Pea-brained P-platers increasingly losing licences

It’s a rite of passage on the path to adulthood for many young South Australians – getting a provisional licence. Except an increasing number are having them stripped. SEE HOW

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Inexperienced and vulnerable drivers are increasingly losing their provisional licences on the spot for speeding or getting behind the wheel with alcohol or illicit drugs in their system.

SA Police figures analysed by The Advertiser show 6163 P-platers were disqualified from driving for breaching their licence conditions in a three-year period.

And provisional drivers have forked out $2.5 million for the breaches, which increased 27.3 per cent between July 2016 and June 2019, in addition to penalties for the individual offences.

The state’s top traffic cop says inexperience is no excuse for irresponsible behaviour, while the RAA has warned of other serious consequences for provisional drivers who are disqualified.

Among the most serious provisional licence breaches in the past three years were:

A TOYOTA sedan driver who was pulled over in Adelaide’s west and returned a blood-alcohol reading of 0.40 – eight times the legal limit for a full-licence holder.

A 28-YEAR-OLD man clocked travelling at 201km/h in a 100km/h zone on the Horrocks Highway at Barinia, just north of Clare, in the state’s Mid North.

A VICTORIAN driver who was caught speeding 40km/h above the limit and then recorded a blood-alcohol level of 0.077.

Traffic Services Branch officer-in-charge Superintendent Bob Gray said motorists with a provisional licence, regardless of their age, were inexperienced drivers.

“Due to that inexperience, they need to be paying extra attention to the road, their environment and the speed limit,” Supt Gray said.

“However, inexperience isn’t an excuse for irresponsible behaviour and all drivers, regardless of their class of licence, should be behaving responsibly on our roads.

“Every motorist should be giving their full attention when they’re behind the wheel of any vehicle. It’s as simple as that.”

There have been nine provisional licence fatalities on the state’s roads so far this year, compared with 12 each in 2017 and 2018.

A P-plate driver was clocked travelling at 201km/h in a 100km/h zone near Clare.

Provisional licence holders are subject to three conditions that, if breached, result in automatic six-month disqualification from driving. They are:

DRIVING with any concentration of alcohol in blood or the presence of THC (active cannabis component), methamphetamine (speed, ice) or MDMA (ecstasy) in blood or saliva.

EXCEEDING the speed limit by 10km/h or more.

ACCUMULATING four or more demerit points from various offences.

In addition to the licence contravention penalty, which this year is $435, provisional drivers are also hit with fines and demerit points for the offence they committed.

A P-plater who is disqualified from driving has to reapply for their provisional licence but can elect to enter into a safe driver agreement until they are eligible for a full licence.

But if a driver breaches the agreement, the disqualification period is doubled to 12 months and the suspension must be fully served with no avenues of appeal.

RAA safety and infrastructure senior manager Charles Mountain said that, while provisional driver fatalities had not increased, the number caught breaking the law was concerning.

“It’s a timely reminder for people who are on their Ls and Ps to ensure they are complying with the conditions that are imposed under this licence regime,” Mr Mountain said.

“You need to be mindful of the fact that if you don’t then you are putting yourself and other road users at serious risk.”

Mr Mountain said there were other potential serious consequences for drivers whose provisional licence was disqualified.

“For a lot of them, part-time work requires access to a vehicle to get safely to and from those jobs … so having your licence is critical in those early years,” he said.

“It’s something that should be valued so therefore it’s important people don’t do anything to put their licence in jeopardy, particularly at the start of their driving career.”