 hours, South Australia requiring 75, Tasmania requiring 80, the Australian Capital Territory and Queensland requiring 100 each, and New South Wales requiring 120.
Ms Broad’s petition, which closes April 30, can be found at www.parliament.vic.gov.au/get-involved/petitions/reduce-probationary-driving-age.
