P1 and P2 rules

By the end of this topic you can

• You can list the main conditions on your P1 and P2 licence.
• You can explain the peer passenger and late night rules in your state.
• You can say which vehicles you may not drive on P plates.
• You can explain how breaking a condition affects your licence.

What you need to know and understand

• All P1 and P2 drivers must have a zero BAC and display their P plates front and back so the whole letter is visible.
• NSW: P1 drivers have a top speed of 90 km/h and P2 drivers 100 km/h.
• NSW P1 drivers under 25 may carry only one passenger under 21 between 11pm and 5am, unless exempt.
• Victoria: P1 drivers may not carry more than one passenger aged 16 to under 22, unless exempt (for example immediate family or a fully licensed supervisor).
• Queensland: P1 drivers under 25 may not carry more than one passenger under 21, other than immediate family, between 11pm and 5am.
• WA: in the first 6 months on red Ps, no driving between midnight and 5am (with work, training and education exemptions) and only one passenger, with some exemptions.
• SA: P1 drivers under 25 must not drive between midnight and 5am unless a qualified supervising driver is beside them or an exemption applies, and may carry only one passenger aged 16 to 20 who is not immediate family.
• NSW and Victoria ban P platers from high-performance vehicles, including those with a power to mass ratio over 130 kilowatts per tonne. Queensland has a similar ban for P platers under 25.

Phones, towing and car type

• Phones: in NSW, P1 and P2 drivers cannot use a phone at all while driving, including hands-free and maps. Victorian P drivers must not touch or voice-control a hand-held or mounted phone. Queensland P1 drivers under 25 and SA P1 drivers cannot use any phone function, including hands-free.
• Towing: NSW P1 drivers may tow only light trailers up to 250 kg unladen, with a red P plate on the trailer. Victorian P1 drivers must not tow except in limited situations.
• Automatic condition: if you passed in an automatic in NSW, you may only drive automatics while on P1 unless a fully licensed driver supervises you in a manual; the condition ends on P2. In Victoria it lasts your whole probationary period unless you pass a manual test.
• Supervising: P platers cannot supervise a learner driver.

Why these rules exist

NSW crash data shows P1 drivers are the group most likely to be involved in a crash. Speed, peers in the car, late nights and inexperience are the big risk factors, so the conditions target exactly those. Victoria's handbook notes that new probationary drivers have about three times the crash risk of experienced drivers.

Following the rules is also about keeping your licence. P platers have low demerit limits, and in NSW a P1 driver goes over the limit with any speeding offence.

Moving from P1 to P2

In NSW you can move to P2 after at least 12 months on P1. In Victoria, under 21s spend at least one year on P1, then at least three years on P2; drivers 21 or over go straight to P2. In SA, P1 lasts at least one year, followed by at least two years on P2, and you must be 20 or older to move to a full licence. In WA, red plates are shown for the first 6 months and green plates for the remaining 18 months.

Suspensions usually extend your P period, so a single offence can add months to your journey.

Common mistakes

• Driving at the posted 110 km/h limit on NSW P plates. Your licence limit applies even when the sign is higher.
• Giving a group of friends a lift home late at night. Check your state's peer passenger and night rules first.
• Using the phone for maps on NSW Ps. All phone use is banned while driving.
• Driving a friend's powerful car. Check it is not a banned vehicle for P platers.
• Forgetting plates when you borrow a car. You must display them on any car you drive.

Test yourself: P1 and P2 rules

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.