ACT Road Safety Minister Shane Rattenbury is facing a backlash from within the government over plans to enforce a curfew for P-plate drivers.
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Mr Rattenbury announced on Tuesday a shake-up of the ACT's graduated licensing scheme, including banning provisional drivers from driving between midnight and 5am, restricting them to one peer-based passenger at all times and forcing learner drivers to log at least 100 hours behind the wheel.
Some of the changes could be introduced as early as the end of this year, and while NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury welcomed them, he noted they were "far stricter than anything that's been introduced" in other jurisdictions.
Professor Barry Watson, who's a researcher at the Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety in Queensland, said while the curfew and passenger restrictions put the ACT on the "cutting edge" of driver safety laws, the evidence for them were solid.
But the restrictions have attracted a tongue-lashing from Labor backbenchers, with Michael Pettersson calling them a "cheap shot at young people".
Labor's Chris Steel said he was concerned particularly about the effect of the curfew on P-platers, particularly those living in Canberra's south, while Bec Cody tweeted that she needed to drive at all hours of the day when she was a young mum on her Ps.
Canberra Liberals' transport spokeswoman Candice Burch said the impact of the curfew on young workers, parents or carers needed to be "carefully considered".
Current P-platers have raised doubts about how the proposed changes will work in practice, although Mr Rattenbury has said the reforms will not affect current licence holders.
Eighteen-year-old provisional driver and musician Sophie Edwards said while she felt unprepared for solo driving because of her "accelerated" driving lessons, she feared the unpredictable nature of her work may not lend itself to an exemption.
"Sometimes my gigs finish after midnight, I have a lot of gear to cart around Canberra, and without a solid set of regular hours, I doubt the government would allow for me to be exempt from the rule due to my line of work," Ms Edwards said.
State Emergency Service and Rural Fire Service volunteer John Paul Romano said being pulled over to produce an exemption on his way to an incident would be a "drastic waste of time".
L-platers and their parents are also grappling with how they'll notch up the required hours.
Twins May and Evie Laloulu turn 16 in December and say their mother will likely be the one teaching them how to drive.
May said the prospect of having to do 200 hours of driving lessons is likely to stress their mum out, and they're already working out who'll get first dibs on her time.
"I want my licence more than she does," Evie said.
"I don't want mine," May added.
David Gooch, whose 17-year-old son Brody will go for his Ps in six weeks, said it was misguided to place more restrictions on younger drivers.
He began teaching his kids to drive on the farm when they were about eight years old, and he believes children should be taught the motor skills to drive in a controlled environment much earlier than 16.
"The only thing [Brody] learnt on his Ls was how to drive around the street, which way to give way to. He picked it up a lot quicker because he's not trying to learn how to control the vehicle and work the clutch and gears as well," Mr Gooch said.
Ignite Driving's Margaret Seccombe said the ACT's current logbook system worked well, if used correctly, and the standard of instructors should also be lifted as part of the review.
"My job is to put safe and competent drivers on the road but some instructors put people through fast to get more money," Ms Seccombe said.
However Mr Rattenbury said the measures were targeted at the "frailties of young drivers, their inexperience" and "their sometimes dangerous driving practices when being egged on by mates".
Professor Watson said the proposal was "consistent with what works overseas".
"It's not a matter of authorities wanting to pick on young drivers solely, there are other initiatives that target other drivers. It's not about stopping young drivers from using the road, it's limiting them at their high-risk time and protecting them as they gain experience," Professor Watson said.
Mr Khoury urged the government to review the changes closely once they were implemented, and make adjustments if need be.
He noted NSW changed their restrictions on powered vehicles, after they realised weight-based restrictions were delivering a poor result.
"It's about making sure the measures you've introduced are delivering the safety the community expects," Mr Khoury said.
Have your say on the changes at: yoursay.act.gov.au/your-plates-review
