Buckrogers

With second hand classic Japanese imports being so cheap and such a powerful light car, is it not about time BHP restrictions are put in place, just like new bike licences?

Or should I just appear on the next "Grumpy Old Men" program?

pete higham

no mate we will just come to you for bigger brakes

LegacySTi

iTrader: (13)

Grumpy. NO DOUBT.

cw42

iTrader: (1)

It would make sense too, I still can't understand why you can pass you test, then drive off in any car of your choosing straight after! The whole driving test needs reviewing, add night driving as a matter of course, motorways, more car park manouvers too. Also, I'd like to see compulsery retests on at least a 10 year basis, with automatic lifetime bans for people over the drink drive limit. And car related deaths to get a much tougher jail sentence than they currently do.
chris.

MikeCardiff

iTrader: (2)

I suppose in a way insurance costs act as a limit to some extent - doesnt stop rich kids passing their test and getting straight in a Ferrari, but will put off most people when they find out the insurance costs 3 times as much as the car.

Also, they introduced the 6 points rule, where newly passed drivers can only get 6 points in the first two years, and then they lose their license and have to resit the test.

But.... from a safety point of view I agree there should be a limit, even if not on bhp, on engine size - something like maximum of a 1.6 until they've been driving for 2 years with no points or similar.

Especially for teenagers passing their tests as these are the ones most likely to try and impress their mates by speeding, and as we get older we generally lose that feeling of invincibility we had as kids so tend to drive a bit more sensibly.

MikeCardiff

iTrader: (2)

Other thing they should add to the test ( relevant to all us classic Impreza drivers ) is :

HOW TO OPEN YOUR FUXXING DOOR IN A CAR PARK WITHOUT HITTING THE CAR NEXT TO YOU.

And

IF YOU CUT SOMEONE UP AND FORCE THEM TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES BY REVERSING OUT OF YOUR OWN DRIVE HALFWAY INTO THE OPPOSITE LANE WHILE NOT LOOKING - GIVING THEM THE FINGER IS NOT A VERY GOOD IDEA BECAUSE THEY KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE !

Feel better now.

pwhittle

I quite agree, but car drivers make up the majority of voters - bikers don't
(I've never had a bike, but I am pro-biker)

I trained as a driving instructor, and still think that a: lessons should be compulsory, b: in-depth training should be compulsory

(as a cyclist, I'd stand leners 3 foot into a derestricted road, drive past them a foot away, and see if they think that's an appropriate way to drive!)

richs2891

I'm only 30 and I'm convinced I've turned into grumpy old man !
Would definately like to see the driving test toughened up (IMO its a joke), I sat a mock on last week and past it without trouble.
Definately like to see new drivers limited to engine capacity for a period of time and have to wear new driver plates for the same period.
Compulsary restest every ten years for everyone would be a great idea but can guantee the logistics of it would be a nightmare.
The biggest thing I feel is to make people aware of their actions when driving and the consequences - see above

Richard

GrollySTI

Ha ha - I build new houses and think it should be compulsory for everyone to buy a new home

Paul3446

I would like to see a law saying that for 3 years after passing your test you can only drive a completely unmodified car, would solve the problem of all the chavs driving endlessly round our town at night in their ridiculous tin cans.

Buckrogers

LOL


Thing with the insurance is they can always just get third party.....

A year or two after I past my test, I bought an RST S2, 130BHP, thought that was plenty fast for me. Well after a 1.4SR Nova and a 2.0Ltr Cortina is was a big jump!

brihoppy

compulsory re-test after 10 years...?!

how about a regular safety assessment rather than a test...? not sure id be too happy at some examiner/instructor banging on at me for the way i drive just because it wasnt 'by the book' yet safe enough...

Moley

iTrader: (9)

Agree with you, should be some kind of limit.

Also from an insurance point of view the companies should refuse to do this whole '20 but named on mums policy' thing on performance cars.

Makes me wonder why the direct companies will charge you an extra £100 just for having bigger wheels, but will happily insure a youngster as a named driver on an Impreza!!!

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

The driving lessons here involves driving on the Autobahn and also driving in the dark and also both together. You also can not drive with your mates on a prov licence you need to have a proper driving instructor with you from the second you get in the drivers seat.

Which seems fair to me at least it stops idiots getting in a car with their mate who has passed his test and bombing around on L plates picking up bad habits.

fatharry

Couple of years ago while talking to sales man at Ralliart Dudley, he told me about a guy who came in and brought a brand new Evo Xtreme for his son who at 17 and had just passed his driving test and needed a car as he had to wait 2 months forn his brand new Ferrari!

SivMY05Sti

I know it would'nt work, but it ought to be max bhp limited to number of years on the road, say after 5 years you can have over 200bhp...... or maybe an upgraded test to allow to drive more powerfull cars

I'll wait for the flack.........

briforbes

Some fair points, but in an age where little 1.2 litre shopping cars can top 100mph and return reasonable accelaration times, capping the capacity or power output of the cars for young drivers won't really do much.

How many times have you seen 1.0 micras and the like "piloted" at ridiculous speeds, carrying out insane overtaking manouvres etc. I know I've lost count. I would argue that a more powerful (to a point) car could actually be safer due to better handling, brakes etc.

When I passed my test at 17 I had an E-30 325i, which may seem nuts to some, but I feel that car taught me so much about car control and road safety that I simply wouldn't have learned hooning about in little hatchback. It handled well and braked well, and taught me to respect the road conditions, especially in winter.

Where I stayed at the time there were a lot of accidents involving young drivers, the majority of whom were driving Novas, minis etc, so I don't believe limiting people to lower capacity/output cars is the answer. If anything these drivers are the ones who feel they have something to prove and give their cars 10/10ths all the time.

I think it would be a better option to introduce some sort of attitude training for new drivers to stop them seeing the roads as race tracks and other drivers as competitors who must be beaten at all costs. I also feel lessons should cover all road conditions, although I appreciate that this isn't always practical.

Anyways, that's my tuppence worth...

Brian

TyPe~~R

Increase the driving age to 19 or 21 years, that would cut out all the idiot kids who cause many accidents

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

but what about all the old people/women that never have an accident but see loads in the rear view mirror what should we do about them?

johnnystorm

Some great ideas from people who have passed their tests and won't be affected!

Personally I'm happy the way it is. As mentioned above, Insurance causes most youngsters into something slow and more manageable and people that drive like Tw*ts do so whatever they drive.

Leave everything as it is but include some compulsary motorway/night time/skid pan tuition.

ketchup

the current test does not cover enough real world driving and should include motorways etc... as already mentioned
i think compulsary ongoing testing should be included every 5 years at least and this should include an eyetest as from an optician not can you read a number plate ....
and what about compulsary bike test before a car test? Nothing like riding a bike to realise how dangerous a road can be .... ouch

scooby546

iTrader: (1)

I agree with the general feel of the above posts - I remember when I was about 21 or so looking back on my first year's driving as a 17 year old, and realising that I hadn't really been 'ready' to take to the road in earnest. Perhaps this was due to being too young or too inexperienced, either way more training is definitely a good starting point, maybe including some skid-pan work as well so drivers get the experience of recovering control before they have to do it for real.

Also, making some basic bike training compulsory as well would help raise general awareness. I'm not a biker myself and have never owned one, but I do know that they are at greater risk on the roads than the majority of motorists. Experience from their side of the road might help first time drivers remember that they are responsible for the safety of other road users, as well as their own.

As far as engine size / bhp restrictions are concerned - they should be taken in context, a power / weight ratio restriction maybe?

Pete

seab

Some very valid and well thought out points there mate, however i had 3 points just before my 2nd year of driving (for a bald tyre) does that mean i cant progress to a more powerful car because the police in their opinion decied the tyre was less than legal.

im 21 now with a 93 wrx (always wanted one)

at 18 i had a yaris T sport (1.5)
at 19/20 starlet turbo (1.3 turbo)
20/21 wrx

so not a bad progression

D16GER

My kinda topic. I would say (IMO)....

Compulsary driving tests every 10 years, then every 5 years for over 60's, then every 2 years for over 70's and every year for over 80 year olds. Obviously the tests will reduce in cost as they increase in frequency.

Improved standard of driving tests. To include perhaps some form of handling/skid training and also driving at speeds closer to 70. Even though new drivers will only be allowed to drive at 45, they will eventually drive at 70, and therefore need to be taught properly. They also need some kind of understanding of vehicle handling for when things go wrong.

There are IMO way too many people driving who do not have a clue about lane discipline, how to approach and negotiate roundabouts and have little to no understanding of the Highway Code.

There are also too many drivers who have absolutely no understanding of braking distances and safe driving distances.

Also, other factors such as increasingly busy roads have seen the need to constantly upgrade them and therefore roundabouts and other junctions become increasingly difficult to negotiate. If you do not have a good understanding of the basic principles, then you are a danger to yourself and others.

Also I would be fully in favour of limits to the BHP being applied. It is wrong and downright dangerous IMO to allow a newly qualified driver to drive vehicles of any power level. Motorcyclists are restricted, and rightly so, therefore other vehicles should be just the same. After all they are equally, if not more dangerous in the wrong hands.

TyPe~~R

Motorway testing would be great, when i first passed back in the day (26 now) the motorways were pretty scary the first few times.

Just the other day i was cut up by a young girl not paying attention, wandering lanes etc...

Night driving is also a good idea

I dont think you can insure anything when your 17, even you offered loads of money, most insurers simply would'nt bother as a 17 year old in a Ferrari is a RTA waiting to happen

D16GER

Couldn't agree more. The first day I drove on my own after passing my test, I had to make the return journey in the dark, and it was foggy to boot. I was absolutely cr*pping myself. Some experience of night driving would have made it a lot better.

Varboy

In Oz, they restrict new drivers to a reduced speed limit and they can't drive after a certain time of the day (I think), these provisional drivers are identifiable by P plates (Like L plates) which they legally have to display.

Cops also take an extra special look at them as well, I don't know if it works but it's quite funny to see a P plated STi sticking to the speed limit on an open road.

WagonMonster

I wish they had some sort of a restriction here.

There are way too many idiots with overpowered cars here, causing havoc.