Tougher driving restrictions for young drivers

[____]

Ok, so the Queensland Government is bringing in new laws for P-Plate drivers to try and stop young people killing themself on the road. Some of the changes to the current laws are pretty good in my opinion.

 

 

 

The part I like the most is the power restrictions of the vehicles. I can't count the number of friends I had in high school who got into very serious accidents with their near illegal sports cars within a few months of being able to drive.

 

 

 

 

 

Just want some thoughts on it all - your states laws for newly licensed drivers, etc. Australian or not. Just to compare. These are the toughest restrictions in Australia right now.

[Iamdan]

Just got my learners today, 1 day before the new laws come in.

[transcript80]

First of all, 16-year olds driving is ridiculous for me. Where I live, you have to be 18 to drive, and that is still young in my opinion. I even resent 16 year old teens racing around on mopeds that go 80 km/h (instead of the 50 km/h that is allowed). They are a threat to themselves AND other people.

 

 

 

The thing with teens (16-18 year olds) is that most (not stereotyping them ALL) of them are overcourageous and not fully aware of the fact that they have the RESPONSIBILITY over a potential lethal device. Not so much for themselves (if they get injuered by their own reckless driving, that's ok to me) but also for all the other people in the traffic.

 

 

 

Here, you have a 3-year "probation" licence; You are allowed to drive on your own, but if you get cought breaking the rules (excessive speeding, accidents etc) you get "points". Getting 3 points will result in loss of the licence.

 

 

 

Hands-free driving is mandatory here for several years, but I see people talking on the phone "normally" in their car everyday. I think the use of a phone in a car should be abolished, since it distracts your attention from the traffic. Steering a car at 120km/h (or more... :twisted: I speed, sorry :oops: ) takes full concentration. So yeah, your rules are better in that account.

 

 

 

A lot of accidents involve young/inexperienced drivers driving reckless. Also, young people tend to drink and drive more then their older fellow drivers (sadly, some of them do it as well). I think the gouvernment should have no mercy with them, when they get cought, their drivers licence should be destroyed right away.

[remoteman]

I really should go get my L's tomorrow lol, it's the last day. I've been doing the test, and i've gotten it 100% in the last five goes, and i've read all the questions, but i just came back from a 3 day hiking trip (duke of ed..) and i'm buggered :)

 

 

 

Most of the restrictions are good, not for my friend though, the only cars that her family has is two porsches, so she's rather upset about not being able to drive haha.

[Guest]

:lol: :lol: Oh doesn't this bring a laugh and a smile to my face. In NSW there's been rumours for many years that the RTA was going to change the system for L and P plate drivers. So I got my l's in April this year and I have to do 50 hours of driving supervised, and all that.

 

 

 

And now they have also decided to go the same way as QLD and have brought in many new rules and regulations for l and p plate drivers. One of them being now 120 HOURS of Driving experience for L platers. Oh I was so happy that I got them before they introduced this rule.

 

 

 

But I think in the end of the day theres just going to be a whole lot more cheating going on in people's l plate log books making up that they drove 120 hours when really they've only done like 80. Stupid RTA.

 

 

 

Heck I'm probably going to cheat my log book anyway, because in the end nobody's going to get their p's unless the instructor believes they're good enough for them, so it doesn't really matter if you're confident (and by confident I don't mean that I'd go out and speed - I think you're an idiot if you put your friends in that position trying to "impress" them).

 

 

 

Dunno if any of that made sense, just me rambling on again. Central message of the above post - Sucked in to all those in NSW and QLD getting their L's after July 1st - and speeding and drink driving I think is moronic).

[justin_m23]

I really should go get my L's tomorrow lol, it's the last day. I've been doing the test, and i've gotten it 100% in the last five goes, and i've read all the questions, but i just came back from a 3 day hiking trip (duke of ed..) and i'm buggered :)

 

 

 

Most of the restrictions are good, not for my friend though, the only cars that her family has is two porsches, so she's rather upset about not being able to drive haha.

 

 

 

I thought the last day was the 21st.

[Guest]

I really should go get my L's tomorrow lol, it's the last day. I've been doing the test, and i've gotten it 100% in the last five goes, and i've read all the questions, but i just came back from a 3 day hiking trip (duke of ed..) and i'm buggered :)

 

 

 

Most of the restrictions are good, not for my friend though, the only cars that her family has is two porsches, so she's rather upset about not being able to drive haha.

 

 

 

I thought the last day was the 21st.

 

 

 

Here go I'll post the link I posted in my post. post post. post. That's alot of posts in one paragraph of my post. UGh! :uhh:

 

 

 

Clicky!

 

Assuming your from NSW of course since you quoted Remote who is from Sydney. Its July 1st. :wink:

 

 

 

Tomorrow will be a busy day at the RTA that's for sure.

[____]

It'll be a good day for both states. Although a bit :ugh: at the 11-5 curfew for NSW. I have a number of mates in NSW who do night runs in their 4x4's and yea... that'll really screw them up somewhat.

 

 

 

Same here actually - although I'm not sure what the curfew is, about the same I think #-o

[warren211]

I think that to stop such problems, make teens buy THEIR OWN CAR. A lot of times, spoiled kids get brand new high-speed sports cars by their parents. of course, its hard to know the value of money when you didn't have to spend a dime on your things. so they show off their car, and eventually crash it. If they spent their own money, maybe they'd be more careful, knowing THEY'D have to afford fixes.

 

 

 

But, what do I know? I'm just a 13 year old who sits in the passenger seat reading books...

[DaN]

I personally think its [cabbage]

 

 

 

Apart from the power restriction (was excluded from Western Australia).

 

 

 

Im sick of the government picking on young people all the time.

 

 

 

I have NEVER had a near collision with a P-Plater not once.

 

 

 

I have had ALOT of near highspeed smashes with people in their mid 30s to late 40s who pull out on the road front of me without checking my speed.

 

 

 

More often than not their in [cabbage]ty little 4 cylinders I have yet to workout the connection between morons who sit in the right hand lane oblivious to the traffic banking up behind them.

 

 

 

The best answer I can think of is that many of them dont use the road as often as I do (hence the stupidity) so they want to buy a cheaper car.

 

 

 

 

 

Back on topic I think a power restriction would be good idea because I remember what I was like fortunatly I didn't have my current car back then.

[Rebdragon]

I think that to stop such problems, make teens buy THEIR OWN CAR. A lot of times, spoiled kids get brand new high-speed sports cars by their parents. of course, its hard to know the value of money when you didn't have to spend a dime on your things. so they show off their car, and eventually crash it. If they spent their own money, maybe they'd be more careful, knowing THEY'D have to afford fixes.

 

 

 

But, what do I know? I'm just a 13 year old who sits in the passenger seat reading books...

 

No, rather, they should chip in a bit for it, and pay for gas and other things themselves.

 

 

 

I've got to pay for gas for my car, and I (as well as my sister) am going to chip in $1000 for the car (it being a new car that costs $17,000ish). Parents that have kids that can drive have a lot less to deal with (grocery trips, driving around other siblings, especially when parents are at work, etc.), and we all know no kid is going to afford a car on his own money.

 

 

 

Can you honestly tell me you'll be able to afford your own car when you're a teenager? You might not be able to afford a car until you're like 30 -.- .

[Guest]

It'll be a good day for both states. Although a bit :ugh: at the 11-5 curfew for NSW. I have a number of mates in NSW who do night runs in their 4x4's and yea... that'll really screw them up somewhat.

 

 

 

Same here actually - although I'm not sure what the curfew is, about the same I think #-o

 

 

 

 

 

Night runs? Is that just some sort of late night shift work delivering pizza's, or is it some shifty illegal thing? :lol:

 

 

 

Anyway I'm pretty sure that you can get exemptions from the RTA if you can explain and give lots of details as to why you need one, for work purposes mainly.

[Randox]

I actually have alot more problems will the crappy OLD drivers out there. I was almost rear ended (Instead i didn't stop at a stop sign the had a cop car sitting there) by some old laddy (late 60's to mid 70's) who was searching for something (proboly in here purse). I mean im slowing down to stop and I look in the mirror. I can see shes not looking at the road, and shes definatly not slowing down, so I just looked and drove right on through. Lucky me the cop didnt give me a ticket for it, I think he saw what happened.

 

 

 

I also have a huge problem with peole who can't drive the speed limit. People who drive 75-80km/h on a highway where the limits 100 or 110, cause accidents because people get pissed off and start taking chances with there passing. I also could never understand why people alsays seem to slow down to merge, the idea is to be driving the same speed as traffic, not 20km/h slower.

 

 

 

Ya, theres alot of bad drivers out there, not all of them are teens.

[Zonorhc]

I personally think its [cabbage]

 

 

 

Apart from the power restriction (was excluded from Western Australia).

 

 

 

Im sick of the government picking on young people all the time.

 

 

 

I have NEVER had a near collision with a P-Plater not once.

 

 

 

It might be well and good for you to say that from Perth, but you've obviously never driven in Sydney.

[The_Dragon_Reborn]

120 hours of supervised dricing time!! I just did my Drivers Ed course in May, and I only had to do 6 hours!! Anyways, my liscense exam is July 11th, and I can't wait. I don't think that they should force kids to pay for all their stuff (although it would help), but I do think that they should increase the penalties for reckless driving situations. I know that 3 speeding tickets here when you're under the age of 18 means you lose you liscence for a year, but only 1 speeding ticket, and you lose it for 30 days. The restrictions and the penalties should increase on younger drivers (and older ones for that matter), this being said by a 16 year-old kid who loves to drive fast.

[____]

Night runs? Is that just some sort of late night shift work delivering pizza's, or is it some shifty illegal thing? :lol:

 

Perfectly legal. Since most of them have school / work during the day - they got on 4x4 trips in the afternoon / night instead. Curfews like that will really screw them over :P

 

 

 

Anyway I'm pretty sure that you can get exemptions from the RTA if you can explain and give lots of details as to why you need one, for work purposes mainly.

Yea, although if you're work late nights... it's highly unlikely you'd be taking more than one person with you anyways.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

@DaN: That's all well and good for you there mate, but despite having the lowest % of drivers on the road, the 18-25 age bracket has the highest fatality rate. You can't simply say that really doesn't shout something out that new drives simply aren't getting the experience before they have their open licence.

 

 

 

Hell, I swear taking a 2-day defensive driving course (not some cheapo half day which you learn nothing) should be mandatory. At least then they'll at least know how to act in most situations where they'd usually kill themself (ie: different scenarios of losing control of your car).

[deloriagod]

 

Hands-free driving is mandatory here for several years, but I see people talking on the phone "normally" in their car everyday. I think the use of a phone in a car should be abolished, since it distracts your attention from the traffic. Steering a car at 120km/h (or more... :twisted: I speed, sorry :oops: ) takes full concentration. So yeah, your rules are better in that account.

 

 

 

 

120km/h is about the average speed on interstates here. Yeah, talking on the phone and driving is a bad idea. I talk as little as possible when I'm driving and if I'm on a highway or whatever I usually won't answer my phone at all.

 

 

 

I think that to stop such problems, make teens buy THEIR OWN CAR. A lot of times, spoiled kids get brand new high-speed sports cars by their parents. of course, its hard to know the value of money when you didn't have to spend a dime on your things. so they show off their car, and eventually crash it. If they spent their own money, maybe they'd be more careful, knowing THEY'D have to afford fixes.

 

 

 

 

Yup.. I'm spoiled. My parents bought me a nice Pontiac Firebird. I didn't pay a penny towards it. Though I do pay $2800 for insurance every year plus the amazing amount of gas my vehicle takes (even when I'm going easy on the gas pedal). Oh and I pay for 50% of any repairs that need to be done (so far only new tires and brakes).

 

 

 

 

More often than not their in [cabbage] little 4 cylinders I have yet to workout the connection between morons who sit in the right hand lane oblivious to the traffic banking up behind them.

 

 

 

Some of those 4 cylinders actually have a decent amount of power behind them. Of course, there's more of them that can barely move than those that'll haul [wagon]..

[assassin_696]

Definitely a good idea. Anything which cuts the number of lives needlessly wasted every year on the roads is a good thing. Although I suppose part of the problem is the mentality of the boy racer youth who's nowhere near good enough to drive like he reckons he should.

[blade995]

I think that to stop such problems, make teens buy THEIR OWN CAR. A lot of times, spoiled kids get brand new high-speed sports cars by their parents. of course, its hard to know the value of money when you didn't have to spend a dime on your things. so they show off their car, and eventually crash it. If they spent their own money, maybe they'd be more careful, knowing THEY'D have to afford fixes.

 

 

 

But, what do I know? I'm just a 13 year old who sits in the passenger seat reading books...

 

No, rather, they should chip in a bit for it, and pay for gas and other things themselves.

 

 

 

I've got to pay for gas for my car, and I (as well as my sister) am going to chip in $1000 for the car (it being a new car that costs $17,000ish). Parents that have kids that can drive have a lot less to deal with (grocery trips, driving around other siblings, especially when parents are at work, etc.), and we all know no kid is going to afford a car on his own money.

 

 

 

Can you honestly tell me you'll be able to afford your own car when you're a teenager? You might not be able to afford a car until you're like 30 -.- .

 

 

 

I can honestly tell you that I'm paying for my car, with no help from anybody, and I'm a teenager. I'm looking at getting a car around $7,000 not including taxes and insurance. I worked hard and saved and did not blow too much of my money of stupid things like others.

 

 

 

You are spoiled if you are only paying $1000 out of a new car. I'm sick of these kids that think they payed for things when they barley payed for the tires on the car. They say they pay for the gas and insurance, well you should anyway, because it's your car (sort of even if your parents payed for it).

[Tigra00]

I think that texting while driving should be punished by having your license taken away for a year+. Everytime I see a kid passing me with his head down and the stupid "text grin" on his face, I want to turn around and rear-end him and just say it was his fault, just to keep him on his toes...

 

 

 

"Was it really my fault? I mean...I was texting...But hey! He hit me...But...I was texting...Oh god, is he going to sue me? Am I adopted?! Does God really exist? If not, why do I keep saying "Oh god"? Why is god not capitalized? Didn't I learn in school that important places/names/figures need to be capitalized? CAN I capitalize things in my head? Where am I? Did I seriously just text this all to my friend...?"

 

 

 

Things like that. And just a shout-out to those of you [developmentally delayed]s who do text and drive - I wish I could kill you. Talking on your cell is one thing (something I am also not guilty of, ever), but texting? Honestly. Kill yourself.

[jemathonical]

Just got my learners today, 1 day before the new laws come in.

 

 

 

Lucky.

 

I think it's good that they they are bringing back P Plates and making New drivers drive with no passengers. Whatever makes the road safer.

[scn64]

I think that texting while driving should be punished by having your license taken away for a year+. Everytime I see a kid passing me with his head down and the stupid "text grin" on his face, I want to turn around and rear-end him and just say it was his fault, just to keep him on his toes...

 

 

 

"Was it really my fault? I mean...I was texting...But hey! He hit me...But...I was texting...Oh god, is he going to sue me? Am I adopted?! Does God really exist? If not, why do I keep saying "Oh god"? Why is god not capitalized? Didn't I learn in school that important places/names/figures need to be capitalized? CAN I capitalize things in my head? Where am I? Did I seriously just text this all to my friend...?"

 

 

 

Things like that. And just a shout-out to those of you [developmentally delayed] who do text and drive - I wish I could kill you. Talking on your cell is one thing (something I am also not guilty of, ever), but texting? Honestly. Kill yourself.

 

 

 

[sarcasm] If you need to look at the road while driving then you obviously aren't a very good driver. [/sarcasm]

[llcoolguy972]

I think that to stop such problems, make teens buy THEIR OWN CAR. A lot of times, spoiled kids get brand new high-speed sports cars by their parents. of course, its hard to know the value of money when you didn't have to spend a dime on your things. so they show off their car, and eventually crash it. If they spent their own money, maybe they'd be more careful, knowing THEY'D have to afford fixes.

 

 

 

But, what do I know? I'm just a 13 year old who sits in the passenger seat reading books...

 

No, rather, they should chip in a bit for it, and pay for gas and other things themselves.

 

 

 

I've got to pay for gas for my car, and I (as well as my sister) am going to chip in $1000 for the car (it being a new car that costs $17,000ish). Parents that have kids that can drive have a lot less to deal with (grocery trips, driving around other siblings, especially when parents are at work, etc.), and we all know no kid is going to afford a car on his own money.

 

 

 

Can you honestly tell me you'll be able to afford your own car when you're a teenager? You might not be able to afford a car until you're like 30 -.- .

 

 

 

I can honestly tell you that I'm paying for my car, with no help from anybody, and I'm a teenager. I'm looking at getting a car around $7,000 not including taxes and insurance. I worked hard and saved and did not blow too much of my money of stupid things like others.

 

 

 

You are spoiled if you are only paying $1000 out of a new car. I'm sick of these kids that think they payed for things when they barley payed for the tires on the car. They say they pay for the gas and insurance, well you should anyway, because it's your car (sort of even if your parents payed for it).

 

 

 

Exactly. My friend has her own car. She's had it for a while and has paid for all of it. (*gasp*) Sure, it's about 10 years old, an ugly coffee color, and the drivers side back door gets stuck from time to time, but it's hers. Not her parents, hers. I can't imagine how that feels. And if you only have to chip in $1,000, you won't have that feeling. TBH, I don't see why a high school (or even college, for that matter) kid should have a new car, used is fine.

[zeekyhbomb]

Where I live you need to have your Learner's Permit for 6 months (Able to get it at 15 1/2 by passing a multiple choice test) and have 50 hours of supervised driving (10 Night) to get your license. After that, you're basically set; you get 3 months of only being able to drive family, though most kids these days don't pay attention to that rule. Honestly, 120/100 hours of supervised driving is A LOT, especially if you don't have access to a car of your own. It would either be a huge hassle, or cause a huge dent in your wallet.

 

 

 

Underpowered cars is a very good thing, I would much rather see someone my age going a bit under the speed limit and being safe than going over the speed limit and being reckless. I think the Learner's Plates are a very good idea, and should be implemented in the states, lets people know you aren't as experienced and it may prevent them from doing something they would normally do, or getting pissed at you for something sort of... dumb(?).

 

 

 

About this whole 'Parents purchasing your Car for you makes you spoiled' I agree to some extent. These kids getting new cars worth $1000s will never understand the value of money. Sure, my parents bought me and my brother a car to share; it cost them $1000 and I don't think a teenager needs more than that. The car is and underpowered small SUV with doors that don't open half the time, broken AC, and other problems, but I love it. If it runs fine its good enough, people are way too into material things and looks.

[TotalTalker]

Getting a driving license is really hard now-a-days. The moeny for each drving lesson, and each attempt at the test is really expensive. Its probably just because the government want to just get the results, they arent bothered how hard it is for us, they have already passed theirs back when it was easy.