I am a 16-year-old living in Victoria, and like many others my age, I find myself needing to travel frequently. This constant need for mobility often leaves me feeling dependent on others. The ability to drive would significantly alleviate this issue and grant me much-needed independence.

The current legal driving age in Victoria is 18 years old. This restriction not only affects me but also thousands of other young Victorians who are ready and capable of taking on the responsibility of driving at an earlier age. According to a study by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, there are approximately 75,000 individuals aged between 15-19 years old residing in Victoria (ABS Census Data, 2016). A significant portion of these individuals could benefit from a lowered driving age.

Lowering the legal driving age from 18 to 17 would align Victoria with other states such as New South Wales and Queensland where the minimum provisional license-holding age is already set at this lower threshold (Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications).

We believe that with proper education and training programs in place - similar to those found within these states - young drivers can be adequately prepared for safe road use at an earlier age. Therefore we urge you to consider our plea for lowering the legal driving age in Victoria from 18 years old down to just seventeen.

Please sign this petition if you support our cause!