Police in Victoria are issuing a stern warning to teenagers regarding the potential criminal implications of obtaining a driver’s licence in another state before they reach the age of 18. Unlike the rest of Australia, where the minimum age to get a licence is 17, Victoria enforces an age limit of 18. However, it has been reported that some 17-year-olds are evading these rules by heading across state lines to take their driving tests where they are legally eligible at 17.
Many of these teenagers are reportedly using vacation homes or relatives’ addresses as their primary residence to qualify for tests interstate. Driving instructor Ollie Azriel, who has been teaching teens for 25 years, notes that this trend is becoming more common, as students openly inform him of their intentions to get licensed outside Victoria. He acknowledges that many of these youngsters have parental support in their endeavours.
While Victoria Police claim they currently lack specific evidence of such activities, they caution that fraudulently obtaining a licence — including providing false information — is a criminal matter. Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir highlighted that simply having a holiday home elsewhere does not justify sidestepping the established regulations.
This situation has reignited debates about whether Victoria should consider lowering its driving age to 17, akin to other states. However, road safety experts, including TAC Head of Road Safety Samantha Cockfield, express concern that reducing the age would likely lead to an increase in road incidents, stressing that maturity contributes significantly to effective driving skills.
In response to the ongoing discussions, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan confirmed that the government has no intentions of altering the legal driving age.