By But here’s the thing: if you only have a provisional (P-plate) licence, that’s not an option. And when the car happens to be painted in Sao Paulo Yellow, it makes it a lot easier for police to spot you.
According to the NSW Police Force Traffic and Highway Patrol Command, a 17-year-old school student was caught driving his father’s M3 Competition. When officers turned around to follow him, he quickly made a left turn into a dead-end street. He parked the car in front of a driveway and tried to run — but police caught him shortly after.
You can read more detailed car news and insights at car.news.
Police said the young driver claimed he didn’t realise his father’s BMW was classified as a high-performance vehicle prohibited for P-platers. However, under NSW law, both P1 and P2 provisional licence holders are banned from driving vehicles with a power-to-weight ratio greater than 130kW per tonne.
The law also applies to vehicles with modified engines requiring engineering approval, or those deemed “high risk” for novice drivers. Exemptions are granted only in “exceptional circumstances” or for genuine work purposes.
If a P1 or P2 licence holder in NSW is caught driving a prohibited vehicle, they face a $704 fine and seven demerit points — which is exactly what this driver received. On top of that, failing to display P-plates resulted in a further $330 fine and two demerit points.
P1 drivers have a maximum limit of four demerit points, while P2 drivers are allowed seven. Exceeding these limits results in licence suspension for three months.
So, borrowing dad’s high-performance vehicle without proper exemption can hit more than just your bank account — it can cost you your licence, too. For more stories like this from the automotive world, head over to car.news.
The post Teen learns BMW M3 Competition isn’t P-plate eligible – the hard way first appeared on Mediamark Digital.
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