Guide for supervising drivers in Victoria

By the end of this topic you can

• You can check who is allowed to supervise a learner in Victoria.
• You can plan practice that suits the learner's stage.
• You can give short, clear instructions and calm feedback.
• You can pause or end a stressful session and sign the log book correctly.

What you need to know and understand

• A supervisor needs a current, full (not probationary) Australian or overseas licence for the type of vehicle being driven, and must carry it.
• The supervisor must sit in the front passenger seat for the whole drive.
• Regular supervisors must stay under 0.05 BAC; driving instructors and drivers with a Z condition must be at 0.00. Drinking alcohol while supervising is an offence even under the limit.
• The learner must have zero BAC and show L plates front and back, visible from at least 20 metres.
• Learners under 21 need at least 120 hours, including 20 at night, in the official log book or myLearners app.

Before you start: the legal checklist

Run through this before every drive. If any point fails, that drive should not go ahead with that supervisor. A supervisor with licence conditions such as hand controls or an alcohol interlock can still supervise if they follow those conditions.

• Supervisor has a current full licence for this vehicle type, with them.
• Supervisor is in the front passenger seat and under the BAC limit, with no alcohol to drink.
• Learner has their permit, zero alcohol and L plates on front and back.
• Both of you are rested, calm and off your phones.

Coaching through the four stages

In Stage 1 (car control in a quiet place) the supervisor leads, gives lots of direction and is the main lookout. In Stage 2 (quiet, low speed streets) the learner starts spotting hazards while the supervisor still guides. In Stage 3 (busier, faster roads) the supervisor builds up speed and traffic gradually and points out missed hazards. In Stage 4 (rehearsing solo driving) the supervisor is mostly a passenger, saying less but staying alert.

Add one new challenge at a time, such as rain or a freeway. If either of you feels uneasy, go back a step and practise more.

Giving instructions and feedback

Give instructions early, saying where before what: 'At the next lights, turn left.' Keep them short. For feedback, ask the learner how they think it went, praise what went well and link corrections to safety, not ability. Say urgent points straight away; save longer talks for when you have pulled over.

Some pairs use commentary driving: the supervisor drives and talks through what they notice, then talks the learner through the same situation, and finally the learner drives and describes their own actions.

Handling stress and finishing a session

A little nervousness keeps a supervisor alert, but too much spreads to the learner. Skip practice if either of you is tired or has just argued. If a drive turns tense, pull over somewhere safe, take a break, and take over if conditions are beyond the learner.

End each session parked safely with one thing that went well and one to work on. Then fill in the log book together in pen. Every supervisor adds their details to the list of supervising drivers and signs each drive they supervised, and the learner and a supervisor complete the declaration of completion at the end. False hours are illegal, and an invalid log book means no drive test and a 6 week wait to rebook.

Common mistakes

• Letting a P plate driver supervise. Only full licence holders can, and those hours do not count.
• Moving into heavy traffic too soon. Match each route to the learner's stage.
• Leaving log book entries for later. Complete and sign them in pen after every drive, never with white-out.

Test yourself: Guide for supervising drivers in Victoria

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