On Sunday (27/10 24), the Premier and the Minister of Road Safety, David Michael, announced a range of new road safety initiatives targeted at young people.
Red P plate drivers will be limited to carrying only one passenger in their vehicles at all times.
Young WA drivers aged 17-19 have the highest KSI (Killed or Seriously injured) rate at 107 per 100,000 population compared to other age groups (The Western Australian Road Fatalities and Serious Injuries 2023 report).
The new one-person passenger restriction aims to alleviate this problem and also bring Western Australia into line with other jurisdictions. A complete curfew on Red P plate driving between midnight and 5am will continue to apply.
Exemptions from the passenger restrictions rule will only apply if:
- at least one of the passengers is an experienced driver who has held an ordinary C-class licence for at least four years; or
- other passengers are immediate family members; or
- if additional passengers are in the vehicle as a necessary requirement of the driver's employment.
For this to apply, a letter from the driver's employer must be carried by the Red P plate driver for presentation on request.
The penalty for breaching Red P plate passenger restrictions is a $200 fine and two demerit points, which is the same as for driving during the existing red P plate curfew.
The new restriction will apply for all existing and future Red P plate drivers from December 1, 2024.
To encourage safe driving, and instil preventative driving habits early on, the Safe Driver Reward Program for P plate drivers will be expanded to further incentivise safe driving over a longer period of three years.
Currently, if P plate drivers remain demerit point free during their two-year probationary period, they are rewarded with a free full licence for one year.
Under the expanded pilot program, drivers who remain demerit point free for a further year (ie, a total of three consecutive years of demerit free driving), will be rewarded with up to a $100 discount off their next driver's licence renewal either as:
- a $100 discount off a 5-year licence (currently $163.50); or
- a one-year licence free (currently $46.85).
The expanded incentive is designed to encourage safe driving over a longer period and deter young inexperienced drivers from taking risks when their probationary period ends.
Young drivers who have just passed their driving test are considered high-risk due to over confidence and inexperience.
Among other initiatives, the Department of Transport will offer a pilot Safe Driving Course for up to 750 people under 25 years of age as an optional component of the existing Driver Access and Equity Program.
The course aims to address the higher crash risk for young provisional drivers in their first six months.
Additional opportunities for young people to interact with those who have experienced road trauma will also be introduced as part of the suite of new measures.
The Prevent Alcohol and Risk-related Trauma in Youth (P.A.R.T.Y.) program, which provides opportunities for students to understand the trauma associated with road crashes through WA hospitals, will be extended to regional students.
Separately, the Government will commission a comprehensive review into the existing learner and provisional driver licensing schemes, as well as skills and training requirements for motorcycle and heavy vehicle licences.
The review will consider the latest research and best practice experience from other Australian jurisdictions, including the use of improved hazard perception training, additional safe driving courses, instructor training and accreditation, penalties and first aid courses.
It will also examine the feasibility of a more comprehensive approach to skills-based graduation through the range of licence categories for motorcycles and heavy vehicles.
