The penalty for breaching red P-plate passenger restrictions is a $200.00 fine and two demerit points, which is the same as for driving during the existing red P-plate curfew.
Restriction applies to all red P-plate drivers
The new restriction applies to all existing and future red P-plate drivers, following the tragic deaths of young people on WA roads, including passengers Tom Saffioti and Nick Campo.
According to the Western Australian Road Fatalities and Serious Injuries 2023 report, young WA drivers between the ages of 17 and 19 have the highest KSI (Killed or Seriously Injured) rate at 107 per 100,000 population compared to other age groups.
“Every death on our roads is a tragedy, and we know inexperienced drivers are particularly vulnerable when they get behind the wheel,” Road Safety Minister, David Michael said.
Distracted drivers at higher risk of crashing
Statistics and recent tragedies on our roads have also shown that novice drivers are at higher risk of crashing when they are distracted. The new one-person passenger restriction aims to alleviate this problem and also bring Western Australia into line with other jurisdictions.
“This new law is an important opportunity to directly address the risk of distraction new drivers might experience from driving with multiple passengers in their first six months of having a provisional licence, which is the riskiest period in our driving careers,” Michael said.
Some exemptions apply
Exemptions from the passenger restrictions rule will only apply if one of the passengers is an experienced driver who has held an ordinary C-class licence for at least four years, or other passengers are immediate family members.
If additional passengers are in the vehicle as a necessary requirement of the driver’s employment, a letter from the driver’s employer must be carried by the red P-plate driver for presentation on request.
