Young drivers face fast car ban

[TasR.X]

Mr Scully said he would accept comments on the 20-page paper from the public officially until February 28, 2005, but would implement some measures earlier if a "clear consensus" emerged.

You heard the man, tell him what you think. IN A MATURE MANNER.

(if your capable of doing so) There's not much point bitching on here.

[leb]

One bad apple screws it up for the rest of us.

Our Government has a very busy economy to run therefore they work off stereotypes of young drivers to save them having to solve things in a complex manner.

I am 18 years of age and have recently purchased a turbocharged nissan. I originally had been driving a hyundai lantra and had come so close to crashing (due to mechanical failure, not speeding or any other driving offence) My brakes would lock up (yes even braking VERY softly in wet weather). I thrashed it I'll admit but the thing is it was so slow it didn't make a difference and I never drove out of my limits, [i could avoid accidents if something was to suddenly occur] I wanted to get the hoon vibe out of me so when I purchased a nicer car like I have now, i would take better care of it and drive sensibly as I do now.

Now I am driving much safer due to now having ABS brakes and better suspension. Turbos only work when you put the foot down, it doesn't just suddenly kick in when driving normally. I don't thrash the car, its pointless.

Its the driver, I drive my new car safely because there is enough idiots on the road (most of them not being on P plates, but unrestricted licenses. ) I love my car I don't want to have problems

Isn't it interesting how

[Genesis®]

ironically... most drivers who wanted to race me on the highways/lights/ carparks are older than 26..

[Ryan D]

"If you dont want to accept that there is a risk you might die every time you step into a car, WALK to work"

Even thats not safe anymore! My friend recently got hit by a car who wasnt concentrating, swerved off the road onto a footpath and ran him over, my mate is alive but obviously there is going to be complications.. But the driver who hit him was a fully liscenced driver..

So do we ban walking too? And if we are all forced to sell our cars how are we gonna get to work in sydney when the trains are in the state they are at the moment?

I think the real solution here is..

*Improved roads, more crash barriers, less open exposed tree's telephone poles and other obstructions (the absolutely piss poor roads are a major factor i think)

*Improved driver training, Perhaps instead of banning these high performance cars, create a mandatory driver training course for "high powered" cars

*Drivers Ed, taught at SCHOOL, america has it, so why dont we?

*less focus on making young drivers "watch the speedo" every 5 seconds and actually concentrate on the road and traffic conditions.

and now for the sarcasm..

*bigger wider rims on every car! 24x10 is gonna hold the road a hell of a alot better

[Jae_s15]

I just put this on another forum...

Hi All,

Let me start my saying that I am 23 and drive a "high powered" car...

I have already drafted a letter to my local state MP regarding this issue as I truely feel that the idea of removing the choice of driving whichever sort of car that I choose from someone who is fully licenced to do so is an infringement of my personal liberties and discrimination against a minority segment of society (being us). We are all law abiding citizens who have fully conformed with the regulations in getting our licences and then in many cases our "high-powered" cars. I support some limitations on 'P' Platers who have not yet had the time to develop some of the necessary skills to be able to handle cars like ours, but enforcing such restrictions on people 25 and under is not just unfair, but discriminatory as they for all intensive purposes are targetted at a particular segment of society.

I know that my driving record and skill would surpass a decent majority of people on the road today, and that my car is kept to a far higher standard than a great many others that we see day-to-day (particularly for its age ie 1989), also I have a perfect driving record (I have never been booked because I don't believe in getting my kicks on the road, not by luck), only one very minor at fault accident, and I have done 23 advanced driving courses over the last 5 years and more laps of race tracks in more cars than I can remember. I am also, when not in or around my car, considered to be a fine upstanding and responsible citizen with no police record, two degrees including Law, and a good employment record. Yet, the government of our fine state does not believe that I should have the right to choose which car I am allowed to drive, or that I am responsible enough to handle something that for all intensive purposes will not be driven faster on the road than your average granny in a hatchback.

If they introduce a law that retrospectively enforces a requirement on me that I cannot drive the car that I have saved for, and spent a considerable amount of my earnings maintaining so that it is keep at a level that far surpasses current regulation, I will be calling for a class action, involving all people in a similar situation, for the government to fully refund every cent I, and others, have spent on said cars, and loss of earnings and depreciation for time spent, selling the car and purchasing a new one (which I need for work). The ultimate aim is the harrass the government enough for them to over turn the legislation should it eventuate.

All of that whinging aside, it seems to me that we need to help find workable solutions as we all know that the government is going to implement restrictions like this one way or the other. My thoughts is it may be that some form of graduated process could be developed in that though these restrictions are put in place, if a person chooses to do so they could attend an accredited advanced driving course(s) to get the restrictions down-graded or removed. Similar to the 'Automatic' restriction put in place if the 'P' test is not taken in a manual car, so to, a further test to move up to the next stage prior to the restriction period ending.

I urge you all to voice your opinions openly in arenas away from these, either discussing it with others, writing letters to your local representatives/newspapers etc. If we are seen as a group as being open to discussion and assisting in finding better, more workable solutions then there is a high likelihood that we will eventually be heard and listened too.

Regards,

Jae D.

[Mulkers]

The vics have been stuck with this s*** for decades.

But they can't enforce it... esp with modified cars and grey imports because they are pretty much clueless.

Anyways... 26 is ridiculous, 21 seems a pretty common standard

[wilch]

http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story.js...storyid=2302482

doesn't the article actually say,

P-plate motorists under 26 will be banned from driving high-powered and heavy vehicles

???

meaning... P plate driver's will be banned....... and not ALL people under 26.

[r33skylinegtst]

I just saw an article on the news about this and i think what fires me up more than anything else is the unfair emphasis placed upon hi-po cars that crash. I'm sure by now everyone knows about the blue 34 that crashed recently. Everytime i see a report on P platers and the new 'restrictions' they show a footage of this crash. With all due respect to the people and families involved in this accident, i do not think it should be used to fuel the current debate. There are a few reasons for this.

The first would be that the car was stolen. The young man involved was not allowed to drive it, therefor when he turned it on and took it for a drive he was stealing it. Furthermore from what i've heard (though it may not be true) he did not have a valid licence. It wasn't his car, he was already breaking the law. For these reasons i do not think it should be used when debating the current topic.

Anyway, let me say that i'm 18, on my P's and own a GTST Skyline. To be honest this was the car i learnt to drive in, as well as a Lancer Coupe. The key thing for me was that when i took my car out with my dad in the passanger seat he emphasised the point that the car was hi-performance and that if i drove dangerously, the results would not be pretty. I won't say i'm experienced, but i believe i am mature in my driving attitude. Everytime i have am temptation to speed or impress my mates i just remember what i was told, and that's usually enough to sway me.

The key? Driver education. Put people on their P's for longer. Don't limit my choice of vehicle just because of a minority. Not everyone is going to speed. Not everyone who owns a hi-po car is going to speed. It's as simple as that.

That said though, it could be the one time you do something stupid, you crash. Think about that as well.

[Cubes]

http://www.sundaytelegraph.news.com.au/sto...7-28778,00.html

lol.. Can any one tell me whats wrong with the picture selection for this article?

hahah

[Maxx]

that car might be an Evo

i think ban P plate and under 21 driving big HP car is a good idea, sure it will affect some good P plater, but then it's impossible to distingush who is good P plater, goverment need to protect the citizen, and place yr enjoyment at second

any car can speed, but at least decrease the chance, think about those young kid need to show off their FULLY sick car to mates and do over $100 in city...

[someonestolecc]

That article says

Under the proposal, limits would be introduced on the size and power of vehicles able to be driven by motorists under the age of 26 – a group over-represented in road crashes.

The NSW proposal is similar to a law introduced several years ago in Victoria, but there it applies only to probationary licence-holders.

Whereas youngdrivers.com.au says

Introduce a restriction that prohibits Provisional licence holders under 26 from driving high-powered and heavy vehicles. This could stipulate types of vehicles that novice drivers are banned from driving or be imposed on the basis of weight, power to weight or capacity to weight ratio limits...

I'm really hoping its the latter. I ain't getting done for buyin a car that if I sold now even if I got as much as I bought it for I'd still be paying off like $5k in interest for nothing.

[Sydneykid]

Some questions to ask your local member, State and Federal.........

We only have one car in the family and it's a standard V6 Commodore that has more than 125 kw per tonne? Do I have to sell it and buy a lower powered car so that my 25 year old son can drive it? How do I tow my boat?

My company only has Commodores and Falcons, that's all we are allowed to have. Last year it was Commodores and this year they changed to Falcons because Ford gave better prices. We have to keep the cars for 3 years or 100,000k's whichever comes first. Do I have to change jobs because the car I drive has more than 125 kw per tonne?

So by setting the limit at 125 kw per tonne the government is saying that Falcons and Comodores are unsafe in the hands of "inexperienced" drivers?

What do Ford and Holden think about that?

Remember we are not talking about HSV's here, or V8's or turbo chargers or XR's, this is the LOWEST powered new Commodore and Falcon you can buy. The repmobiles, the highest selling cars in Australia.

What do Ford and Holden think about that?

Then ask these questions of Ford and Holden, they have more clout than we do..............

[siksII]

one thing i dont get it why are falcons and commodores banned..

ie falcon xt is about 1694kg and has 182kw

125kw per tonne means 125 times 1.694 = 211

so the falcon could have upto 211kw before being on the banned list..

am i thinking completely on the wrong track or something? explain?

EDIT = sydneykid just deleted his post so my post is not relevant..

but i did read it in one of the news articles (falcons/commodores banned) but maybe they were reffering to hipo models.

[Cubes]

that car might be an Evo

lol... Not with its GL badge under the rear light.

[typevu]

sit back and watch the sh!tboxes become the next craze...

[Sydneykid]

Current WRX's are 168 / 1395 = 120 kw per tonne.

OH that's right, it's 125 kw per tonne plus some lower powered cars if we (the Govt) decide it.

[siksII]

do u think the ban will be on everyone or p platers from after when the law is passed?(if the stupid thing goes through)

because that would solve(slightly) the issue of current hipo young car owners having to sell their cars and lose lots of $$ because everyone is selling...

i cant find any info on that subject..

[Roy]

I had a motor bike cop the other morning tell me i shouldnt have crossed the road when i didnt have the green walk signal:(

It was 7.30am and it was a side street with not that many cars around...and there was an island/nature strip in the middle...just in case i couldnt make it accross a single lane side street:(

For christs sake, ppl have to learn to be responisble for their own actions. If this officer thought as a 27yr old i didnt have the intelligence to cross a quiet road...then its no wonder that there is the feeling being cultivated that they must protect me from myslef because im male and i drive what some woudl call a performance car.

The idea of speed limiting cars is disgraceful...i sure as hell wouldnt be paying $100-200 to go the the track or the drags if my car was limited to 120km/h:rant:

I have a question which i have never heard beign asked of me, or any other young driver i know. Forget speeding for a second, how about why do you drive like a lunatic...what would it take to stop you from driving in that fashion?

LOL...i had a friend that was taken off tap by his Mrs because she didnt liek how he drove...it took a whole week and the guy started driving like a saint:)

[someonestolecc]

lol... Not with its GL badge under the rear light.

Altezza lights on lancer = 150kw

[Sydneykid]

sit back and watch the sh!tboxes become the next craze...

Nope badge engineering is the go;

RX badge on WRX (go FMIC and fit RX bonnet)

V6 badge on V8 (Single exhaust)

GTS badge on GTST (they wouldn't know anyway)

GLi badge on EVO (there are enough fake Evo's body kits out there to hide amongst)

CXi badge on Type R (rocker cover change)

Or interstate rego, that really stuffs them up. A PO box in Queensland is cheap.