Young speeding driver hears he is 'lucky' he did not kill someone

"Police don't want to be knocking at your parents' door at 3am saying, 'I'm really sorry but your son's dead'," Magistrate Allison Vaughan told man.

"Or to your girlfriend's house to say, 'sorry, but Mr Henderson has killed your daughter', or you've survived the crash but your girlfriend is sitting dead in the front seat."

Riley Henderson, 19, pleaded guilty in the Bendigo Magistrates' Court to driving at a dangerous speed - specifically driving at an alleged speed of 174km/h in a 100km/h zone - on Bridgewater-Maldon Road on October 20, 2023.

Ms Vaughan told the P-plater, who had only had his licence for six months, that his driving had been "horrifying", and said she gave the same warning to many young drivers.

"Life can change like that, a kangaroo pops out, comes out from nowhere and you end up dead in a paddock," Ms Vaughan said.

"You're lucky that you are sitting here not in the County Court, not dealing with the grief of killing someone."

Henderson told the court his car was impounded for a month at a cost of $1300.

The court was told it was Henderson's first time before the court and he was very remorseful for his actions.

While Ms Vaughan heard the young man had avoided alcohol and drugs - which she acknowledged were some of the "biggest killers on the road" - she said a third common factor was speed.

Henderson has been placed on a good behaviour bond, has had his licence disqualified for 12 months and must pay $1500 to the court fund which funds programs such as the L2P driving program for leader drivers without someone to supervise their hours, or school breakfast programs.

He must also attend a safe driving course - which Ms Vaughan said would be an expensive lesson on some "very hard facts about what could have happened on that day".