Learner drivers will be allowed to drive faster than 80km/h if the NSW government adopts the advice of police and motor safety experts.

A government-appointed advisory group has met the Roads Minister, Duncan Gay, to propose a revised licensing scheme that could result in L-platers driving at up to 110km/h on freeways, as allowed in some other states.

The changes, supported by the NRMA, could also reduce the hours learners must log before progressing to their P-plates. But learners might be forced to complete a hands-on driver training course as a trade-off for fewer hours on the road.

The approach represents a big turnaround in attitudes to driver training. Traditionally, government-appointed safety regulators have been dismissive of driver training, arguing that it contributes to over-confidence in young drivers.

It is understood that Mr Gay supports the idea but a spokeswoman insists there has been no formal consideration of the advisory group's recommendations.

Revisions to the learner licensing scheme will be announced in the first half of 2013. If approved, the changes will align NSW with Victoria and Queensland, where learners can drive at up 110 km/h. In Western Australia and South Australia, learner drivers are limited to 100km/h.

Learners in the Northern Territory, Tasmania and the ACT are limited to 80km/h.

An experienced NSW police officer said the rise in speeds for learners made sense. ''They need to know what a car does at freeway speeds before they go out there and do it on their own,'' he said.

''At the moment there's too big a speed disparity between learner drivers and other drivers on the freeway and it just causes more problems than it solves. They get out there and have people tooting and giving them the middle finger.''

The changes are being considered as thousands of learners prepare to hit the road during summer holidays, trying to log hours behind the wheel on long trips with families.

The NRMA president, Wendy Machin, says the group's members and members of the public complain of being stuck behind learners on the state's freeways, especially in summer.

''Parents see the holidays as a good time to get the logged hours up and you have learners grinding along at 80km/h when it would probably be safer for them to do the same speed as the rest of the traffic,'' she said.

The Pedestrian Council chairman, Harold Scruby, opposes any increase, saying young drivers should learn to handle a car before being allowed to drive at 100km/h. ''We all get stuck behind L-plate drivers from time to time,'' he said. ''It's something you have to accept.''

Sydney-based driver training veteran Ian Luff said many new drivers were intimidated by high closing speeds on NSW highways.

"Vehicles interact better if there is no speed disparity,'' he said. "We've put more than 1500 learner drivers through our program. They're all freaked out at the closing speed, particularly when they are on freeways.''

finally! when i first drove on a freeway ( from newcastle to sydney ) on my L's i shat my self...doing 80km/ph down moony moony bridge and having a truck come bearing down on my at 120km/ph...after that i decided i would do 100km/ph and f**k the 80km/ph limit...it's too dangerous.
and as for harold scruby acting like the only issue is " being stuck behind L platers " what a load of crap...i bet she hasnt merged onto the F3 at 80km/ph while everyone els is doing in excess for 110km/ph...unless there is a large gap you have to speed up...ahhh and learing to handle a car before doing 100km/ph? i guess she would rather all the young C**k L platers drive like grandma's while under supervision and then getting there P's and hitting the freeway at 110Km/ph ( lets face it we all have done it on out P's ) and not knowing how the car reacts and not knowing how to react in an emergancy at those speeds? stupid cow.
rant over

What better time is there to learn to do 110 km/h than when you have a fully qualified and licensed driver sitting right beside you.

I support this idea. There is nothing worse than bearing down on a L plater trundling along at 80 on the highway and the poor sod can do nothing about it, so yeah providing they are under competent instruction the posted speed limit is as good for them as for anyone else.

The current setup of limited to 80 than you get your P's and get told "go for it" learn to drive at faster speeds on your own and figure out what to do if and when you get into a situation is not good enough.

I still think though, there needs to be a basic component under testing that the driver needs to be able to demonstrate they also have some basic skills for things like how to change a tyre, check fluid levels and be able to identify a safe place to put a vehicle in the event of a break down or flat tyre or similar. I have seen plenty of P platers broken down on a highway, not pulled into the breakdown lane sufficiently almost causing multiple accidents as cars swerve to avoid.

My 2c.

Umm Harold Scruby is a bloke..............

Had the same type of issue when I was on my L's years ago then again early this year on my L's.

A lot of people on the roads are also to impatient and try to force you along by sitting rite on your rear end. Like seriously go around them and leave them be.

Me being on my red P's isn't any better. I really hope they increase my limit from 90 to 110.
I believe that an age ristriction should apply though, We have such harsh ristrictions due to a lot of younger drivers hooning around on their P's doing ridiculous speeds over the limit and crashing, resulting in deaths of thousands over the many previous years

About time they do this. Only just getting my P plates In October I know how it feels to have some big a** truck tail gating you going 80km/h in a 100km/h zone.

They need to consider changing more rules, I live on a NSW and Vic border town, constantly crossing over the 2 states causes a huge confusion between the laws, for everyone.

Yeah Vic rules are alot more lenient compaired to NSW laws. I'll be driving to vic next month so better find out their rules properly lol

Yeah you would want to. One of my mates who lives in the same town as me was driving around in Vic going 80km/h on a 100km/h road. The cops pulled him over and told him he was going to slow.. Then the driving school says we have to follow the law of the state we are in...

where they are lenient in some things.. other areas they are just as harsh

well from what i've found out and have been told..

you follow the rules as stated by the state that issued the licence..
my bro inlaw got done a few times in vic for speeding etc as his licence was a nsw probationary.

i've been to sydney a few times on my l's and p's (vic) and sat on the 110 without issues.
got pulled once in my cousin's car (nsw rego) and got let off, as they were going to try to ping me for speeding. untill they found out i hold a vic licence.

K thanks for the heads up.
Current NSW laws state that any speeding offence results in a instant licence suspension. Thats the last thing I need when I'm all the way down in Vic.

no worries..
i asked the rta when i first started going interstate and got told to go by the rules as dictated by vicroads.. i doubt the laws changed much in that regard since i've had my opens

down here they have the double points and fine on public holidays too btw. even though normally the fines suck a*** anyways
as when i got pinched here in vic (3 weeks ago) for 15 over. it still cost $282 and 3 demerit points..
mind you it was after midnight so i was a little C**k thinking highway patrol wont be out. serves me right!

Yeah they are always out no matter what time it is.
Thing that's annoying is cops watch me like a hawk cause I'm on my P's.
I have to unforgently remove my extractors from my car as in NSW I can't have any performance upgrades

Just shove a heatshield over the extractors haha

Common sense starts to prevail. Hopefully it will bring less stress to the new drivers and less aggro from other road users.

I got my licence in France, where 20hrs of lessons with a certified instructor are compulsory before the let you go on the road supervised by someone that had his full licence for at least 5 years.
If the instructor believes you're not up to scratch you still won't get your L's.

Back in the day, the instructor would let you drive 5kph over the limit, as it was believed to make you a better driver once on your own.
That must have stopped when automatic cameras started popping up everywhere.
I personnaly think that it's most important for the new driver to learn to adapt their speed to the road conditions as every other user. ( contrary to what the nanny states want you to believe, 5kph extra on an empty 2 lanes highway has never killed anyone)