P Platers and High Performance cars.....

[Baldric]

Abstract Taken from http://todaytonight.com.au
for the full storey go to website above


Police predictions were dire when we exposed the antics of illegal drag racers several weeks ago.

"Sooner or later, someone is going to die," police warned at the time.

Now there have been two deaths. Police say a Nissan Skyline and a silver Honda may have been drag racing last night when the Skyline lost control, hitting a power pole and killing two of its five teenage occupants.

Innocent people have also died. Michael and Tamar Herman are mourning the loss of their eldest daughter Inbar, killed seven months ago on her 19th birthday by a drunk speeding driver.

The driver was found to be unlicensed with 19 prior driving convictions and had a blood alcohol level of more than twice the legal limit. The Subaru WRX hit Inbar at 120km/h and the driver was jailed for seven years.

Inbar’s friend Brett Smallcombe was with her the night she died.


“You don’t get over it," Mr Smallcombe said. "You deal with it and move on, but you never get over it."

In many states, P-platers are allowed to own powerful cars. The law says they can’t drive them, but they can own them.

“The problem is they’re not allowed to drive those cars, but no one enforces the law," Mr Smallcombe said.

[Garth]

while i belive that p plater's should have full use of the roads without curfues, i do beleive how ever that they should be restricted in what they can drive, i.e a p plater should be limited to a 6 cycle car, not worked in any way, just factory, most v6 commies now day's hammer, so there is no reason for a p plater to be running around in their hotted up cars.

anyone who say's that p plater's should be alowed to drive what ever they like i sugest they sit back and take a look at why they are saying that, and look at the statisic's. no offence guy's, but i have lost someone close to me who was a p plater and he was driving a v8 that was worked of it's nuts. so im all for restrictions

[The1985divo]

I rthink they can have em but not be able ot drive em.....but still cops would have to enforce

[Baldric]

maybe we should add spell checkers for garth and yourself.....

[Astranomical]

I'm not sure whether P-platers should have high performance cars or not. To be honest, most P Platers should have find that a V6 Commy does the trick just fine. However, about a couple of years down the track as a P plater they really should get experience with driving a high performance car, as chances are, they may have to some time later on, and they will NEED that experience.

[AussieHolden]

I have always said that P plates need to be restricted on what they can drive like just only 4's with no mods.

[commodore_vy]

This topic requres some definition of a high performance car,
High Performance
A car that has a lot of power that was not designed to have alot of power
e.g. holden astra puting out 200kw
but not an SS puting out 240kw, this car was designed for it.

But now i think of it maybe its not such a bad idea to have govenors, so the engine can rev any hader than a stock six............

I tow a boat on my P plates it weighs 1 tonne, my dad incists i drive the ss when towing it because i can get outta problems easily with the extra grunt of the V8. so i dont know its kinda a catch 22, you are damed if you do and you are damed if you dont.....

[Bax]

Not allowed High Performance Cars:

Any Youngen that wants/ thinks they can buy a worked 6 - supercharged - turbocharged 6 or 8.. Or even a quick 4 is simply stupid, especially RWD cars are absolute tools. I'm only been confident with the power I've had from a Straight 6 now.

I do see that theres reason for power in some cases, I.e. if your overtaking someone and you realise you need a bit more of a push to make it. But on the same note maybe you shouldn't have gone to begin with.

As for the wrx driver, 19 previous offences, how was he even allowed to drive, obviously has a brain the size of a pea. Twice the legal limit in a wrx going 120, I'm sure alcohol was more of a reason then anything.

And High performance cars- Anything that arks up on command. Anything thats not stock until you get to 8's and turbo/ supercharged versions. I think an SS is far too much for a P plater.

[Snowfox]

I chose no, P platers should not be allowed hi po cars. Looking back to my P plate days I shudder at what I would have done with a wound up car, I'm glad I started with a 4 cylinder or I might not be here either. When I drive past a P plater in an XR8 or HSV its always the same thought "Gee, I wonder how long that car/driver will last". You can die in any car obviously, a young guy hit a tree here a few years back in a fairly stock VN, but if you have the power and acceleration its all the more tempting to use it. Starting at the shallow end of the pool is better I think.

[2_SeeK_U]

This is coming from a p plater.
Personally, owning a mildly worked vs v6, l believe that l don't require any more power. Yes l wouldn't mind if l did, but when would that "extra" power be utilized? I would have to say only in an illegal manner (beating those xr6 turbs from lights?) as the power l have at the moment allows me to overtake and the likes no problems. I have mates with vl's with 5.7 littre's and v8 vr's but due to certain expierences, they drive to or under the speed limit. This is because we've had mates been injured and killed in car accidents which wouldn't have happend if they weren't racing/speeding. I believe that p platers should have limiters installed on they're cars, reducing the chance of races/speeding. Once the driver reachs his black licence, he/she is able to drive a car that hasn't had a limitor installed.

I agree with snowfox, with that "extra" power, it IS more tempting just to plant the foot when, lets just say, a honda or any four cycl accelerates up onto you.

In all honesty though, l think its just part of the male nature to race/speed and due to this, l don't think the problem will ever be solved, there will always be a way around a "solution".

[Gobbles]

Definently should be limiters installed on high performance cars with P Plate drivers or even drivers who have an extensive traffic history. Yet that said there is not really anyway that a police officer when pulling over a 18 year old. jap boy in his gtr skyline can check to see if it complys with the rules which is why they would have the rule no p platers driving cars that are over certain kw/tonne or however it is down south. I am totally against a kerfew and/or passenger limits what a stupid idea. Now think about it.......imagine how many more police officers would have to be put on of a night time to dictate this.

[Baldric]

Congratulations on everyone for theire humble opinons, i shall be sending this poll to today tonights as there are quite a few good ideas floating around, but keep them comming, hard and fast

and BLOODY HELL gobbles drunk again ......

[Wombat]

Nope...when my son gets his licence soon, he will be driving the hugely powerful and impressive 1973 Corolla coupe...all 1200cc and four speed gearbox and 50 hp of it...

Looking back, I can't believe the stupid things I did when I was 17 and stepped out of a Mazda Capella into an almost-300hp 265 hemi Charger....what the hell was I thinking! That thing had far more stomp off the line than any V8 I've ever been in...and that covers everything from a 440 Dodge Pheonix to an XY-GT to a new Monaro with some work done to it.

So I say no...same restrictions that motorcyclists have to put up with for two years...no bigger than a certain capacity and no high powered stuff.

[xstatic]

i must admit i am only on my learners and i do not believe that p platers should drive heavy suped up cars, i.e superchargered or turbo. just stick to the simple mods like exhaust extractors the kinda thing. i've only got a vk straight 6 and it goes enough for me.

cheers

scott

[DavidPartay]

I personally think that P platers should be restricted to driving a car of the same or lesser power/weight than the car they learned in, and nothing greater than say... a stock VZ SV6 in regards to the power/weight ratio.

I've always said people need to learn to drive in a reasonably powerful car so they don't jump from a low powered rice bubble into a big engined sports car, stick their foot down and find themselves planted into the house across they street because they weren't expecting to vacate the driveway that fast!

[Troy711]

maybe we should add spell checkers for garth and yourself.....

and grammer checkers
"Abstract Taken from http://todaytonight.com.au "

shouldnt it be 'extract'? :P

ok, now for some serious thoughts.. i voted for the last option. that being said i did so because no matter what you do, young people are going flog cars. it doesnt matter if they own a rusted, clapped out 120Y or a worked VL turbo, they are going to try and drive it as fast as they can. its just what they do. the only option is to allow somewhere for them to do it in a controlled manner (i.e. dragstrips). but until there is such a time where drag strips are able to be used every friday night, then they are still going to be racing on the streets

[Troy711]

another thing...

you can drive a car with 1000hp as safe as you can drive a car with 100hp. it comes down to the person.

limiters in cars? no way. whats to stop them from flooring it in the wet around a corner? nothing. a limiter wont stop power down low. and if p plate cars have limiters in them, whats to stop them from killing themslves in their mates car?

[fourstar82]

Here in Victoria, the land of revenue raising, there is a 125kw/tonne power/weight ratio restriction on P platers. This is all well and good (I agree btw), it does not stop the young p plater from modding their car to get more power out of after they acquire the car. too much power + not enough driving experience + showing off to your mates=disaster

[Julie]

I think its all a big storm in a teacup, they are over reacting, sure p-platers are in volved in more accidents yada yada yada, but I wonder if they have taken into account the fact that p platers spend more time on the road. For eg. you have your average old fart- drives once a week to do grocery shopping and go to teh dr and thats about it. Take a p-plater, they drive to school or work/ uni, drive for pleasure and drive or socialisation they spend heaps more time on the road. So perhaps its not inexperience and all the other bullshit that causes these accidents rather, just a case of they are on the road more often so theres more likelihood it will happen to them.

As for limits on perfromance cars etc, what a load of rubbish most cars on the road are well capable of exceeding 110kms per hr, which is the highest legal speed in Australia (excepting NT), so potentially every car is going to speed wheter its high perfromance or not. I am not a young hoon p plater, I am currently on my L's, I am 26 years old, Ive only just decided I need my licence as my daughter starts school next year. My partner owns a modified V8 VT calais which no doubt would not be allowed under this bullshit. Where does that put me, a P plater (in a month or 2), with only car I have access to being a V8. Why should i be forced to buy another less powerful car or trade the V8 in, not exactly fair.

It's only a minority of ########s ruining it for the rest of us. Ban low performance drivers, NOT high performance cars. Its a bit sad that at 18 years old you can vote, die for their country at war but mindless bureaucrats trying to please their targeted constituents don't think they have the right to drive a V8. Why dont they give this crap a rest and go and pick on the 4wd mums I see everywhere who cant drive let alone park or reverse for crap- they are a real menace on the roads.

Rant off....

[Troy711]

why dont they spend more money on setting up RBTs around the corner from suburbs that have alot of construction on them and catch the piss head builders that have a case for lunch and go home? perhaps my job might be easier as they will build straight houses cos they are no longer drinking on the job... hehe

"Ban low performance drivers, NOT high performance cars" <---- thats a quote to be proud of!

[DavidPartay]

Julie, I agree!

and women in people movers also need to look where they're going too

I PLAINLY had my blinker on, and it's a good thing I predicted she wasn't looking cos if I Hadn't hit the brakes (and my horn) prematurely, she and her kids would probably have only just gotten out of hospital *sigh*

I do agree though, get the low performance drivers either off the road or get them good training.

My friend the other day told me I should take an advanced driving course, reckons I'd do really well... I want to do one just so I can learn more about driving. I do a LOT of driving (probably 40,000 a year or more) and have never had an accident... except ONCE... doing 25km/h up a busy street and someone parked on the side of the road turned into me because they weren't looking.

[Bec]

I voted no...but I'm in between that and the don't really care one.
I started paddock bashing when I was 8 and continued till I got my licence at 16. The experience of losing control in most situations and nearly rolling it and falling out so many times opened my eyes at an early age, and I am grateful for it. I started with a VC when I got my P's, and I know I'm a girl, but I had the common sense not to do anything stupid (except on my private gravel road). My brother had the car before me and crashed into a tree 2 weeks after mum paid 2k fixing it up. Wouldn't have made a difference if it was a 120y - he was going 30km/h and all cars are weapons. He is a shit driver, drove about 15,000 kms before getting his opens 3 years later. He rides a pushie now *phew*
I drove 180,000 kms when I was a P plater, and learnt alot about driving, the road, and other drivers' stupidity.

I have had friends killed by DUI and speed and racing. I have seen a WRX go sideways into a pole at 120. That ######## killed himself and his girlfriend, and left sickening memories for me. I know I shouldn't say it, but shit, if all P platers saw a scene like that they would have to be dumb not to keep it in the back of their minds when driving.
4, 6, or 8 cylinder, ALL cars go sideways. Most crashes are not due to high speed, it is going too fast for the conditions and locations that is the problem. A 120y can go around a wet corner at 60km/h just like a V8 commie can (probably be safer in the commodore though).
P platers are adults with brains. They shouldn't need laws like these to keep them alive.

*bell rings* oh...time's up

[Bax]

P platers are adults with brains. They shouldn't need laws like these to keep them alive.

Shouldn't But do.

Some good points coming out, especially about P platers driving more often then most other people. However, you don't see Mums in their 4wd's or old grannies in their Corolla's out doing laps until the wee hours of the morning, drag racing the occasional car here and there. Showing off for their mates etc.

We're 18 and we can do all those things, but the majority of us cannot drive a car sensibly. And I'd be more inclined to say its a matter of sensibility over not knowing what to do. Fair enough if you've done defensive driving courses to figure out how to correct oversteer, braking in the wet etc - Fair enough, but alot of the time if you were driving right for the conditions then you wouldn't need to know how to do that anyway, its just an extra safety barrier.

Personally I think the main things drivers should know is to be Alert of what the Traffic is doing- which means staying behind the car in front of you by a fair amount of time, I think its 3 seconds. That lets you see if theres cars braking, someone cutting in, someones crossing the road etc.

Drive for the conditions, if its wet, slow down, your not Peter Brock, your car is not a race car, you have to go slower and smoother.

I think being wary is the main one, if people are sensible enough not to speed and go crazy, they will be able to avoid 99% of daily hassles, its saved me many a time.

[2_SeeK_U]

p platers spend more time on the road

l would agree on that, but l think they factor in the severity of the crashes p platers are involved in, l mean have you ever heard about an elderly man wrapping his car around a tree because he was doing 150 km/h??

After reading what vsute posted, l see limitors wouldn't really solve the problem. But l like the idea of a local drag strip with cheap entry, it would get the racers of our roads.

if you've done defensive driving courses

l heard they are bringing in a training stage/driving course for L platers in NSW... thank god l'm on my p's...

[AirStrike]

I really am in quite a pickle with something like this. But a few things to remember:
*It's the age old thing that if you denie them something they are just gonna sneak around doing it, so we will see Hi-Po cars simplly going unregistered.[list]
*Say you limit them to 4 cyl's only then the second they are off there P's they go and get a HI-Po and wrap it around a pole
*Some of you have suggested un modded cars only, how do you inforce this??
*The main thing is that since all the idiots on Today Tonight are young they assume all young people are idiots
*I am putting this back to the Government, would it hurt them to provide a defencive driving/advance driving course for everyone who recieves there P's, and how bout a free night at the local track (ie:calder) to keep it off the roads??
Just some thoughts
Cheers