Hi Guys!
Welcome all to the brief overview of the steps involved in getting a licence. Getting a licence in Australia is a very time consuming process and can take about 3 years for most people. The reason for this is for new drivers to gain more skills, experience and safe driving habits by spreading out the learning process.
As you can probably guess, there are different types of licences (e.g. bus, truck, motorbike, etc.) But we will focus on getting a driving licence for a car.
Manual or auto, 4wd or a lil’ buggie, the journey to being a fully licenced driver involves 4 particular stages.
Stage 1: The LEARNER Driver
People in this stage – most likely all of you who’ve signed up for this app – tend to be 16 years of age and taking their first steps to independence. Here are the key facts you need to know about this stage of your licence.
- You must drive with a supervisor who has an unrestricted class c Australian licence (in other words, have a full licence and can drive a car anywhere in Australia) or a NSW driving instructor licence.
- L-Platers also have a speed limit of 80km/hour – so if you’re practicing your driving on motorways, ensure you stick to the left lane.
- There is a zero alcohol tolerance level – so if you’re going to party, make sure you have a designated driver and do NOT drink and drive. Obviously.
- Stick to all the road rules – or risk having your licence suspended anywhere from 3 months to completely lost.
Duration before level up? 120 hours of supervised driving. This includes 20 hours of night driving. This translates to approximately a year. The minimum you can stay on your Ls is …
Note: L-Platers older than 25 years don’t need to present this log book before attempting the P test. Everybody else? The log book is a must!
Stage 2: The PROVISIONAL P1 Driver
Drivers in this stage can FINALLY drive independently, but they still need to take extra care when they do so. After all, the training wheels are off, you don’t want to fly off track. In fact, research shows that drivers have an …. Please, don’t try to show off for your mates, it’s your life, not theirs and the consequences can be disastrous. I hate to be morbid but you’ve got to know.
- You get to drive alone, yay,
- Red P-Platers have a speed limit of 90km/hr
- There is still a
- You have a chance at this stage and it isn’t sudden death to your licence.
Duration before level up? A minimum of one year
Stage 3: The Provisional P2 Driver
Okay, you’re almost there.
- You still drive alone
- Green P-Platers have a speed limit of 100km/hr
- Alcohol tolerance level
- Your licence just got stronger.
Duration before level up? Two years
Stage 4: Unrestricted Class C Licence
Freedom! Liberation! Superiority!
The road is yours. The licence is yours. The car is yours… and life just became much easier.
An unrestricted licence means you’re now considered a driving expert. That means you’ve learnt, memorised and always implement the road rules. So an unrestricted licence isn’t a Get Out of Jail Free Card, it’s a responsibility. Yes you have more rights with this licence – you can go 110km/hr when there’s 110km/hr speed limit – but you also have a greater responsibility to drive in a safe and responsible manner. Your own life, the lives of your passengers and those in the vehicles around you (even pedestrians or cyclists) are in your own hands.
So there you go guys, an overview of what to look forward to in the near future. Hope this post was an eye-opener.
Good luck with achieving your goals!
Gabbi
