Maybe it's time for change

[marwi_3023]

The reason P platers are over represented in accidents is because they aren't taught how to drive

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-17/canberra-p-platers-issued-reprieve-as-government-does-u-turn/...

A few years ago I was teaching my friend how to drive and he was getting better at it until he started doing paid lessons.
The paid instructor was only interested in getting him to pass the test.
Not on how to drive safely.
I still refuse to get in the car with him.
I also believe that anyone who is going to teach someone how to drive should have to get accreditation that only lasts six months.
I had an L plate Range Rover pas me on the highway once and they were going well over 120 kph.

[chameleon54]

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@marwi_3023 wrote:
The reason P platers are over represented in accidents is because they aren't taught how to drive

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-17/canberra-p-platers-issued-reprieve-as-government-does-u-turn/...

A few years ago I was teaching my friend how to drive and he was getting better at it until he started doing paid lessons.
The paid instructor was only interested in getting him to pass the test.
Not on how to drive safely.
I still refuse to get in the car with him.
I also believe that anyone who is going to teach someone how to drive should have to get accreditation that only lasts six months.
I had an L plate Range Rover pas me on the highway once and they were going well over 120 kph.

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I dont necessarily agree with your opening statement. While not being familiar with the ACT rules, P platers are under very strict rules and conditions in SA. They already DO face a driver curfew from 12 pm. to 5 am, are not allowed to carry more than one passenger over the age of 16 years ( family members exempt ), have a zero alcohol level for breath tests and require extensive driver training and a minimum seventy hours of driver experience while on L's to graduate to P's. Its all quite onerous really.

Probably the most restrictive rule is they are only given 4 demerit points for 3 years from L's to graduating off of P's. Two minor infringements in that time and they lose their licence for 3 months minimum. If the same restrictions ( four demerit points instead of 12 )  where applied to full adult licence holders, a huge number would be walking. This little clause is overly onerous and does not take into account the fact that many young people have actually left school by the time they have completed their L's and have full time adult jobs. If they happen to work in the country where there is no public transport, this can mean they lose their jobs, join the unemployment scrap heap and find it difficult to regain employment once they regain their licences.

I believe the main reasons P platers have more accidents is driver inexperience and risk taking behaviour that is a natural part of young people growing up. You could probably throw in their addiction to social media and the need to check mobile phones into the mix.

There are plenty of mature adults who could do with some driver training more so than young people. Examples include driving slowly in the RH lane of a dual lane highway, failing to indicate when turning or changing lanes, checking their phones while driving or at lights and speeding up when some-one goes to overtake them on a dual lane highway ( Whats that all about ? )

I am currently having a lot of personal experience with learner drivers at the moment as my son is on his "P's" and my daughter is learning to drive ( a manual car.....  ) on her "L's ". All of their friends are in the same boat.  In my experience, the vast majority of P plate drivers are conciencous and try to do the right thing. There are always exceptions and a few idiots, but it seems that applies to full licence holders as much as young people.

[davidc4430]

you cant teach experience, i know when i was a newish driver i did some really stupid things.

never hurt anyone but knew afterwards it was a stupid thing to do.

i hope my stuff ups are few and far between now but we all make errors, the less experience one has the more likely we are to make a mistake.

[marwi_3023]

You can teach people how a vehicle behaves with actual driver training on special courses.
We get parents that don't know how to drive teaching their kids and then they pay for a few "lessons" and get their licence and have absolutely no idea of how to get back control of a car when youthful exuberance takes over, stupid little mistakes become deadly prangs.
The way young people are taught how to drive needs to change

[chameleon54]

One of our states leading motor sports clubs have a programme where they teach kids how to drive around a dirt race car track. The kids get to experience braking hard in slushy mud, sliding around slippery corners etc. all under the watchful eye and training of experienced rally car drivers. Some of these kids go on to compete in competitions with a few giving the top drivers a good run for their money.

We put our son through the course when he was 14 and he found it very valuable. We also had an old rally car on the farm and the kids used to give it a flogging around the wet paddocks. Great fun and invaluable experience should they start sliding on the road for real.

I probably shouldn't be admitting this, but when we where young and living in remote bush communities, we would wait until it rained and then go out to clay bush tracks and put the cars into power slides and circle work on the wet clay. It might have been a bit stupid, but I still think there's no better teacher than experience. ( and there wasn't much else to do out there when it was raining ). A few years racing off road buggies also probably sharpened the driving skills.

Unfortunately as I get older, my driving is deteriorating. My reflexes are slower and my concentration and judgement is not as good as it once was . I was definitely a much more skilled driver when I was young compared to now. Wont be long and I will have to get a bowls hat and drive an old Volvo.

[johcaschro]

The reason P platers are over represented in accidents is because . . .

They're utter hoons, driving high performance cars like hoons and having lost their licence in the past for driving like hoons, must now wear P plates like hoons who have lost their licence for driving like hoons.

Simple, when one applies a little analytical logic to the question 😉

[not_for_sale2025]

When I was a teenager a mate of mine agreed to give me lessons when we drove to work. One day he said, "I'm going to give you the best advice you can get about driving". He said trust nobody and nothing. He added, don't trust other drivers, don't trust traffic lights, don't trust road signs. He said to always assume that other people may ignore road signs and traffic lights, so always approach them with caution.

I can't tell you how much his advice has proven to be correct over the years. On one occasion his advice probably saved my life. I now pass on the same advice to younger drivers and I wish more people on the road would think that way.

[chameleon54]

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@johcaschro wrote:

The reason P platers are over represented in accidents is because . . .

They're utter hoons, driving high performance cars like hoons and having lost their licence in the past for driving like hoons, must now wear P plates like hoons who have lost their licence for driving like hoons.

Simple, when one applies a little analytical logic to the question 😉

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There will always be that element, just as there will be mummys driving kids to school in black SUV's looking at their phone more than the road or old people drivng at 60 kmh. on a 100 kmh roadway, looking out the window at the cows grazing in the paddocks with thirty cars bumper to bumper behind them.

I just think it is unfortunate that some take the attitude that all young people are bad. Your highlighted statement above is a classic example of this unfortunate and discriminatory attitude. I dont know how many young people you actually know, but I find most, even those from underpriveliged backgrounds, coming from dysfunctional families etc. just want the same things as everyone else. A stable job, some disposable income, a nice car to drive and place they can call their own. Yes some young people can take risks and push the boundries at times, but that is just a part of growing up. When they get older, the risk takers often end up being respectable small business owners, working hard and providing jobs for the next generation of young kids coming through.

Sure there are kids who get into trouble and dont seem to be on the right track, but often this is enviromental rather than anything to do with the kids themselves.   I used top work as a superviser for young people who had been given court ordered community service orders. Sure we made them work, but a fair bit of our time was spent talking to them and councilling them on how to break the cycle of social dislocation they where in and reach their goals. They wer'nt bad kids, they just hadnt had anyone give them any direction in life.

To lump all young people together with statements such as " Theyre utter hoons " is unfair to the vast majority of young people who are trying to get a start and do the right thing.

[chameleon54]

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@johcaschro wrote:

The reason P platers are over represented in accidents is because . . .

They're utter hoons, driving high performance cars like hoons and having lost their licence in the past for driving like hoons, must now wear P plates like hoons who have lost their licence for driving like hoons.

Simple, when one applies a little analytical logic to the question 😉

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PS. I probably should have put a disclaimer at the start of the last thread - Written by a past young hoon ......

I never lost my licence, but I got my share of fines and frankly - NO REGRETS - My young days where a lot of fun. Yes we got up to some mischief but I wouldnt change a thing.

[chameleon54]

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@johcaschro wrote:

The reason P platers are over represented in accidents is because . . .

They're utter hoons, driving high performance cars like hoons and having lost their licence in the past for driving like hoons, must now wear P plates like hoons who have lost their licence for driving like hoons.

Simple, when one applies a little analytical logic to the question 😉

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WHATS THE DEFINITION OF HYPOCRACY ????

Spoiler

AND STUPIDITY ???

Spoiler

WARNING - the following contains an example of gross Labor party stupidity.

Spoiler

If you are offended by having Labor Party stupidity pointed out, please dont go any further....

Spoiler

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2009-04-20/road-safety-minister-quits-over-traffic-violations/1656898