What Parents Should Know About Driving Lessons in Frankston

Your teenager just got their learner's permit. Congratulations, and welcome to the next 12 months of logbook tracking, night driving sessions, and parking practice runs.

If you're in the Frankston area, there are some specifics worth knowing before you decide how to structure your child's learning. Victorian rules are stricter than most people expect, and how you approach the learner year makes a real difference to both confidence and test outcomes.

The 120-Hour Rule

Victoria requires learner drivers under 21 to complete at least 120 hours of supervised driving before they can sit the practical driving test. This includes at least 20 hours of night driving, and every single hour must be logged, either in the myLearners app or the official VicRoads paper logbook.

That's one of the highest requirements in Australia. The TAC backs the reasoning behind it: new solo drivers with at least 120 hours of driving experience have a crash risk 35% lower than new solo drivers with only around 50 hours of experience.

So the hours aren't busywork. They're there for a reason.

Here's how the timeline breaks down for most families:

• Minimum permit period: 12 months on Ls before applying for Ps (if under 21)
• Minimum driving requirement: 120 hours, with 20 at night
• Logbook tool: myLearners app (free, from VicRoads) or paper logbook
• Who can supervise: Any fully licensed driver (not on probationary licence)

If your family doesn't have easy access to a supervising driver or a car, the TAC L2P Program can help. The TAC L2P program is free for eligible young people aged 16 to 21.

What Professional Lessons Add

There's no legal requirement in Victoria for professional driving lessons. But most families who skip them end up with a learner driver who knows the streets near home and not much else.

What professional lessons are useful for:

• Test-route familiarity specific to the Frankston VicRoads centre
• Dual-control vehicles (the instructor can intervene safely if needed)
• Structured skill progression, rather than only driving familiar routes
• Preparation for situations that don't come up in typical family driving

In Australia, driving lessons range from $45 to $95 per hour, with the optimal balance between value and quality typically found between $60 and $75 per hour. Purchasing a package of lessons can save 5% to 10% based on the number of lessons bought.

In Melbourne specifically, the average cost of driving lessons is around $65 per hour, ranging from $55 to $120 per hour depending on the school, the instructor's experience, and whether you choose manual or automatic transmission.

Understanding the Frankston VicRoads Test Centre

The VicRoads licence testing centre that services Frankston learners is located in Seaford, just next to Frankston, not in Frankston Central.  It's worth knowing that ahead of time so there's no confusion on test day.

What the Frankston Test Routes Involve

The test runs in two stages:

• Stage 1: Residential streets with left and right turns, reverse parallel parking or a three-point turn
• Stage 2: Multi-lane roads requiring lane changes, merging, and gap selection

The Frankston VicRoads Licence Testing Centre combines coastal roads, city-style intersections, pedestrian-heavy areas, and freeway-linked traffic. Routes cover roads in Seaford and Routes cover Seaford and parts of Frankston, with speed zones ranging from 50 km/h to 80 km/h and multiple school zones. 

Common areas assessed during Frankston tests include:

• Multi-lane roundabout handling
• Safe gap selection when merging onto arterial roads
• Correct signalling in Victoria (indicate your direction entering a roundabout, indicate left when exiting)
• Lane discipline and safe merging onto Nepean Highway 

The Hazard Perception Test

Before your child can sit the practical driving test, they must pass the Hazard Perception Test (HPT). This is a computer-based test that runs through 25 video scenarios of real driving situations. The learner clicks when they would take safe action to avoid a developing hazard.

Key things to know:

• The learner must hold a current Victorian learner permit and be at least 17 years and 11 months old to take the test.
• The first online attempt is free. Additional attempts incur a fee.
• If the learner does not complete the practical drive test within 12 months of passing the HPT, they will need to sit the HPT again.
• Free practice tests are available through the Transport Victoria website.

Encourage your teenager to start HPT practice several weeks before they intend to book the drive test. 

What Your Role as the Supervising Parent Involves

As a supervising driver, you need a full, non-probationary Victorian licence.

A few practical things that help:

• Vary the driving conditions deliberately. The 120 hours should include highway driving, wet weather, nighttime, and busy peak-hour roads, not just the same quiet streets near home.
• Keep sessions under two hours. VicRoads recommends no more than two hours of practice at a time.
• Don't narrate the entire drive. It's worth pointing out hazards ahead, but constant instruction can prevent your teenager from developing their own observation habits.
• Use the myLearners app from day one to avoid scrambling to log hours at the end.

Logbook Planning: How to Hit 120 Hours Without Stress

If your child gets their permit at 16, they'll need to wait until they turn 18 to sit the test, even though the minimum 12-month permit period and 120 hours could be done sooner. That's still very achievable if you treat every day trips as practice opportunities from day one. 

The mix matters more than people realise. A learner who has done 100 hours on the same three roads around their suburb is less prepared than one who has done 80 hours across a wider range of conditions.

Booking the Drive Test in Frankston

Once the 120 hours are logged, the HPT is passed, and your child has held their permit for at least 12 months, they can book the practical drive test through the VicRoads website.

The VicRoads drive test currently costs $51.80 plus a $21.50 appointment fee, totalling $73.30. If the test is failed and re-booked, the appointment fee is waived, but the test fee is charged again.

The best preparation make sure your child has driven the actual Seaford test area before their test day. Whether that's through professional driving lessons in Frankston or deliberate practice drives through Seaford, familiarity with those streets matters more than any last-minute tips.