Question: I have twin daughters who will be getting their 'L' very soon. They believe the passenger restriction for a learner's licence is 1 supervisor and 1 other passenger. This will be a considerable lost opportunity for them to practice driving when we go somewhere as a family. If you've dealt with this situation do you have any advice?
Passenger Restriction
The required supervisor is not counted as a passenger.
The passenger restriction for a learner driver comes from division 30.06 of the Motor Vehicle Act Regulations:
(2) A person to whom a Class 7L licence is issued must not carry more than one passenger, other than the accompanying person under subsection (1), while operating a motor vehicle of a category designated in section 30.01 (2) for that class of driver's licence.
The family member exemption under division 30.071 MVAR only applies to the novice drivers.
One on One Coaching
The intent of the learner stage is to provide one on one coaching for the new driver. The risk to passengers and the potential for the distraction they might cause is given as a reason for the restriction.
Penalty for Too Many Passengers
A traffic ticket for a learner driver having too many passengers includes a fine of $109 and three penalty points. A driving prohibition for an L driver may occur after accumulating 2 to 6 penalty points. Any prohibition will reset the 12 month clock for driver testing to obtain a novice licence.
Does Not Apply to Driving Schools
The passenger restriction for a learner driver does not apply if they are receiving training from a driving school instructor.
30.06 (3) The passenger restriction under subsection (2) does not apply in the course of the person receiving practical driver training that is being conducted in accordance with Division 27 by a licensed driver training instructor.
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