All new drivers in who are issued with a Provisional P1 and P2 licence after July 1 2007 in QLD and Victoria (or 11 July 2005 for NSW) who are under the age of 25 years will no longer be able to drive high powered vehicles whilst on their Provisional licence. If you undertake your practical driving test for your provisional licence in a high powered vehicle and want to drive away in a high powered vehicle after you pass your test, you will only be able to do so if you are 25 years of age or older, or are able to successfully apply for an exemption.Provisional P1 and P2 licence holders may be restricted from driving the following types of vehicles:
- Vehicles with eight or more cylinders
- Turbocharged vehicles (except diesel)
- Supercharged vehicles (except diesel)
- Vehicles with an engine output of more than 200kw
- Vehicles with a rotary engine above 1146cc (No bigger than a 12A)
- QLD - Vehicles with an engine performance modification that is not standard to the original manufacturer's vehicle specifications and requires approval from an approved person. (This means any modification that requires a mod plate. Modifications to suspension, brakes, seats etc requiring mod plates are still fine to carry out provided they are correctly approved).
- VIC and NSW– Vehicles with any modifications increasing engine performance
Certain turbocharged vehicles however are exempt from these restrictions due to their small engine capacity and reliance on a turbocharger to make any power. These include;
- Suzuki Cappuccino 2D Cabriolet Turbo 3 657-698cc (1992 - 1997)
- Daihatsu Copen L880 2D Convertible Turbo 4 659cc (2003 or later)
- Smart fortwo coupe 2D Turbo 3 698cc (2000 or later)
- Smart fortwo Cabriolet Turbo 3 2D 698cc (2000 or later)
- Smart Roadster Turbo 3 2D 698cc (2000 or later).
If you are a probationary licence holder, it is your responsibility to make sure that any vehicle you drive is not a high powered motor vehicle. Serious penalties apply to those found driving restricted vehicles.
Victoria Only
For the State of Victoria, high performance vehicle restrictions also include a restriction on the power/weight ratio and engine capacity/weight ratio of a vehicle. A vehicle is classified as restricted vehicle is it has a power/weight ratio that exceeds 125kW per tonne, or engine capacity/weight ratio that exceeds 3.5L per tonne. To check the vehicle is legal to drive you should;
- check with the manufacturer for engine power and vehicle weight information; and
- calculate the capacity to weight ratio
To calculate the capacity to weight ratio:
- Capacity to weight ratio is the capacity in litres divided by the weight in tonnes
- Power to weight ratio is the power in kilowatts (kW) divided by the weight in tonnes.
For the calculations, weight is specified in tonnes (1000kg = 1 tonne); capacity is specified in litres (1000ml = 1 litre); power is specified in kilowatts (kW) and is measured at the engine flywheel.
For example, the weight of a vehicle is the unladen mass specified by the manufacturer for the stock standard vehicle (without options).For example, if a V8 vehicle weighs 1382kg with a power rating of 185kw, then the power to weight ratio is: 185/1382 x 1000 = 130kW per tonne. This vehicle would therefore be considered a high powered vehicle, because it is over 125 kW per tonne.
Exemption for High Powered Vehicle Restriction
An exemption from the high powered vehicle restriction may be available when:
A person needs to drive:
- To or from the persons place of employment
- In the course of the person's employment
- To or from an educational institution that the person attends
- To get medical treatment for the person or a member of the persons family
Or
- Before the family vehicle is the only accessible vehicle
- Because the vehicle was purchased prior to 1 July 2007
- The vehicle is owned or leased by an immediate family member
- The vehicle is part of a salary package of an immediate family member
And
- There is no other transport reasonably available to the person
- The refusal to grant the exemption would cause severe hardship
Notes: You must have 3 exemptions.
It’s important to note that severe hardship means the possibility of loss of income and serious financial difficulty. In many cases, owners of high performance vehicles will be refused exemptions.