Victorian agency VicRoads is trialing a new program called unsafe2safe aimed at getting young drivers out of older, unsafe vehicles into newer, safer vehicles.
The program was started in 2021 for participants located in Bendigo, Ballarat and surrounds. Following on, in 2022 it was further expanded across regional Victoria. This slipped under our radar, and we thought it was worth sharing.
At the moment, the latest phase of submissions has closed, and participants are being selected. However, you can still complete the submission survey to be included in any potential further rounds/expansion of the program.
Criteria and how the program works is included below, but we recommend you see the full program details that can be found here: Engage Victoria website
You can also use the ‘How safe is your car’ tool to better understand your current vehicle safety here.
Eligibility criteria
Trial participants need to:
- be between 18 and 25 years old
- reside in regional Victoria
- hold a Victorian driver licence
- 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
