Teens warned against 'entitled' driving trend that could end in jail time

Herald Sun

23-05-2025

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Victoria Police has issued a new warning to teens who have found a loophole enabling them to get their driver's licence a year earlier than normal.
Whilst the minimum age to drive solo everywhere else in Australia is 17, in Victoria it's 18, leading some to find a creative way to get on the road early - though it could earn them jail time, and a few thousand dollars in fines.
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According to Victoria Police, teens in the state are being warned that trying to get your licence early in an unethical and illegal way could end them in some serious hot water.
The strategy is that teens with a holiday house or relatives living elsewhere in the country are using that address as their primary address, allowing them to sit their driving test elsewhere and earn their Ps at age 17.
And, driving instructor Ollie Azriel added that parents are just as much to blame by letting it happen.
"They just tell me, look I'm going to get my licence interstate ... what can I say?" he told 9News.
"Of course they have the support of their parents because they're still 17 and just want to get their licence."
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Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir said that the idea was riddled with entitlement.
"It goes to the sense of entitlement that we see play out," he said.
"Just because you've got a holiday house in Noosa doesn't mean you can skip the rules."
It has also brought up fears that the death toll on Victorian roads would soar, given the increase in immature and inexperienced drivers.
"The more mature you are the better you are able to handle experiences on the road," TAC Head of Road Safety Samantha Cockfield said. What's the damage?
Victoria Police say at this stage, they don't have substantial evidence of this kind of behaviour. However, they noted to those thinking of doing it that it is a criminal offence to obtain a licence fraudulently, including by providing misleading information.
Obtaining a driver's licence by fraudulent means in Victoria can lead to either a hefty fine, or jail time.
For those hoping that the rule is going to change, it seems you're out of luck, as Victorian premier Jacinta Allan said the government has no plans to make changes to the driving age.
Originally published as Teens warned against 'entitled' driving trend that could end in jail time