Transport safety campaigns

Unsafe2Safe

We're trialling ways to get old, unsafe cars off our roads and help young drivers into newer, safer vehicles.


About unsafe2safe

The safety of your car makes a difference in the event of a crash and may even help avoid one altogether. But many young drivers cannot afford to buy a newer, safer car right now. Sadly, those young drivers are over-represented in serious road crashes.

That's why we're rolling out a targeted trial to give an incentive to young drivers in regional Victoria to scrap their old, unsafe vehicles and replace them with newer, safer cars.

The trial started in 2021 with participants from Bendigo, Ballarat and surrounds. In 2022, we expanded it to other areas of regional Victoria.

Eligibility criteria

  1. Trial participants need to:
  2. be between 18 and 25 years old
  3. reside in regional Victoria
  4. hold a Victorian driver licence
  5. be the registered owner of a vehicle that is 16 years old or older and with a low safety rating

How it works

After applying, please complete the free Vehicle Safety Online Course on the VicRoads website.

We’ll select drivers to participate in the unsafe2safe program. We’re prioritising applicants who complete the Vehicle Safety Basics Online Course and feedback form. The course informs drivers about vehicle safety and how to choose a safe car.

Selected participants will receive an invitation letter from VicRoads via e-mail containing the instructions to purchase a newer, safer vehicle under the program and to scrap their old, unsafe car.

Take your older, unsafe car and invitation letter to a participating dealer.
Choose a newer, safer car from the dealership.

Pay the difference between the price the dealer is asking for and the $5,000 subsidy.

The dealer arranges to have the old vehicle taken away to be scrapped. The unsafe vehicle is scrapped at an auto parts recycler. Scrapping removes the car from the fleet, so the crash risk is not transferred to another person.

The dealer claims the $5,000 back from VicRoads

Visit Engage Victoria's unsafe2safe website for full program details.