Portable, mounted and wearable devices

Find out when and how you can use technology on the road.

In this section, we’ll address the most common road safety questions we receive on using technology on the road. The overarching principle is don’t touch your unmounted or wearable device while you’re driving or riding. A summary of the rules can be found on the VicRoads website.

Rules for L and P platers are different to those for fully licensed drivers. Select the type of licence you hold to view the rules that apply to you.

Rules for portable devices such as unmounted or loose mobile phones, tablets, laptops, media players and game consoles

Fully licenced drivers can connect their unmounted portable device to Bluetooth and place it out of sight and reach, provided it is set up before a journey commences.

Fully licenced drivers can also use a portable phone or their device to pay at a drive-through.

When driving, fully licenced drivers are not permitted to:

  • Touch an unmounted portable device in any way and regardless of whether the device is on or off, even when stationary but not parked*.
  • Allow a portable device to be in their lap or resting on any part of their body or clothes (unless it is in a pocket or a holding pouch attached to their clothes e.g. to their belt).
  • Look at the display of a portable device being operated by another person.
  • Use an unmounted device for reading or entering text, scrolling, or viewing images, social media, websites, or videos. 

Rules for mounted devices (mobile phones & tablets) and inbuilt navigation/entertainment systems 

(Note: For mobile phones and tablets, the mounting must be commercially designed and manufactured for that purpose, and the device must be secured in the mounting.)

As a general rule, fully licenced drivers are not permitted to use mounted and inbuilt devices for reading or entering text, scrolling or viewing images, social media, websites, or video.

As a fully licenced driver, you can:

  • Use mounted devices for navigation, audio calls, and playing audio (such as music or podcasts). 
  • Briefly touch your inbuilt device to adjust navigation settings, climate controls and audio functions (such as adjusting the volume or selecting a song).

Rules for wearable devices such as smart watches, smart glasses, motorbike helmets, and wearable heads‐up displays

When driving, fully licenced drivers must not:

  • Touch the device (other than by incidental contact caused by wearing the device). 
  • Look at the display of a wearable device being operated by another person in the motor vehicle. 
  • Use a wearable device for navigation (except when wearing a motorbike helmet device), reading or entering text, scrolling, or viewing images, social media, websites, or video.

As a fully licenced driver, you can:

  • Use wearable devices for audio calls and playing audio (such as radio, music, or podcasts). 

If you drive for work and need to interact with a device to do certain tasks, some professional driving tasks are permitted. See the VicRoads website for further details.

See FAQs for fully licenced drivers.

* For a vehicle to be parked the vehicle must be positioned in a legal parking location and in neutral/gear (manual transmission) or park gear (automatic transmissions) with the handbrake on.

Rules for portable devices such as unmounted or loose mobile phones, tablets, laptops, media players and game consoles

If an L- or P-plate driver wants to operate a portable device in a motor vehicle for any function, they must be parked^.

When driving, L and P plate drivers are not permitted to:

  • Touch or operate a non‐mounted portable device in any way when driving; not even by using voice controls and regardless of whether the device is on or off, even when stationary but not parked^.
  • Allow a portable device to be in their lap or resting on any part of their body or clothes (unless it is in a pocket or a holding pouch attached to their clothes e.g. to their belt).
  • Look at the display of a portable device being operated by another person. 
  • Have any ongoing activity on a portable device while driving (such as audio or navigation setup prior to driving).

Rules for mounted devices (mobile phones & tablets) & inbuilt navigation/entertainment systems

(Note: For mobile phones and tablets, the mounting must be commercially designed and manufactured for that purpose, and the device must be secured in the mounting)

As a general rule, L and P plate drivers are not permitted to use mounted and inbuilt devices for video or audio calls, reading or entering text, scrolling or viewing images, social media, websites, or video.

As an L or P plater you can:

  • Use mounted devices for navigation and playing audio (such as radio, music, or podcasts) providing it is set up before a journey commences. You must pull over and be parked^ to change a song, adjust the volume, or enter a different address. You are not permitted to touch a mounted device for any purpose during a drive.
  • Briefly touch your inbuilt device to adjust navigation settings, climate controls and audio functions (such as adjusting the volume).

Rules for wearable devices such as smart watches, smart glasses and wearable heads‐up displays

When driving, L- and P-plate drivers must not:

  • Touch the device (other than by incidental contact caused by wearing the device).
  • Operate the device using voice controls.
  • Look at the display of a wearable device being operated by another person in the motor vehicle.

They can:

  • Play or stream audio material on a wearable device, provided it is set up before they begin driving or by pulling over and parking first. They must be parked^ before they can touch the device or use voice controls to adjust the volume or change what audio is playing. 

See FAQs for L- and P-plate drivers.

^ For a vehicle to be parked the vehicle must be positioned in a legal parking location and in neutral/gear (manual transmission) or park gear (automatic transmissions) with the handbrake on.

Note: The summaries RACV provide on Victorian road rules are effective as at 31 March 2023. Please check the VicRoads website for any recent updates or changes to road laws which may have occurred since this date.