FAQs
- Learner licence validity period increased from 2 years to 5 years.
- Two licence tenure period pathways at the learner and provisional licence stages:
- Learner licence holding period increased to 12 months
- Learner licence holding period of 6 months, for applicants who enrol in, and complete, an approved driver training program which includes supervised driving hours
- Provisional licence holding period increased to 3 years
- Provisional licence holding period of 1 year, for persons who already hold an Open R Class (motorcycle) licence.
- A hazard perception test which needs to be passed prior to a learner completing the practical driving assessment and being issued a provisional licence.
- At the provisional licence stage, the use of a mobile phone for music or podcasts is permitted, provided it is set before they commence driving and requires no interaction whilst driving.
- At the provisional licence stage, the use of an inbuilt car GPS is permitted, provided it is programmed for audio instructions before they commence driving and requires no interaction whilst driving.
- Speed restriction of 100km/h for learner licence holders and 110km/h for provisional licence holders.
- An automatic transmission restriction if assessed in an automatic transmission vehicle, which can only be removed if the person passes an additional practical driving assessment in a manual transmission vehicle.
- No extended zero BAC/BrAC requirement at the full/open licence stage.
- NT car driver training providers
- Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services
- St John Ambulance
- AANT
- NT Motor Accidents Compensation Commission (MACC)
- State and Territory licensing authorities
- Northern Territory Council of Social Service (NTCOSS)
- Regional and remote stakeholders
- Local Government Councils
- NT general public
Why is a revised graduated licensing system for car drivers being proposed?
The Northern Territory’s Towards Zero Road Safety Action Plan (2018-22) presents 49 specific actions with the aim of improving road safety. Towards Zero Action 8.1 provides for the development of ‘a revised Graduated Driver Licensing System adopting best practise (where appropriate for the Northern Territory) for consideration by Government.’
To commence the process of implementing Towards Zero Action 8.1, a revised graduated licencing system for car drivers has been developed, to promote better road safety outcomes, including reducing the rate of fatalities and serious injuries among novice drivers.
What will change if this new system is implemented?
Why is there a proposed maximum speed increase for learner and provisional drivers?
Both the Austroads Research Report on Summary of Literature of the Effective Components of Graduated Driver Licensing Systems and the Australian Graduated Licensing Scheme Policy Framework state that there is not a great deal of valuable research available to support the effectiveness of reduced speed restrictions for learner and provisional licence holders.
The Austroads Research Report on Summary of Literature of the Effective Components of Graduated Driver Licensing Systems also provides that there can be road safety benefits of allowing all vehicles to travel at the same speed to prevent risky or aggressive driving manoeuvres when overtaking slower moving vehicles.
Who is being consulted?