- From 1 December 2024, new laws will restrict red P-platers to carrying only one passenger between 5am and midnight when they are permitted to drive
- ‘Red plate. One mate.’ targets new and existing red P-plate drivers and their parents
- New law to improve road safety and reduce the risk of distraction for novice drivers
The Cook Government has launched an awareness campaign to support the introduction of passenger restrictions for novice drivers aimed at reducing death and serious injury on our roads.
The ‘Red plate. One mate.’ campaign targets all existing and future red P-plate drivers and their parents, with the clear message that from 1 December red P-plate drivers will be restricted to carrying only one passenger in their vehicles at all permitted driving times.
The campaign will boost awareness of the new law through social media, radio, digital audio and video, and outdoor advertising until the end of January 2025.
WA’s youngest drivers are over-represented in serious crashes, as drivers aged 17-19 years old have the highest KSI (Killed or Seriously Injured) rate at 107 per 100,000 population compared to other age groups.
A night-time driving curfew between midnight and 5am for red P-platers will continue to apply.
The penalty for breaching the new red P-plate passenger restrictions would be the same as for driving during the red P-plate curfew of 12am-5am, which is a $200 infringement and two demerit points.
Exemptions from the rule would apply if:
- the additional passengers include a driver who has held a full C-class licence for at least four years;
- other passengers are immediate family members; or
- additional passengers are in the vehicle as a necessary requirement of the driver’s employment. A letter from the driver’s employer will be required to be carried by the red P-plate driver for presentation on request.
More information on the red P-plate passenger restrictions can be found on the Department of Transport website: Red plate. One mate. | New rules for red P-platers
As stated by Minister Assisting the Transport Minister David Michael:
“While it’s the responsibility of drivers and road users to be familiar with WA’s road rules, the ‘Red plate. One mate.’ campaign will raise awareness of the new P-plate passenger restrictions by targeting existing and new P-platers and their parents as we prepare to introduce the new law on 1 December.
“Restricting red P-platers to carrying one passenger was a key theme to emerge from the recent Road Safety Roundtable, which received input from a range of road safety experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience of road trauma.
“The 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.”
