Drive Safe Training & Licensing

Step 1 – Learner’s permit

You must be at least 16 years of age to apply for a learner’s permit. You must first successfully complete a theory test on traffic laws and safe driving techniques before you can be issued with a learner’s permit. This permit authorises you to learn to drive as outlined in Step 2.

Step 2 - Learning to drive / ride

This is the stage where learners gain on-road driving / riding experience to develop their vehicle control, traffic assessment and safety skills before taking the Practical Driving Assessment, or Practical Riding Assessment in the case of motorcycles. You can now begin lessons with a driving instructor. This can be a licensed driving instructor or a person who currently holds (and has held for more than four years total) the same class of licence stated on your learner’s permit.
When learning to drive / ride, L plates must be displayed at all times. Learner drivers are also restricted to a maximum speed of 100 kilometres per hour.

Step 3 - Practical Driving or Practical Riding Assessment

When you have developed the ability to safely control a vehicle and are at least 16 years and 6 months old, you can undertake the appropriate practical assessment. You should gain as much driving / riding experience as you can in various road conditions and environments to ensure you pass the first time and don't have to wait for another appointment.

Step 4 - Learner driver log book

When the appropriate practical assessment has been successfully completed, you will be issued with a Learner Driver Log Book and must accumulate and record a minimum of 25 hours supervised driving / riding experience in a range of conditions. Throughout this period, you are still required to drive / ride under supervision (supervisor requirements are the same as when learning to drive / ride) and must continue to display L plates.
There is also a mandatory 6 month waiting period after passing the Practical Driving Assessment before learners can progress to Step 5.

Step 5 - Hazard Perception Test

You must be at least 17 years of age and complete all the requirements in Step 4 before you can sit the Hazard Perception Test. The computer-based test displays a series of moving traffic scenes and is used to determine a learner’s ability to assess traffic situations and to make safe driving / riding decisions. You must respond to each scene by clicking a mouse to indicate when it is safe to commence a manoeuvre or when it is necessary to take appropriate action to reduce the risk of a crash. Your response is compared to the recommended response times required to pass the test. In some situations there may not be any hazards and therefore no response will be required.

Step 6 - Provisional licence

After completing all steps of the licensing process, a provisional licence will be issued. During the provisional licence period, you must display P plates. The provisional period ends when you have held the licence for 2 years. For the first 6 months of the provisional period, drivers / riders are subject to night-time driving restrictions and must display P plates (white ‘P’ on a red background). P plates with a white ‘P’ on a green background are required to be displayed for the remainder of the provisional licence period.

Posted in: Safety Drive