P plates no high-powered cars

You guys have got it all wrong. Speed cameras are the future of safe driving because accidents only happen when you are exceeding the speed limit.

The power to ratio thing won't work either. A 15 year old (or however old they are) hyundai excel will still easily do 160 down the highway. My MX5 (1994) is extremely quick in anything but straight line acceleration. We can say it until our eyes explode, but the inly thing that will work is proper driver training. And even then, many young drivers will be over confident. Crashes will happen.

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Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

John

I didn't say that all driving instruction should be done by professional driving schools.

I did however suggest that anyone teaching should be accredited to do so.

Bad drivers produce bad drivers. It is the abnormal rearing cycle translated to the roads.

So if "uncle" Bob that went to tech with dad, has a driver instructor certificate then they can teach the kids to drive, same with coach Mary from the Netball team or Scout/Guide leader Dorothy. I just don't think we should allow every generation of new drivers to learn the unfettered bad habbits of the last generation of bad drivers.

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But the problem I have with the whole question, is that we already have road deaths at the lowest levels on record. And the major factors behind most road deaths (and serious injuries, although perhaps not minor accidents) are bad roads, alcohol and stupidity (e.g. not wearing seat belts, not driving slower in the wet etc). Not bad habits, not driving skills - regardless of who did the teaching, these problems should be noted in testing. If the learner can pass the test then they know what they should do and can do it, or the test is inadequate. And even if they had professional teaching, if they have spent fifteen years sitting behind dad as he straddles the lane marker, a few hours learning with someone else (or dad following the book) will make sure they learn not to do it for the test - and return to normal as soon as the test is passed.

I see your proposal as simply a further increase in the bureaucracy that we are already smothering in. A good example of this I encountered last week. I have been poisoning foxes for over ten years. New rules meant that I had to spend a day doing a course to continue. During this course I learnt nothing I did not already know, and 90% of the course was not anything to do with safe handling of the baits or anything of real use, but simply learning to comply with the bureaucracy. This is a prime example of something that has done nothing to help safety, but wasted a day's work for about a dozen people, plus hundreds of kilometres of driving, plus hire of premises, etc etc, for no benefit to anyone. (The useful information imparted could just as easily have been given one on one when baits are handed over, as has been done for decades)

John

You see and hear grumblings about how and what teachers / educators of all kinds are teaching the kids BUT nothing about what they are being taught or exposed to at home.

This is after all where they spend most of their time.

Legislation like this empowers and protects on one hand and undermines on the other - no wonder the population gets frustrated and angered at these ad-hoc solutions...some unfortunately expressing it with their right foot.

Different rules for different States also make us question the sanity and logic.

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Originally Posted by Thommo

I am a grown man about to start crying, no I am actually crying (genuine).
This nanny government of ours now has me seriously wondering if Australia is a country I wish to live in. (And my forefathers came out on the "Buffalo" first settlers ship to arrive in SA)
I have given into draconian gun laws that have impacted my life.
I have given into draconian knife laws that effect my daily life.
I have given into draconian land title laws that are currently effecting me significantly.
Now I wake up this morning and find out that my daughter soon to get her learners permit in SA will not be able to learn to drive in my Manual V8 Land Rover D1 but she can learn in any number of faster cars?

I am already looking at how one can get an exemption but I am hitting the brick wall of bureaucracy.

Can someone please give me any reason to smile today :(

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100% with ya on that one.
when are people gona realise that its human nature to wana play and mess about in cars. Give them the option. Set up burnout pads for the city kids. Set circle work pads for the wana be country kids. and set up mad 4x4 tracks and rally tracks for country kids.
How can they justify a p plater not allowed to drive a little 3.5 rangie but can get straight into a injected 4.5 landcruiser.
the only problem we have is kids with the lack of driving skills. Just because when ya crash on the playstation ya car just pops back up perfect ready to go they for some reason dont get that real cars dont.

And after doing 20 years of road crash rescue I have only ever seen accidents through mainly driver error never a car mechanical failure.

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Originally Posted by lovedayfun

... ... ... ... ... ..
The only problem we have is kids with the lack of driving skills. Just because when ya crash on the playstation ya car just pops back up perfect ready to go they for some reason dont get that real cars dont.

.. ... ... ... .... .

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Apart from the fact that the first quoted sentence is a gross oversimplification, it is also just plain wrong. Your following sentence, if it proves anything, proves that your previous sentence is wrong. That sentence hints at the real problem. The problem is not lack of skill, but the wrong attitude.

I would suggest that a big problem is drivers (not just kids) with the wrong attitude. However I don't believe it is the only problem.

I would like to know if there has ever been a study done on young country drivers and young city drivers

Just to see if having more experience does make a difference

Or is it the way you are taught that makes the difference

Reason i ask is most country kids are exposed to all kinds of motorized vehicles and usually are driving round the farm many years before they even think about a license
and depending where you live that could be quite a big vehicle
most boys can drive a tractor before they can ride a bike where i live

Does it make them safer or do they push the boundaries a little more through being cockie

yes and know some people do push the boundaries because they have been brought up with them but just looking at school generally it is the city or townie drivers that are worse country drivers do speed but not as excessive and stupidly as town drivers,i hope that makes sense to you guys

oh by the way my friend got caught driving and 1986 v8 rangie and got in trouble

I think that "modern life" where mum and dad are out of the home earning the living and do not have much time with the kids, the influence of the "mates" and what it is cool have a lot to do with the problems that we have now with the young generation.

I believe that if the young fellows are old enough to drive, then they have to face their responsibilities, understand to have the driver’s license it is a "privilege" and also earn the money to purchasing the vehicle.
Give them a good training and the chance to prove themselves, if the fail then no car and license for 2 years or until they are 21 years old.
There are good kids out there and they do not have to be penalized for the inmature ones.
The good ones will keep driving, the bad ones will be faced out.

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Originally Posted by steve_35

I would like to know if there has ever been a study done on young country drivers and young city drivers

Just to see if having more experience does make a difference

Or is it the way you are taught that makes the difference

Reason i ask is most country kids are exposed to all kinds of motorized vehicles and usually are driving round the farm many years before they even think about a license
and depending where you live that could be quite a big vehicle
most boys can drive a tractor before they can ride a bike where i live

Does it make them safer or do they push the boundaries a little more through being cockie

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Just following that line of thought; I wonder if the fact that country youth, especially farm kids can make a mistake in the paddock without actually killing themselves or someone else is a significant factor. So they learn that they are not infallible.

Several years ago, I read a report that said that if a driver did not have a near miss very early in their driving career, they were several times more likely to be killed or seriously injured within a fairly short period of time.

In other words some people may need to learn from experience that things can go wrong. Farm kids may be able to do that and survive. So farm kids might be safer drivers, not just because they have been driving since they could reach the pedals, but because they learn that they are fallible.

City kids, because of where they drive may not survive the learning experience.