The New Legislation Has Come Into Force Making It Illegal For P2 Licence Holders

It’s the 1^st of December; the first day of summer and the start of the countdown to Christmas. It is also the date that new legislation has come into force making it illegal for P2 licence holders (green P-platers) to use their mobile phones in any capacity while driving. The purpose of the new legislation is to increase driver awareness and to eliminate crashes caused by a distraction from inside the car.

This is a change from the previous law which allowed P2 licence holders to use their mobile phone but banned  mobile phone use for Learner, P1 drivers and provisional motorcycle riders. Now, the ban against using mobile phones while driving is across the board for Learner, P1 drivers, provisional motorcycle riders and P2 drivers.

This across the board ban includes hands-free mode and phones set to speaker. The ban also applies to using a mobile phone for GPS, to listen to music (through Bluetooth, AUX, USB), to check the time, to use the camera and to view social media notifications. Being charged with this offence could lead to a loss of four demerit points (8 if it is a public holiday) and a fine of $325, which can rise to $433 in a school zone. Learner and Provisional 1 and 2 drivers are however permitted to use a GPS unit and non-cellular music devices such as an iPod. 

Despite an overall downward trend in the number of fatalities on NSW roads, there have still been 356 deaths on NSW so far this year. With mobile phone users between 2-6 times more likely to be involved in an accident and the silly season just around the corner, it is easy to see why this legislation is coming into force.  

If you get caught doing the wrong thing on the roads, please contact one of our leading criminal lawyers at Platinum Lawyers Pty Ltd on (02) 8084 2764.