A lawyer has spoken out about the ‘craziest’, little-known road rule that could cost drivers as much as $514 if broken.
Jahan Kalantar, managing partner of Executive Law Group, said P-platers could face a hefty bill if they are caught using the GPS on their phone.
He explains that he gets calls ‘every day’ from drivers who have lost all their points because they were also caught streaming music.
“There’s no way you can use your phone if you’re a P-plater,” Kalantar said in a TikTok video.
Jahan Kalantar, managing partner of Executive Law Group, shared a video on TikTok talking about one of Australia’s “craziest road rules.”
“If you tighten the functionality you can’t use it and that sucks and it’s unfair, but it’s something you have to be aware of because more and more people are getting it done.”
According to Transport for NSW, provisional drivers are not even allowed to use their phones, even if they have a hands-free mode, Bluetooth or speaker options or GPS navigation.
The only times they are allowed to do so is when they have to show their digital permit to the police or use their wallet functions at a drive-thru.
P1 drivers caught illegally using a mobile phone will exceed their penalty point limit and face a license suspension, while P2 license holders will only be left with two penalty points if caught illegally using a mobile phone.
The fine for using a phone while driving is $349 or $514 in a school zone and five demerit points, increasing to 10 demerit points during double demerit periods.
Mr Kalantar said it is important to raise awareness of this issue as the majority of young people do not realize that using Google Maps while driving is illegal.
He said the unfair rule targets p-platers and urged them to stick to the rules as it is incredibly difficult to navigate the city without a permit.
Social media users responded, calling the rule “insane” and “outdated.”
“Not being able to use it as a GPS is absolutely insane,” said one.
“Going on long trips without listening to music is ridiculous,” wrote another.
“That’s unfair, they should change that law,” a third person commented.
“Why would they make driving harder for p-platers?” asked another.
‘What a crazy rule. Many young people work as delivery people and need a GPS to get around.’
Sydney lawyer gets calls ‘every day’ from p-platers who have lost all their demerit points after being caught using their phones
However, NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury did not support the argument that the rule was unfair, saying the rule is intended to ensure there is a “complete disconnect” between inexperienced drivers and their phones.
‘It may be a complicated policy, but we understand why these specific restrictions would be applied to young drivers as they are still building their experience on the road, and the last thing we want is for them to be distracted by their phones ,’ he told Yahoo.
“There’s plenty of distractions in the car without cell phones and we just want to make sure they’re focused on what’s going on in front of them.”
Mr Khoury said there is no excuse for not knowing the rules, saying all young drivers learn what they can and cannot do as they learn to drive.
“They’re probably more exposed to the intricacies of the road rules than the rest of us because they’d have just gone through the whole licensing system, which you think would all still be fresh in their minds,” he said.
Visit the Transport for NSW website for more information about the rules for P1 and P2 drivers.