7 June 2005

NSW P-platers face restrictions

| Samuel Gordon-Stewart
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NSW Roads minister Michael Costa has released information about “appropriate balances” between safety and convenience for P-platers in New South Wales.

Under the announced restrictions starting next month P-platers will be unable to drive vehicles with “eight or more cylinders, turbo charged cars and cars with engine modifications” “unless they have a work-related permit or live in remote country areas.”

Naturally, the NSW opposition are complaining by saying that the measures don’t go far enough. “Opposition roads spokesman Andrew Stoner says compulsory driver education in schools is vital in reducing the number of road deaths.”

I know the ACT has Road Ready in year 10, and I thought NSW had something similar…maybe I’m wrong.

One thing I can’t work out is, are ACT P-platers driving in NSW exempt? Do NSW P-platers have the same restrictions in the ACT? Will we have people on the border saying “You can’t drive in NSW with that, but leave it here, you can borrow a golf buggy”

ABC Story is here

Samuel

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I would just like to say that banning P-Platers from V8s etc is a good thing but it is going too far with these possible restrictions like having curfews, increasing the age or only allowing one passenger is ridiculous.

Most 17 year olds when they get their Ps need a car for work, TAFE and family responsibilites! What is the point in driving when you cant drive your family or friends around places. That just means more P-platers on the road and it wont help at all.

Education is the key and no matter what P-Platers have less experience, thats why increasing the hours NOT age is a sensible thing to do. I think most teenagers would agree, you can put restrictions on some things but going over the top with the 3 things i stated before is too much and people would be just more likely to take off their P-Plates to drive around! Be fair NSW Government!

It’s nothing to do with training. Kids (P platers; no offence intended-but you are kids) know the rules. They know speeding is dangerous. They know drink driving is irrepsonsible. They know all the jargon the gov’t shocks us into acknowledging with their scare tactic ads. These are a good thing because they force people to sit up and listen.

I don’t know what the solution is, but I think we are moving in the right direction. I can tell you withour a word of lying that if I was driving a rex, clubby or xr when I first obtained my licence I would not be here today. Inexperience (and lack of maturity) are the killers; and stats prove this.

The idea of a power to weight ratio is unfeasable in most circumstances when you are referring to cars. If we go down this path we will see more and more of the RTA revenue raisers ‘enforcing’ the unenforcable.

Canberra_unsung_hero8:58 am 08 Jun 05

Oh well …we all have our crosses to bear (in one form or another ).

“Legitimate shooters (hunters) can obtain licences for their guns. as can sportsmen or collectors (we even needed one for a few replicas we used in a stage show here in Canberra.) It took 10 minutes tops. If that ten minutes pisses some people off yet at teh same time saves some other poor bugger from even an accidental shooting then I am all for it.”
You obviously know there is more to it than that. I used to legitimately shoot on a less than regular basis. But since the governments knee jerk reaction to Port Arthur its simply not worth the time and money to continue. The fact is that the gun restrictions only stop honest people.

“And you think that banning some kid from driving something that has the power to end up in a twisted wreck wrapped round a tree or worse in some innocent passerby’s vehicle is a bad thing. Personally I am all for it. let them take time to learn how to drive first.”
I agree, let them learn to drive before giving them a powerful car. But I agree with Blossie too. Powerful cars are not necessarily the v8 falcon sitting in the driveway. A power to weight ratio like that used for motorbikes is a much better idea.
I also believe that the problem is not just in the capacity of the vehicle, its also all about education. What is the point of giving a learner a limited capacity motorbike without the education along with it? They can still do dangerous speeds and ride like maniacs…same in cars.
I could be just as dangerous in a corolla as in a WRX if I didnt have the knowledge and experience to back me up. Experience obviously comes later, so give them as much knowledge as you can first.

I find it incredible the number of times I see learners (being instructed) on our roads that are driving incorrectly..failing to indicate, driving in the right hand lane, blah blah.

Education is the key, not tighter speed limits or curfews, or restrictions…they all may help, but education first.

“There is now a power to weight ratio that you have to abide by until you have your full licence.”

and what bike were you riding before you got your full licence G?

I need to switch my licence over later this year… problem is it gets tricky switching Ps…. cos I’m on my green nsw Ps… and eqivilancy is odd…

though my bf managed to con the good people at the dickson motor registry that they really only needed for him to have his motorbike ps for a few more months :p

To clear something up, licence restrictions go with the licence. So an ACT P-Plater is covered by the P restrictions on their particular licence.

Road rules on the other hand are, or course, specific to the jurisdiction you’re in (although they are rapidly standaradising).

Its another example of a government knee jerk reaction. Rather than concentrating on the individual, people go looking to blame other people and ‘things’ for people’s actions (semi automatic guns, V8s etc).

Teenagers will keep writing themselves off in 4 and 6cyl cars.

Bonfire.

Legitimate shooters (hunters) can obtain licences for their guns. as can sportsmen or collectors (we even needed one for a few replicas we used in a stage show here in Canberra.) It took 10 minutes tops. If that ten minutes pisses some people off yet at teh same time saves some other poor bugger from even an accidental shooting then I am all for it.

Knives are not banned outright… if you can explain to the cop who finds the knive on you that you have a legitimate reason for carrying it (leathermen, swiss army etc) then there is no problem (and reason that can be hobby or work). They are trying to crack down on peole carrying hunting knives for no other reason than to use if they get pissed off in a fight in a pub. if the knife aint there. . it cant be used)

And you think that banning some kid from driving something that has the power to end up in a twisted wreck wrapped round a tree or worse in some innocent passerby’s vehicle is a bad thing. Personally I am all for it. let them take time to learn how to drive first.

Im sorry bonfire, I just don’t see the logic that you claim to be using here.

lg – shooting is a legitimate sport. im not a private firearm owner, but am an experienced user. mass hysteria has led to ‘banning’ almost outright. someone in nsw was stabbed to death so the govt bans sales of all knives including fruit peelers to anyone under the age of 18. doesnt stop them taking mums breadknife (which by the way is the most common item used in stabbings – kitchen cutlery). As a useful tool, i have carried knives for years. im not sure how they are fun, just useful. Cars – well thats already topic de jeure. so i guess that the list went:

gun – banned,
knife – banned,
car – banned,
and the next logical thing to ban was
fun – banned.

How pointing out idiocy makes me sick i think defies logic.

Its been that way with Motorbikes for years. Inexperienced riders were killing themselves regularly on bigger bikes or things like RGV 250’s. There is now a power to weight ratio that you have to abide by until you have your full licence.

Should have done it with cars years ago.

G

i love the nsw govt blackbans on things, guns, knives, cars, fun etc

Bonfire, if these thingws are your ideas of fun, you are sicker than I thought.

this is a good move, it means my e49 charger is OK, but my tank fairlane is not.

the stanley steamer has a significant engine capacity increase (20% plus), yet its all internally done. externally there is no indication the engine is modified, apart from a different carby.

this will be worked around by ingenious 18 year olds. id rather have them in a standard commodore v8 than a secretly modified wrx.

i love the nsw govt blackbans on things, guns, knives, cars, fun etc. expect the comrade to follow in due course.

Certainally when I was on my Ps, ACT rules applied even in NSW, and it’s the same with my recently acquired motorbike Ls/Ps according to the instructor.

There’s nothing really in schools in NSW for driver education… some schools will do a small module or something, but nothing compulsory or anything… I didn’t do anything.

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