Govt looks at raising licence age

Not being able to drive solo until 18 years of age, a late-night curfew and passenger restrictions are rules set to be imposed on P-plate drivers.

Road Safety Minister Tom Kenyon announced the initiatives today, seeking public feedback on the changes.

"These initiatives are not about making life tougher for young drivers," he said, " The're about protecting them and saving lives."

"Over the last decade, more than 4,000 young people aged between 16 and 24 have been killed or seriously injured on our roads."

"Research shows that crashes are most likely to occur during the first 6 to 12 months of holding a provisional licence when the driver is least experienced and driving unsupervised."

Minister Kenyon is seeking feedback on the following changes, aimed at curbing the road toll.

• A passenger restriction for all P1 drivers, with exemptions made only for immediate family members and passengers for work purposes.

• A restriction on driving between midnight at 5am for all P1 drivers.

• Raising the minimum age for a provisional licence from 17 to 18.

• Extending the provisional licence period from two to three years.

• Removing licence regression.

"Some of these initiatives make affect the independence of young drivers, their families and friends, particularly in rural communities and disadvantaged groups," Minister Kenyon said.

"However, young drivers in rural South Australia are two and a half times more likely to die or be injured in a crash than their peers in metropolitan Adelaide," he said.

"There is also a belief in the community that road fatalities and serious injuries are largely the result of risk taking or extreme behaviour."

"In fact, over half of all fatal crashes, and 90 percent of injury crashes are the result of mistakes or common lapses in judgement."

The changes are up for public consultation until December 9.

To have your say on the licence changes, visit the government's 'Towards zero together' website.

Or tell us what you think and leave a comment below, will these changes help curb the road toll?