Learner and probationary drivers would lose their licences for a year if caught texting or using their mobile phones as part of tough new road safety measures proposed by Australia's peak medical body.
The Australian Medical Association made the call as it released its first ever position paper on road safety following a horror few weeks on the nation's roads, with 66 deaths during the holiday period so far.
The AMA wants stricter enforcement of laws covering the use of mobile phones and electronic devices in cars, with a "zero tolerance" approach towards L-plate and P-plate drivers.
Association president Dr Michael Gannon said mobile phones and electronic devices were distractions for drivers and a major cause of accidents, trauma, and death.
He said while licence suspensions may seem "harsh", driving was a responsibility not a right.
"We want a change in the mindset of all drivers that it's a privilege and not a right to get behind the wheel," Mr Gannon told reporters on Thursday.
"We don't wish to discriminate against young drivers but they are a vulnerable group, they don't have the experience of others."
Federal Transport Minister Barnaby Joyce flagged he's willing to discuss the issue with his state and territory colleagues but is reluctant to back the AMA's proposed crackdown on younger drivers.
"I'm not going to start saying that we should be banning people or banning provisional drivers for a year," he told ABC radio.
"I think there is already a penalty process in place and I'm only too happy to speak to my other COAG ministers about what they believe is a good national approach to this."
Mr Joyce also said there was merit in cabinet and the government's expenditure review committee discussing the removal of tariffs on imported cars to see if the move would make new models featuring the latest safety devices cheaper to buy.
The AMA's paper said safety technologies including those designed to reduce rear-end accidents could play a key role in reducing road trauma and should be incorporated into all new cars.
It also called for new laws targeting driver fatigue, one of the top three contributors to Australia's road toll, and national standards on educating young people about road rules and assessing whether older people should still be driving.
Spokesman for road safety lobby group the NRMA, Peter Khoury, welcomed the AMA's paper and said new devices currently being tested by police would make it easier for them to catch drivers using mobile phones illegally.
He said while NSW already had tough penalties in place for illegal mobile phone use by drivers, any changes to existing laws should be based on analysis of the impact they have in terms of injuries and fatalities.
"It's absolutely vital we are having these conversations today because the road toll has been horrific," Mr Khoury said.
"But we need changes to the system to be evidence-based and based on research."
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