'R Plates' introduced on Australian roads

A new type of car plate has been introduced on Australian roads to help encourage extra consideration for drivers recovering from trauma.

Australian service and repair company mycar Tyre & Auto, formerly Kmart Tyre & Auto, has launched "R Plates", also known as "Return Plates", to identify drivers returning to the road.

The idea is the plates will encourage empathy from other road users, so the returning drivers feel less pressure as they adapt to being back behind the wheel.

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The plates have been introduced after a survey of 1000 Aussie drivers in August found 73 per cent had been affected by a road incident.

One in five of the drivers said they continued to feel vulnerable since returning to the driver's seat following a hiatus off the road.

Two-thirds of drivers also said they felt safer on the road having a visible P plate or L plate on their car when learning to drive, according to the survey done by Pureprofile.

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The psychological impact of accidents on the road is often overlooked, according to Dr Jason Thompson, an Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne and an expert in transportation and post-injury rehabilitation.

"People talk about the physical injuries associated with car accidents, but we often overlook the psychological impact associated with the experience," he said.

"The journey through to recovery, and a return to confidence, is unique to each individual and often takes time."

Thompson said he supported the use of R Plates.

"Returning to the road can be a scary and a nerve-wracking experience, so even just having those feelings recognised could help people in their recovery," he said.

The plates also include a QR code which links to support services.

The mycar Tyro & Auto initiative is not yet backed by a government regulator, with the company asking drivers to petition for this to happen.