New rules to place restrictions on ‘novice’ drivers come into effect from tomorrow, August 1st
From tomorrow (August 1st) two new changes take place effecting newly qualified drivers, or novice drivers. One is the introduction of ‘N’ or Novice Plates and the other is the lowering of the penalty point threshold for learner and novice drivers.
1) From Friday when you pass your test and get a full licence you swap your “L” plates for “N plates”. You must by law display these, front and rear for two years after you passed your driving test.
2) When you first learn to drive, the penalty point threshold is reduced from 12 to seven penalty points so N-plate drivers will be banned for six month if they reach this. This does not apply to anyone currently in the system, for example anyone who already has a learner permit or full driving licence before 1 August.
While there is no requirement for novice drivers to have an accompanying driver – this is still only the case for learner drivers. However, a novice driver may not act as an accompanying driver for someone who holds a learner permit
These changes are important road safety measures that form part of the Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) system, one of the key actions in the current and previous Government Road Safety Strategies aimed at improving how we train, test and licence learner and novice driver
The purpose of the GDL system is to reduce the number of collisions, deaths and injuries among learner and novice drivers, particularly among the high risk 17 to 24 year olds, during the learning to drive period and period immediately after they pass their test
Geraldine Herbert
31st July, 2014
