The NSW Government’s move to ban total mobile-phone use while driving for provisional-licence holders became effective on Thursday, December 1.
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The ban, which aims to lower the rate of crashes involving P-plate drivers, includes using any function of a mobile phone while driving—even if the phone is secured to a hands-free cradle. P-platers requiring mobile use need to be parked out of the line of traffic. Any breaches will result in fines or suspension.
Road Safety Education (RSE), a national not-for-profit organisation committed to reducing trauma on roads by educating young people in senior high school, says it is a positive change.
“It is a welcome step in combating the soaring road toll and in protecting young drivers. Distracted driving is consistently shown to be a significant factor in the increasing road toll, with young drivers over-represented in crash statistics” RSE CEO Terry Birss said.
Mr Birss said education is also a key to improving young-driver training.
“Youth road safety education, which complies with government guidelines, should be essential for all high school students before they are handed the keys to the car,” he said.
The total ban is among a suite of reforms designed to reduce the young-driver road toll, in which the rate of deaths of 17–25 year-old drivers (with newly unrestricted licences) on NSW roads was 20 per cent of all road deaths in 2015.
