"I think there is going to be rejoicing across the state this afternoon from parents and the young people"
said NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay after his announcement of changes to the system for learner drivers in the state.
The biggest change for learner drivers and their families is that drivers will now be able to cut down the amount of supervised driving hours from 120 hours to 80 hours.
The amount of hours will be reduced by 40 hours if the drivers do 10 hours of professional lessons and also a safe driving course.
"We had a situation that whenever there was a problem on the roads, whenever there was an accident, we bumped the hours up, they went from 20 to 40 to 60 to 80 to 120.
What we are saying is that it probably didn't improve their ability to drive.
We put parents and young people in a situation where they were probably cheating and we weren't training them"
said Mr Gay.
Safe driving courses will be available from July 1 and will be subsidised.
"We are going to subside the course with money from speed cameras.
We will lower the hours provided they get proper training with driver trainers, and/or a safer driver course.
Here's a better way, less hours, better training.
The whole point of this is to have a better outcome for safety"
said Mr Gay.
Learner drivers will also be allowed to drive 10km per hour faster than they currently can, up to 90 km per hour.
Source: ABC Sydney
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: How many hours on L plates in NSW?
A: In NSW, learner drivers must complete a minimum of 120 hours of supervised driving, along with 20 hours of night driving, before they can become eligible for the driving test. However, according to the latest changes in the rule, learners can reduce their supervised driving hours from 120 to 80 by taking a Safer Drivers Course and completing 10 hours of professional driving lessons.
Q2: How to get 120 hours of driving fast in NSW?
A: NSW learner drivers can complete the 120 hours faster if they take the NSW Safer Drivers Course and earn an extra 20 hours of logbook credit, or go for structured lessons with a driving instructor and earn 3 hours of logbook credit for every 1 hour lesson.
Q3: How many night hours do learners need in NSW?
A: In NSW, learner drivers are required to log at least 20 hours of supervised night driving to become eligible for the driving test.
Q4: How many hours for learners in NSW over 25?
A: In NSW, if you’re a learner and over 25 years of age, you don’t need to log your driving hours. However, it is still advised that you do lots of supervised driving to build your skills. Even if you do maintain a logbook of your driving hours, you need not show it to Service NSW.
Q5: Do L Platers have a curfew in NSW?
A: No, L-platers in NSW do not have a curfew, unlike the P-platers. They can drive anytime they want and are, in fact, required to log at least 20 hours of night driving under supervision.
Q6: How fast can a learner driver go in NSW?
A: Previously, NSW learner drivers were allowed to drive at a maximum speed of 80 km/hr. However, now they can drive 10 km/hr faster, that is, up to 90 km/hr. But, they cannot go beyond 90 km/hr even if the speed limit is higher.