Major change coming for millions of Aussie drivers: What you need to know
An Australian state is introducing tough new restrictions on P-plate drivers to combat the rising toll on young drivers.
Following the introduction of Tom’s Law, motorists in Western Australia with a Class P1 provisional license (red P plates) will be allowed to carry only one passenger from 1 December 2024, with some exceptions.
The law is named after 15-year-old Tom Saffioti who tragically died in 2021 along with his partner Mark Bogoni, 17.
The car they were traveling in was carrying five passengers and was being driven by an 18-year-old P-plater when it struck a curb and crashed into a tree in the southeast Perth suburb of Seville Grove.
Before the new restrictions were announced, Tom’s mother Samantha Saffioti had lobbied the government for a limit on the number of passengers for P-plate drivers.
Mrs. Saffioti told me ABC Radio Perth the restriction is a ‘no-brainer’ that she believes will save lives.
“It has worked in other states and I think it’s time for the Western Australian government to step up to the plate and … help protect our children.”
“Our children would learn not to be under peer pressure, not to be distracted, to learn the rules of the road and to drive safely,” she said.
From December 1, 2024, motorists in Western Australia holding a Class P1 provisional license (red P plates) will be allowed to carry only one passenger, with some exceptions
The new law limiting P-plate drivers to just one passenger is being called ‘Tom’s Law’ after 15-year-old Tom Saffioti (pictured) who was killed in a car driven by his buddy Mark Bogoni, 17. by a P-plate holder in 2021
“At the end of the day, they’re driving with a gun.”
According to the Western Australian Road Fatalities and Serious Injuries 2023 report, WA’s young drivers aged 17 to 19 have the highest rate of serious injury and death, at 107 per 100,000 residents, compared to other age groups.
Announcing the new road rules, Premier Roger Cook said it is all about protecting the state’s least experienced drivers.
“Limiting the number of passengers for novice drivers in the first six months after obtaining their license is a practical, sensible and enforceable step that strikes the right balance to protect young drivers, their families and their friends,” Cook said .
Announcing the new road rules, WA Premier Roger Cook (pictured) said it was all about protecting the state’s least experienced drivers
‘The new changes, known as Tom’s Law, will mean WA has some of the most targeted restrictions in the country when it comes to keeping P-plate drivers safe.’
Drivers with a red P plate are only allowed to carry more than one passenger in WA if the occupants have had a full driver’s license for at least four years, are immediate family members or if the driving is work-related.