- From 1 December 2024, new laws will restrict red
P-platers to carrying only one passenger between 5am and midnight when they are
permitted to drive
- 'Red plate. One mate.' targets new and existing
red P-plate drivers and their parents
- New law to improve road safety and reduce the
risk of distraction for novice drivers
The Cook Government has
launched an awareness campaign to support the introduction of passenger
restrictions for novice drivers aimed at reducing death and serious injury on
our roads.
The 'Red plate. One mate.'
campaign targets all existing and future red P-plate drivers and their parents,
with the clear message that from 1 December red P-plate drivers will be
restricted to carrying only one passenger in their vehicles at all permitted
driving times.
The campaign will boost
awareness of the new law through social media, radio, digital audio and video,
and outdoor advertising until the end of January 2025.
WA's youngest drivers are
over-represented in serious crashes, as drivers aged 17-19 years old have the
highest KSI (Killed or Seriously Injured) rate at 107 per 100,000 population
compared to other age groups.
A night-time driving
curfew between midnight and 5am for red P-platers will continue to apply.
The penalty for breaching
the new red P-plate passenger restrictions would be the same as for driving
during the red P-plate curfew of 12am-5am, which is a $200 infringement and two
demerit points.
Exemptions from the rule
would apply if:
- the additional passengers include a driver who
has held a full C-class licence for at least four years;
- other passengers are immediate family members;
or
- additional passengers are in the vehicle as a
necessary requirement of the driver's employment. A letter from the driver's
employer will be required to be carried by the red P-plate driver for
presentation on request.
More information on the
red P-plate passenger restrictions can be found on the Department of Transport
website: Red
plate. One mate. | New rules for red P-platers
Comments attributed to Minister Assisting the Transport Minister David
Michael:
"While it's the responsibility
of drivers and road users to be familiar with WA's road rules, the 'Red plate.
One mate.' campaign will raise awareness of the new P-plate passenger
restrictions by targeting existing and new P-platers and their parents as we
prepare to introduce the new law on 1 December.
"Restricting red
P-platers to carrying one passenger was a key theme to emerge from the recent Road
Safety Roundtable, which received input from a range of road safety experts,
stakeholders and people with lived experience of road trauma.
"The new law is an
important opportunity to directly address the risk of distraction new drivers might
experience from driving with multiple passengers in their first six months of
having a provisional licence, which is the riskiest period in our driving
careers."
