Collecting measures of Indigenous status in driver licencing data

Driver licencing is an important part of life for many Australian, especially those who live in outer urban areas or regional and remote parts of the country where public transport is not accessible. With increasingly difficult graduated licensing systems for new drivers, aimed at keeping young drivers safe, there can be substantial barriers to licensing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. However, little is understood about the population rates of driver licencing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait people, or the barriers to licencing. This lack of data inhibits development of appropriate programs. If developed in consultation with communities and with appropriate safeguards in place, including reliable measures of Indigenous status into licensing databases would contribute significantly to creation of a reliable data source to inform program development and guide evaluation.