my boss had perfect suggestion, every 5 years we have a driving text (theory and oral), the test gives you a score which is tied to your insurance rating. You have offenses your number gets altered, therefore good drivers get rewarded with lower rates on rego and have a better number, everyone who sucks has higher rego and can lose their license for being a bad driver. Wishful thinking but my god if only it could get implimented. And yeah I wish we had O plates as well, I fail to see how my father can keep his license after driving over a medium strip, having cops not take his license for him dui'ing, him being a reckless driver with a bad attitude. Our local politician dictating P plate laws when he has a horrific driving record. My sister who preaches to me about being a safe driver and has had 4 crashes, seems to think going over the speed limit by 5km is ok and illegally parks all the time. Myself and a collegue at work have each got hit with the new SA penalties for p platers where we've now been on our P plates for 3 years so far and each of us have 2 years left on them. I havnt occured an offense on them in 2.5 years and cant incur one on them for another 2 years or else i lose my licnese. All the elderly voters in SA seemed to be in favour of this yet my father who fits the demographic and if he was in the same situation as me he would have lost his license 12 times over hte last year. i'd love to see those in his demographics under the same conditions as us. but then again i'd like to see anyone else who has a bad driving record placed in the situation regaurdless of age, ethnicity etc.
It should happen. im sick of these old people thinking because they have been on the road for longer there always in the right even when they change lanes infront of you without looking your still the idiot hoon because you have 'P' plates on your car, and again with minux as if a person taking over 5 medications should be driving a car... but drink driving is illegal?
Well Kevin Dudd is on the right track for doing so. Taxes on cigarettes and mining have gone through the roof, what next? Yet the younger people scream they want more rights and a younger voting age yet a lot of them couldn't be stuffed going to vote or just throw a donkey vote for some fail party. At least the senior people have done their fair share and "been there done that" type of thing.
I personally don't see a need for 'Senior' plates. Already easy enough to spot the oldies, it's usually the pale gold camry doing 75 in a 90 sitting in the right lane and a straw hat on the parcel shelf. I've said it a hundred times and I'll say it again, the current system of getting and keeping a driver's license is a joke! But just to keep it on topic, I will only cover my opinion of older drivers. There should be compulsary testing once you hit 60 every 2 years, this includes a road rules test, a practical test AND physical and mental tests. Really, if you have to sit on 70 in a 90 zone with your bottle bottom glasses about 3mm from the steering wheel and regularly mistake the accelerator for the brake, I'm fairly confident in saying that you should NOT be driving.
I used to keep a straw hat on the back shelf of my old car, a green toyota corolla, used to get the "is that an old person's car" look, then they'd realise it wasn't. Used to get some classic, sometimes confused, looks
They'll be just as pointless as P plates. Some factory in china will make a bit of cash manufacturing them, then a bit more when the NSW government decides to ban the ones that stick on the inside of the car the chinese will make a little more dosh when everyone in NSW needs to buy new ones. Not to mention its just another trivial reason for police to fine people instead of catching real criminals.
Testing every 2 years for over 60s sounds good to me. A lot of problems are caused by the fact that they have had their licence for many years and either no longer know the road rules, can't park properly without taking out someone elses car (or nearly) and can't do the friggin speed limit (or all 3). Give them a driving test and if they don't pass revoke their licence and if they want to get it back then they should have to get proper driving lessons and do the test again. I'm all for an S plate or we could always make it mandatory that the straw hat is on the parcel shelf to let other drivers know to stay away from them.
It's the same idea as L and P plates; they are indicators to other road users about the driver of that car.. It definitely isn't a discriminatory thing - othewise someone would have already successfully had L and/or P plates banned.
To all you young'uns giving the oldies a hard time, please think of this. If old people are such BAD drivers as you all say, why is it that you lot (let's say for arguments sake the under 25's), are so expensive to insure and old people not so. Is it because you young'uns stack your hectik cars so much and the oldies don't? Hmm that's a tough one....... I think I would feel safer in a car with an oldie than a red P plater with a fully hectik ride....... For the record, I'm not waht you would class as an oldie, but compared to the way some of you are carrying on - then maybe I am!
I agree that p platers are some of the worst drivers as well, that is why they are identified with plates. I still believe that people under the proposed categories should at least be tested on a regular occasion. Can i ask if you fit under the label of 85+ or 75+ on more than 5 medications? If so, congrats on figuring out how to use the computer!
I certainly think that testing in the categories you describe is a good idea - but to label all older people bad drivers is wrong. BTW I most certainly do not fit those age categories, but I do self medicate on occasions...............
Despite what you may think, being the oldie that you are , most p platers dont have fully hektik rides. They have cheap cars if they're male, or brand new hatchbacks courtesy of daddy if they're girls Incidentally, I see many more examples of terrible driving by p plater females then p plater males; ALWAYS in a hurry. Also, statistics are always skewed to affirm one point or another. If you were to find the facts about the amount of time spent on the road, I am sure you would find that elderly people are on the road considerably less than younger people, which is a contributing factor in accidents, obviously. I myself, 19yo, at present am doing around 40,000km per year. Driving ability aside, I am considerably more likely to be involved in an accident than, say, my other half's grandmother; she has put 5200km on her car since 2005, and in that small distance, it has already been pranged by her. Unaware, self-absorbed oldies pose a greater danger than an inexperienced driver; at least the inexperienced driver is aware that theye are not the only one on the roads. That's not to say that oldies are more dangerous than the self-absorbed wanker p platers, but I have to say... Older people do tend to be too... relaxed, I guess. Too laid back about driving safely.
The proposed S plates are not to label them as bad drivers, they are merely to indicate to you that it is a Senior driver on the road. I'm not saying by any means that L, P and eventually S Plates are used to identify bad drivers but they do allow you to be "extra aware" of these drivers...
testing that many drivers a year wouldn't be practical to book a driving test for p 1s take about 2 months ahead let alone having everyone over 60 also alot of experenced good drivers would fail the driving test in nsw becuase of the stupied little rules
stupid little rules they should know already It would do a lot to get rid of the dangerous drivers, that's the aim, and would likely be the outcome.
I can guarantee that not all of the oldies would even make it to the practical driving test. Send them to the optometrist for a vision test first = %50 eliminated before they get to the transport department. Send them to a doctor or whoever for a reactions test = %25 more off the road. LOL i realise the percentages are overboard but a lot would fail!
Despite the conclusions you may have drawn regarding my age, and I'm sure to a 19 y/o anyone over the age of 23 would be 'like so old!' - I am simply trying to at least be a voice for the elderly - I have some respect. It mustn't be easy being old and I am sure they do their best. Unlike that p plater that was doing at least 100 in a 50 zone that cut me up on the weekend in his hektik Pulsar SSS....
