All mobile phone use will be banned and licence wait periods will be extended by six months for every speeding and unsafe driving suspension, under new restrictions for P-plate drivers introduced by the New South Wales government.

The measures will see mobile use banned even in hands-free or speaker mode for both green and red P-platers.

They were announced by state roads minister Duncan Gay in a bid to combat the “heartbreaking” rise in the deaths of young drivers, The S ydney Morning Herald reports .

Twenty-one young people have died this year in crashes involving P-plate drivers.

"That is more than a rugby team that won't come home because of accidents which could have been avoided," Mr Gay said.

Twice the amount of P-plate drivers die on Australian roads each year, compared to open licence drivers, and P-platers comprise 10 percent of the driving population.

Visiting US expert Dr Bruce Simons-Morton has voiced his support for the new measures.

"Teens are at particular risk because they haven't developed a second sense about what's dangerous, so they focus on secondary tasks on their phone,” he told the newspaper.

“The single biggest risk is not having your eyes on the roadway. Looking away for two seconds or longer doubles the risk of a crash.”

Under the new regulations, learner drivers will also be required to pass the Hazard Perception Test (HPT) in order to progress to a P1 licence. The HPT was previously a requirement for P1 drivers to progress to a P2 licence.

P2 drivers will also no longer be required to undergo a Driver Qualification Test in order to progress to an unrestricted licence, but will instead need to show a good driving record.