Device rules for new and young drivers and motorcyclists

The rules on this page apply to:

• learner drivers
• P1 and P2 drivers  
• motorcyclists who hold an ‘E’ (restricted) motorcycle licence.  

If you don’t follow these rules, you could be fined.

Victoria has traffic cameras that can detect and fine you if:  

• you aren’t wearing a seat belt or aren't wearing a seat belt correctly
• you’re using a phone while driving.

General rules

You must not use a mobile phone or portable device for any function while driving or riding, unless you pull over and park.

While driving a car or riding a motorbike, you must not:

• use or touch a mobile phone or any portable, wearable or mounted device at all (not even for phone calls and navigation)
• use voice controls to operate any device
• enter information, text, numbers or symbols  
• scroll on the device (such as scrolling through text messages, social media, music playlists)
• view text messages, social media, emails or photos
• watch videos, play games or take video calls
• place a device on your lap, or let it rest on your body or clothes (except a pocket or pouch) 
• pass a device to a passenger or take a device from a passenger. 

Rules for portable devices (e.g. a mobile phone)

Portable devices include unmounted or loose mobile phones, tablets, laptops, media players and game consoles.  

You must not:  

• touch a mobile phone or portable device, regardless of whether it’s turned on or off
• use a mobile phone or portable device at all (not even using voice controls)
• look at the screen of a device being used by another person in the vehicle
• have any ongoing activity on a mobile phone or portable device (not even if you set up audio or navigation before driving)
• have a portable device in your lap or resting on any part of your body or clothes, unless it is in a pocket or a holding pouch attached to your clothes (e.g. your belt).

If you want to operate a portable device in a motor vehicle, you must be parked. 

Rules for mounted devices and in-built vehicle systems

For mobile phones and tablets to be considered a ‘mounted device’ it must be secured to the vehicle using a holder that is commercially designed and manufactured for that purpose.

This diagram shows you where devices and accessories should be mounted.

You must not:  

• scroll or enter information on mounted or in-built devices
• use voice controls to operate mounted or in-built devices
• use the device for text messages, social media, emails or websites
• use the device for video calls.

If you’re a passenger, you must not use the device if it’s likely to distract the driver.

You can:

• Use a mounted device for navigation and playing audio (such as music or podcasts), as long as it’s set up before a journey starts.
• Briefly touch your vehicle’s in-built device to adjust navigation settings, climate controls and audio functions (such as the radio). 

For navigation, we recommend using GPS audio directions rather than looking at images on the screen.

You’re not allowed to touch a mounted device for any purpose during the drive - even when stationary (such as stopped at traffic lights). You must pull over and park to change what you're listening to or enter a different address.

Rules for wearable devices

Wearable devices include smartwatches, smart glasses and wearable head-up displays.

You must not:

• touch a wearable device (other than incidental contact caused by the driver wearing the device)
• use voice controls to operate the device
• look at the screen of a wearable device being used by another person in the vehicle.

However, you can do the following:

• Play or stream audio material on a wearable device, as long as it’s set up before you begin driving, or by pulling over and parking first.
• Have ongoing activity on the wearable device, but you’ll need to pull over and park before you can touch the device, or use voice controls to adjust the volume or change what audio is playing.

Rules for motorbike helmet devices

Motorbike helmet devices include communicators, heads-up displays, cameras, and in-built or secured mobile phones.  

Besides using the helmet device for images or information associated with the safety or operation of the bike, L and P platers or ‘E’ (restricted) motorcycle licence holders can only use the helmet device for navigation and playing audio material, if set up before riding.

However, you must not touch the device or use voice controls while riding.  

The functions need to be set up before you start riding and you must pull over and park to change the settings.