The State Labor government of South Australia has just passed new P plate laws.

ALLOWING no more than one passenger aged 16-20 for the duration of their P1 licence for drivers under 25, excluding immediate family members.

PROHIBITING P1 drivers under 25 driving between midnight and 5am unless exempted.

EXTENDING the total minimum provisional licence period from two to three years - one year on a P1 licence and two years on a P2.

PASSING the hazard perception test to move from a learner's permit to P1, rather than P1 to P2 as is now the case.

These laws are dangerous for many reasons. Allowing only one person between the ages of 16 and 20 in the car with a P plater driving will mean that when people who go out on the weekend will no longer be able to have a designated driver to take them home. This will encourage people to further break the law and drink drive or they will walk home, putting themselves and the community at risk.

Banning P platers from driving between 12 and 5am is just as bad. If a P plater gets a call from a their grandparent in the middle of the night to say that they have had a fall and need them to come over and help, they can not legally drive to their grandparent's home. The difference between driving at 2330 and 0030 is hard to discern.

There is undoubtably a certain number of young drivers who are stupid and abuse their privileges, but they are far in the minority. Punishing the majority for the work of the minority is both unfair and stereotypical.

The major problem, however, is the fact that it doesn't actually address the problem of irresponsible driving. You can put a bandaid over a cancer and pretend it doesn't exist because you can't see it, but that is not a realistic answer. A far more stringent motorist education program should be implemented to tackle the issue at the roots, instead of simply cutting off the top of the weed.

Its effect on country drivers will be far higher than that of city dwellers. A car is the one thing that connects young country people to the city. Many people in rural areas have approached me and expressed concern about the fact that they will no longer be able to travel to university as a group like they do now. As students they don't have piles of money and for cost purposes, 5 of them will travel down in the one car during the week and go back home for the weekend. This government shouldn't be able to take away our freedoms because they are too lazy to address issues properly.

The list goes on.

European countries have far more stringent testing and education and the result is some of the safest drivers in the world driving as very high speeds without issues.

The laws will not have any effect and simply impinge upon the rights of P plate drivers. Join me in telling the state government that this is not acceptable.

For media or other enquiries, please email me at enquiries@cbond.com.au

With thanks to Facebook pages 'Screw The New P-Plate Laws', 'We say no to new P's restrictions', independent candidate for the SA Legislative Council Karyn Prelc, Jeremy Cordeaux and Leon Byner of Radio FIVEaa and close friend Stephen Dowding for supporting and promoting this petition.