Log book hours and supervised practice in Tasmania

By the end of this topic you can

• You can state the total and night hours you must log.
• You can check whether someone is allowed to be your supervisory driver.
• You can explain the credit hours available from lessons and the RYDA program.
• You can list the conditions you must follow every time you drive as a learner.

What you need to know and understand

• Novice learners must log at least 80 hours of supervised driving, including at least 15 hours at night.
• Your supervisory driver verifies the hours and signs the statutory declaration in the logbook.
• A logbook app is available as well as the paper learner logbook.
• A supervisory driver must hold a full Australian car licence (not a restricted licence), have held it continuously for the last 12 months, and give you instruction while you drive.
• One hour with a certified driving instructor counts as two logbook hours, capped at 20 hours.
• Completing the Rotary Clubs of Tasmania RYDA program can add five hours to your logbook.

Your learner conditions on every drive

Every supervised session must follow the learner rules. Breaking them can bring demerit points, fines or disqualification.

• L plates visible from the front and back of the car.
• Never faster than 90 km/h, even where the limit is higher.
• Blood alcohol content of 0.00.
• Carry your licence.
• No towing of any vehicle or trailer.
• No mobile phone use.
• A supervisory driver with you at all times.

Building your 80 hours in stages

Plates Plus breaks the learner period into stages. Early on you learn lower-order skills like using the controls and steering smoothly. Later you build higher-order skills such as spotting hazards, making decisions and keeping spare attention for what is happening around you.

Start in quiet streets with the radio off and your phone put away. As your confidence grows, add complex drives: wet weather, gravel, highway merges, night time and busier traffic. You may slowly add small distractions like a passenger or quiet radio, but phones stay off limits until P2.

Keeping the logbook honest and complete

1. Record each drive straight after you finish, including date, time, length and whether it was at night.
2. Have your supervisor check and verify the entries.
3. Note any instructor lessons separately so the two-for-one credit is applied correctly.
4. Before applying for P1, make sure the statutory declaration in the logbook is signed by your supervisor.
5. Our guide to Tasmanian learner rules and 80 logbook hours goes into credits and common questions in more depth.

Common mistakes

• Logging lots of short daytime trips around the same block. Aim for variety, including night, rain and higher-speed roads.
• Driving with a supervisor who has not held a full licence for the last 12 months continuously.
• Leaving night hours until the end of the 12 months. Spread them through the year, especially in winter when it gets dark early.
• Treating instructor credits as a shortcut. The 20-hour cap means most of your hours still come from supervised practice.

Test yourself: Log book hours and supervised practice in Tasmania

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

Go deeper

• Tasmanian Learner Rules and 80 Logbook Hours
• Getting Your Full Licence in Tasmania and the Safer Driver Reward
• Learning to Drive in Tasmania