Young drivers face V8 car ban until 21

[HSV Manta]

From Perthnow. New State Opposition Leader trying to make his mark.


WA drivers will be banned from driving high-powered cars until they are at least 21, under incoming Opposition leader Mark McGowan.

He said he would go well beyond the State Government's present consideration to ban only L and P-platers from driving V8s if he becomes premier at the next election.

It is a clear sign Mr McGowan who will be voted in as Opposition leader tomorrow will go head-to-head with Premier Colin Barnett's tough law-and-order agenda.

He said too many lives were being lost on WA roads and, "I don't want any parents to have to bury their children".

"All the debate has been around P-platers and L-platers, but my inclination goes further than that. I think we should be looking at drivers of at least 21 years of age," he said.

"I'm very keen on progressing legislation to ensure that young people can't get behind the wheel of high-powered vehicles where they can hurt or kill themselves or others. The state has an obligation to protect young people and our citizens from harm."

Under his preferred proposal, young people who obtained P-plates at 17 would be banned from driving high-performance vehicles for at least another two years beyond what the Barnett Government is considering.

Mr McGowan said the plan, which would be developed in the coming months, would apply to cars with supercharged or turbocharged engines or those with eight or more cylinders. Previously, Labor has only supported banning L and P-platers from driving V8 and other high-performance cars.

"The Barnett Government promised they would look at this issue when they were elected and thus far, they haven't done anything," Mr McGowan said. "I think the time has come for action."

He said it required urgent attention, particularly after the death of a 25-year-old mother in Maylands in November.

Manju Bala, who was carrying her three-month-old son, died after she was allegedly hit by a Subaru WRX being driven by a P-plater. The baby escaped with scratches.

Road Safety Minister Rob Johnson said the Curtin-Monash Accident Research Centre would provide its report on the link between power-to-weight ratios and fatal and serious crashes among young drivers to the Road Safety Council by next month.

He would then consider if new legislation was needed.

Tom Davies, from Enough is Enough WA, a group launched last year after the death of 17-year-old Luke Beyer, said he would prefer to see compulsory defensive driver training for new drivers.

"The important note is that any car can be driven at speed while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or in a manner deemed dangerous," he said.

"It is the driver where the focus needs to be, not impeding the larger population with a ban, which will have no legitimate effect on road safety."

1

[planetdavo]

I don't have a problem with it.
Inexperienced (usually male) drivers powered by far more testosterone than brains can be a lethal mix in a high powered car. Same goes for turbo and heavily modified cars.
Get some experience, prove you're not a total fcukwit, then be allowed the rewards...

[Plenty]

The idea is fine but the choice of car is stupid, why a supercharged or turbo car? how bout a turbo diesel Cruze or a VW Golf TD. They need to work their ruling on a Power to Weight ratio.

[steve_t]

I agree with Plenty. It wouldn't be any different to the LAMS for bikes.

[288vxgts300]

I have no problems either,

I was frockwit when i was young,thankfully i didn,t hurt anyone,and i,m lucky to be here today.

My driving was a case of going as fast as the car could go,with NO thought about what could happen,that never entred my mind.

Education these days is very good i think.

[macca_779]

Welcome to a decade ago WA

[S_M_I_D_D_Y]

The idea is fine but the choice of car is stupid, why a supercharged or turbo car? how bout a turbo diesel Cruze or a VW Golf TD. They need to work their ruling on a Power to Weight ratio.

Also think of it this way. The New commodores and falcon 6 cyls are more powerful than the 5l v8s from just over 10 years ago

[motorin on]

they need a combination of vehicle bans and early driver education.Show some after crash video's and scare the daylights out of them,show them some crash vehicles at the impound yard
The way some of the idiots drive their little 4 cylinder cars is scary also,just plain crazy.You will never be able to stop idiots all you can do is limit the deaths/damage they do
While they are at it how about a limit on the number of passengers under 21-there is a bit of stirring up going on also inside the car's-some girls are as bad as the guy's.They get so busy talking and listening to the music they forget about everything else

[macca_779]

What they should is make advanced driving courses mandatory for high powered vehicles regardless of age. I had an "high" powered car when I was 19

[Evman]

Welcome to a decade ago WA

We're just busy supporting the rest of the States of Australia.

I don't have an issue with it. My Mum set the ground rules for me anyway which was no V8 until I was 21. Either way though, when you get one you still test the limits and sometimes exceed them.

[JET-33]

power to weight ratio is the concept they need to look into. also, drivers under 21? whats the license / L / P plater ages in WA? VIC is Ps at 18 and not off them until after 21 anyway

[Pickles]

Banning V8s.....Rubbish, I say.
Plenty of cars more powerful, faster, & just as available as a V8......so just "banning V8s"....to make a "political", "I'm a good guy", "do-gooder" statement will do no good at all, except maybe get him a bit of attention from the "do-gooders" etc.
The problem of today is ATTITUDE, & these youths, or whoever they are, who get involved in doing visible burnouts, "crowd pleasing" stunts have a severe attitude "couln't give a stuff" problem....same as the ones, who create police "pursuits", by refusing to be pulled over etc etc etc.
The Police & Politicians are ALWAYS on about SPEED SPEED SPEED, because it's easy to enforce....speed cameras, radar etc etc etc....but speed is only of a "by product" of the real issue, which is attitude. Get the attitude right, & you get rid of much of the problem.
Brock once said to me, "If you haven't got your brain in gear, when you get behind the wheel, NOTHING will make any difference".
Cheers, Pickles.

[planetdavo]

Power to weight ratios are a reasonably flawed method for road cars, because it's rather too easy for an element of young people with a turbo/supercharged or V8 car just under the cap to spend on mods if they can afford it. Considering what quite a few apprentices can earn these days, and they often live at home for minimal cost too, spare cash to blow aint that much of a problem.
Since many seem to have little respect for authority anymore, make them earn some respect to get the privilages, by proving they can behave first.
This sort of subject is ALWAYS highly emotive. We have young people with something to lose, older people who hate the system, and others who simply don't give a fcuk about anyone but themselves, all easily able to make a comment...

[sjhugh]

We as a community are gradually being legislated to the point where eventually we’ll lose the ability to be able to make decisions for ourselves. You only need to look at the social problems that Governments of late have been trying to correct by making laws that affect everyone to save the few. Alcohol and drug abuse, gambling addiction, violence and rage and traffic safety to name a few and yet no amount of Government intervention makes the problems go away.

Its education we need, not laws.

It has been well known for decades that no amount of Government legislation will cure human failings or fix society’s ills. Not everyone lives to an old age, laws won’t change that.
Cars regardless of power can kill if the driver is silly enough to take them beyond their own driving ability and/or the vehicle’s limit. If Governments were serious, they would introduce expensive and mandatory education programmes for new drivers that teach road courtesy, basic and advanced vehicle control and so on as a part of introducing new laws. Laws on their own only target the law abiding, the others do whatever they wish.

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[planetdavo]

We as a community are gradually being legislated to the point where eventually we’ll lose the ability to be able to make decisions for ourselves. You only need to look at the social problems that Governments of late have been trying to correct by making laws that affect everyone to save the few. Alcohol and drug abuse, gambling addiction, violence and rage and traffic safety to name a few and yet no amount of Government intervention makes the problems go away.

Its education we need, not laws.

It has been well known for decades that no amount of Government legislation will cure human failings or fix society’s ills. Not everyone lives to an old age, laws won’t change that.
Cars regardless of power can kill if the driver is silly enough to take them beyond their own driving ability and/or the vehicle’s limit. If Governments were serious, they would introduce expensive and mandatory education programmes for new drivers that teach road courtesy, basic and advanced vehicle control and so on as a part of introducing new laws. Laws on their own only target the law abiding, the others do whatever they wish.

.

Tell all this to those scumbag lawyers that only exist for a win, rather than doing what is "right"...we live in an increasingly litigious society where people can "win" because others didn't stop them misbehaving...