There’s no denying speeding remains one of the biggest killers on Australian roads, with authorities continuing to launch numerous safety campaigns and road safety blitzes in the hopes of curbing road deaths.
And while speeding restrictions on young drivers on their learners or provisional licences have been a mandatory requirement in New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory, local drivers are calling for authorities to axe the road rule altogether.
In a February 2026 survey conducted by Drive – which garnered more than 2500 responses – approximately 80 per cent voted in favour of axing the speed limit restrictions, with an overwhelming majority responding that P-platers are more of a hazard if they’re moving too slow.
A Drive reader commented, “It is a stupid rule. How can an L or P [plater] be expected to drive under all conditions and circumstances if they cannot legally get the necessary experience? Do they suddenly gain the knowledge overnight when their P-plates expire?”
Meanwhile, a different commenter highlighted the fact that speed isn’t the sole issue, it’s also a car’s weight.
“This is as much about a car’s weight. Other things being equal, vehicles with more mass [like SUVs and dual-cab utes] have longer stopping distances and hence are a greater danger to other road users and pedestrians,” they said.
“It’s nonsense to have limits on young drivers speed while not having any limits on the size and weight of vehicles they can drive,” the Drive reader said.
Despite community calls to axe the speed limit restrictions on young motorists, numerous state and territory governments are sticking by their decision and will not scrap the controversial law.
“The safety of all road users is our highest priority. [Since] NSW’s Graduated Licensing Scheme was introduced in 2000, fatalities involving p-plate drivers have fallen by more than 50 per cent," a Transport for NSW spokesperson told Drive.
“Speeding is the leading cause of road deaths in NSW, and the staged approach to speed allows young drivers to gain experience and improve hazard perception skills while reducing exposure to high-risk situation."
However, a spokesperson for the Department of Logistics and Infrastructure (DLI) in the Northern Territory said the territory government was considering changing current laws as part of its five-year Road Safety Action Plan.
"The Action Plan includes introducing Graduated Licensing Scheme (GLS) for motorists and motorcyclists, which will include considering the potential road safety benefits of changing speed limit restrictions for learners and provisional drivers. The NT Government is working to implement all the recommendations of the Action Plan by 2028," a DLI spokesperson told Drive.
In Tasmania, a spokesperson for the Department of State Growth said there, “is a clear relationship between travel speed and crash risk”, though they didn’t specify if the road rule has led to a reduction in road deaths among provisional drivers.
“The speed at which a vehicle is travelling directly influences whether a crash results in minor injuries or fatalities,” a Department of State Growth Tasmania spokesperson told Drive.
Looking to South Australia – where red P-plate holders are restricted to a maximum speed limit of 100km/h regardless of the road – a Department of Transport spokesperson said the state government will not axe the rule.
“Inexperience and risk taking can make the first few years on the road the most dangerous for young and novice drivers,” a Department of Transport South Australia spokesperson told Drive.
While the spokesperson didn't confirm if the road rule has led to a reduction in road trauma, they said, “South Australia's Graduated Licensing Scheme (GLS) is designed to act as a safety net with specific conditions to support provisional drivers navigate the road safely.”
Ethan Cardinal graduated with a Journalism degree in 2020 from La Trobe University and has been working in the fashion industry as a freelance writer prior to joining Drive in 2023. Ethan greatly enjoys investigating and reporting on the cross sections between automotive, lifestyle and culture. Ethan relishes the opportunity to explore how deep cars are intertwined within different industries and how they could affect both casual readers and car enthusiasts.
