New P plate laws

Originally Posted by OzJavelin

OK .. so I'm the bad guy here. So everyone was expecting that "everyone" would support this post? Last time I checked this was a democracy and typically things got passed into legistation via a majority? (well .. that's the theory ).

People seem pretty touchy about this subject, and I'm not sure if the focus is the bit about P-platers or about mobile phones? If it's about P-platers I sympathise that you have been singled out. If it's about mobile phones I still feel sympathy that you are so dependant upon you phones either by want or necessity?

I am a member of a number of car clubs and I will support fighting legistation when it is relevant to my hobby. This is not relevant. It's about the equivalent of banning smoking in public places ... something most research (which in the case of mobile phone usage, I personally agree with) shows is bad for our health, but some people will always complain about it anyway ..

My point is if you are going to do it to one group, do it to all.

What about taxis, trucks and emergency services? If its such a big risk you would think theyd ban CB radios and other forms of comunication, holding a CB in your hand and talking can't be any safer than hands free.

[luke]

Come to SA... we've got stuff all in the way of rules here lol

[Shonky]

Originally Posted by lizardmech

What about taxis, trucks and emergency services? If its such a big risk you would think theyd ban CB radios and other forms of comunication, holding a CB in your hand and talking can't be any safer than hands free.

A valid point, but please don't give them any ideas...

Emergency Services personell are allowed to use hand held mobiles while driving, so this won't affect them in the slightest.

[Trevor 57]

You people who are bagging the Government for making these rules, just ask yourselves why.

Governments don't introduce laws unless they have researced the facts completely.

As I stated on this forum sometime ago, US studies have proven that 20% of all fatal and serious motor vehicle accidents are due to the lack of concentration of drives, and by the largest distraction is the use of mobile phones, both hands free and hand held.

People die by YOUNG people playing with mobile phones while they are driving, a case the springs to mind is that of the youg lady in Victoria who drove over a man rding his pushbike quite legally as she was playing with her mobile phone

Get over it!

Originally Posted by Big_Trev

You people who are bagging the Government for making these rules, just ask yourselves why.

Governments don't introduce laws unless they have researced the facts completely.

As I stated on this forum sometime ago, US studies have proven that 20% of all fatal and serious motor vehicle accidents are due to the lack of concentration of drives, and by the largest distraction is the use of mobile phones, both hands free and hand held.

People die by YOUNG people playing with mobile phones while they are driving, a case the springs to mind is that of the youg lady in Victoria who drove over a man rding his pushbike quite legally as she was playing with her mobile phone

Get over it!

What does screwing around with their phones and sending SMSs have to do with a hands free system that requires no more effort than a gear change.

[dogbreath_48]

I honestly can't see alot wrong with talking on your handsfree, but if the law was introdiced, at least i'd have an excuse not to answer my phone when work calls!

I think we can just all thank our lucky stars that passenger restrictions and more stringent power restrictions arn't on the table...

-Stu

[T_Terror]

Originally Posted by Big_Trev

You people who are bagging the Government for making these rules, just ask yourselves why.

Governments don't introduce laws unless they have researced the facts completely.

As I stated on this forum sometime ago, US studies have proven that 20% of all fatal and serious motor vehicle accidents are due to the lack of concentration of drives, and by the largest distraction is the use of mobile phones, both hands free and hand held.

People die by YOUNG people playing with mobile phones while they are driving, a case the springs to mind is that of the youg lady in Victoria who drove over a man rding his pushbike quite legally as she was playing with her mobile phone

Get over it!

I think youre giving the government a bit (more like WAAAAAYYY) too much credit there big trev.

Since when have they used research to determine new legislation. And that crap pushed out by those people at monash (who are funded by government) dosent count, theres been nothing put forward with any credibility.

I remember not long ago the "latest research" form these buffoons was saying how speaking on a hands free phone was the same as driving with 0.08 BAC.

And how does that one stupid chick hitting a rider make me or anyone else more liable to do the same thing? As a driver trainer id think that you would see a much better cross-section of drivers and non bundle them all into one gorup.

Bracks idiotic plans are even worse than I thought.


YOUNG drivers would spend an extra year with a probationary licence under new plans to tackle the road toll.





And hoons would be forced to stay on their P-plates for even longer.

Learners would be compelled to get 120 hours of practice before getting their licence.

The P-plate period would be split into two stages -- P1 and P2 -- with extra restrictions imposed on P1 drivers.

The proposed changes to driver licensing laws were announced by Premier Steve Bracks yesterday.

Other proposals include:

DOUBLING the minimum L-plate period to 12 months.

ALCOHOL interlocks for all drink-drivers on P-plates or aged under 25.

A BAN on hands-free mobile phone use by P1 drivers.

AN improved on-road driving test.

The cost of getting a licence could go up because of increased administration costs and enhanced testing.

High-performance vehicle rules also will be reviewed.

The State Government will garner public comment for the next three months before making a final decision.

But Mr Bracks yesterday indicated his support for all of the suggestions.

New laws would not go before Parliament until next year. If adopted, offending P-platers who have their licence suspended would have an extra six months added to their probationary period.

Two ideas for reform already ruled out are curfews and passenger restrictions.

The Government has estimated that if the changes were adopted, 12 lives would be saved every year and 192 fewer people would be seriously injured.

In a typical year, 120 people aged 18-25 are killed on the roads and 2300 seriously injured.

CLEARING THE PLATES

# P-PLATE period to go from three to four years TWO stage P-plate period: P1 (12 months) and P2 (3 years)
# 120 hours of experience for L-platers
# EXTRA six months for P1 or P2 for poor driving
# P1 drivers to display a new green P-plate
# P1 drivers banned from all mobile phone use, including hands-free
# ALCOHOL interlocks for all drink-drivers aged under 25

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/com...5E2862,00.html

[MITCHAY]

Lol it seems ACT is becommn easily the best place to be licenced in every day.

All that stuff only saving 12 people is pretty pathetic considering thats about what it was before Bracks introduced a heap of insane laws and destroyed Victorias road safety program. Almost every time hes introduced tougher new laws the road toll has gone UP I don't know how they can come to the conclusion that doing the same thing again will somehow magically work this time. Its funny how they like to quote statistics but they wont get rid of the power restriction when the only study they have done said it doesn't do anything.

[The MaDDeSTMaN]

Originally Posted by lizardmech

Learners would be compelled to get 120 hours of practice before getting their licence.

Oh yeah? And how are they planning on enforcing this one? Log books? I can't think of any way this particular one could be enforced without it being really easy to get around, for example if it was log book based, simply making up false entries. It would make more sense to me if they made the practical driving test you do when you're getting your Probationary license longer and more difficult, the way it is now, I think a trained monkey could pass without problems! :

[Sourbastard]

Originally Posted by MITCHAY

Lol it seems ACT is becommn easily the best place to be licenced in every day.

Now all you need is a car.

[MITCHAY]

Originally Posted by sourbastard

Now all you need is a car.

Lol dont you worry the TX5 will be gone by the end of the year or start of next. At the moment its running great so need to get rid of it just yet and save up a bit more money.

[deesun]

So far the only one who has put any thought to this thread is MEGSY. There is NO WAY this law can be enforced unless you dob yourself in. No officer I was just singing to myself. He can't prove otherwise.In three years there will not be 1 conviction for this offence. In N.S.W learners have to have 50hrs up but my recent experience with my two children says this is NOT enough. 80-100 would be better. As it is now kids can get up a whole heap of hours early and then basically not drive much for the rest of their 12 months in N.S.W.Thats because kids think they know it all. I totally agree that the test is inadequate and should be longer, my young son was out for less than 15 mins in his test,how on earth does an examiner know if you are competant in 15mins,its a joke. I would also like to see police patrol around schools in the afternoons and catch some of the idiot kids who race off away from school at 100kph as often happens near one of our local schools. I don't think they should be booked for a first offence but their parents and school contacted and made aware that little johnny was speeding/driving dangeruosly with 4 other kids in the car,those kids parents should be contacted too and made aware of little Johnnys stupidity. :

[pauljh74]

20 years ago when my 2 eldest sisters got their P's, the probationary period was 1 year. The next eldest it was 2 years. When I got mine it was 3. This 2 stage probationary licence over 4(!) years smells of just one thing - revenue raising.

I think a better way of going about this is to have a P1 licence available for 17 year olds with all manner of restrictions - then at 18 allow them to get the next stage with similar restrictions to what there currently is. The ban on hands free mobile use for P1 drivers is pushing it. There are people of all ages who can't handle talking on a mobile while driving. Some - especially including middle aged and elderly drivers struggle to cope with just driving. These are people with decades of experience. I'd hate to see what they were like when they first got their licence.

The costs for getting the licence should stay similar. They already charge you for the test, then charge you for your licence, and then registration on your car. On top of this there's fuel taxes - I'd say drivers already pay our fair share. If drivers were better tested, there'd be less accidents and the government would save money there.

[MITCHAY]

If you want revenue raising talk about the P off course. Its basically nothing and a retard could do it.

You pay $68 for an extra 4 points and to not have to display your P plates when only a few years ago you got 8 points as the minimum. That smells of revenue raising. Why not offer it for free if it supposebly offers driver education?

My mate did it and the whole time he was there the people were just talking about stupid s**t they did in their cars and how much fun it was.

As long as you pay the $68 they dont care whether you actually learnt anything or not.

Needless to say there is no way im goin to do it unless i have to.

[buickman]

But the problem is to many young people get killed or crippled on the roads in larger numbers per percentage to other drivers.So the goverment has to be seen that it is attempting to do something about it.

But P platers seem to get the raw end of the deal with higher insurance even though they might not have a accident & if picked up by the police are more likely to get a defect even though the car is better maintained than some older drivers cars.

Its hard no matter what you do as no one wants to see their son or daughter cut down in their prime of life. But then with to many regulations & costs you are starting to make life to hard for them. A perfect e.g is the hands free phones rules to be introduced.

buickman

Originally Posted by buickman

But the problem is to many young people get killed or crippled on the roads in larger numbers per percentage to other drivers.So the goverment has to be seen that it is attempting to do something about it.

But P platers seem to get the raw end of the deal with higher insurance even though they might not have a accident & if picked up by the police are more likely to get a defect even though the car is better maintained than some older drivers cars.

Its hard no matter what you do as no one wants to see their son or daughter cut down in their prime of life. But then with to many regulations & costs you are starting to make life to hard for them. A perfect e.g is the hands free phones rules to be introduced.

buickman

It would be nice if they could atleast try something that might actually work though, between the silly 5 points per year and excessive speed cameras in vic they have managed to make the deaths among young people increase. Yet they wont remove useless laws that caused an increase in deaths. They dont have anything in place to make sure new drivers have anything apart from the most basic car control skills imaginable. Theres no way to check if L platers have driven much its insane to rely on it, they need to have mandatory training. The hazard perception test should be scrapped as well its one of the stupidest things I have ever seen.

[Heeno]

meh these f@#ked laws don't bother me anymore, for 1, in and around civilisation im the perfect lil good p plater never causing a fus, so no troubles there, out of civilisation its a differant story, since i have been doing this i have never been pulled up or spoken to by a copper, which is good cuz i can drive how i want, when i want and not get hasseled. i hate answering my mobile anyway, especially while driving with or without hands free it's just a plain inoyance.

[MITCHAY]

Originally Posted by Heeno

. i hate answering my mobile anyway, especially while driving with or without hands free it's just a plain inoyance.

Lol i hate the mobile phone period. Sometimes im just too lazy to answer or CBF to talk. But will f**k it off completely while driving. Having nearly lost control the one time that i did ive accepted there is a valid reason why it is banned.

[Heeno]

Originally Posted by MITCHAY

Lol i hate the mobile phone period. Sometimes im just too lazy to answer or CBF to talk. But will f**k it off completely while driving. Having nearly lost control the one time that i did ive accepted there is a valid reason why it is banned.

it just p!sses me off cuz your looking out for cops, trying to maintain a steady speed, trying to put up with some knob on the other end, also merging while on the phone is inoying and i find i can't stick to my line properly, it's not the fact of holding the phone or sticking something in my ear, it is just plain inoying, mind you i have no problem taking to someone next to me while driving it's just mobile phones (unless your a 14 yo girl) are a plain p!ssoff :

[MITCHAY]

My reaction is go slower and eventually they will overtake you. They rear end you then its their fault. I notice particularly how bad driving on the phone is when your about to pull up at lights or are already stopped.

If the person behind you is on the phone they cut it pretty damn fine and if they are in front of you they take bloody ages to react and also take forever to get up to the speed limit.

I therefore overtake them and proceed to shake my head while giving them the finger. Driving to fast is dangerous but also driving too slow is aswell.

[Heeno]

Originally Posted by MITCHAY

I therefore overtake them and proceed to shake my head while giving them the finger. Driving to fast is dangerous but also driving too slow is aswell.

ah yes, slow drivers cause and get nothing but abuse from me, i don't know why they seem to sit there and p!ss everyone off, you can hardly ever get around them cuz more then likely theres a tool beside him doing the same thing. lol that reminds me i must go and get the megaphone from my mates place, that thing solves all problems on the road :evil3:

I don't find it difficult to talk on hands free but im careful to keep driving my main priority, im happy to be rude and ignor the person on the phone if theres something that i need to focus on. Some people get to involved with conversations with people in the car or on the phone, emotional stuff or describing something is the worst because they often start to visualize stuff in their head.

[Lightning Strike GT]

I would rather drive infront of a P-Plater talking on a hands free than drive infront of a 4WD driven by a female who is turning around whacking and yelling at her kids in a school zone at 3pm - at least the P-Plater would stop at a pedestrian crossing with a marked lollypop lady and about 10 kiddies crossing it
I felt sick in the stomach just watching her cruize thru the crossing looking backwards yelling at the kids in the back - but she was not doing more than 40 and not on a phone she was a safe driver
Kids and parents and a lollypop lady scattering she did not stop but just kept going copping a tyrade of abuse from all and sundry.
Driving to work most mornings you see stuff that is mind blowing and dangerous and rarely if ever have I seen a P-Plater or a young person while driving a hi-po car talking on a hands free kit do half the stupid stuff that I see middle age people doing in their cars in peak hour - Yes we all started some where and have stufed up some where in our driving life and learnt not to do it again - for a start ban the knobs from reading the paper while driving , shaving , applying make up , getting dressed or the all time fave coffee in one hand toast in the other at freeway speeds but these are never brought into question these are older people in their 40's and more responsible :jab: not 17 and young and inexperienced
Or on the other side of the coin getting pinged for 63 in a 60 zone while the heap of crap, rust bucket, billowing smoke goes pasted a speed camera at under 60 with 4 kids and a dog jumping around in the back of the car and the driver sucking on a stubby of VB - no fine no warning he was not speeding but I was doing 63 in my new well maintained car with no one else on board and I broke the law :
The govt and Police should pull their heads out of their asses and crack down on stuff that makes a real danger to users on the roads not flash in the pan knee jerk reaction from the king jerk Scrubby (why does the powers that be listen to him and bend over to accomodate him does he have some thing over MP's) who says a P-Plater on the hands free is a serious danger - wake up ****ers and do some real law inforcement on out roads.

[XD-Machine]

this is stupid, next it will be illegal to talk or listen to a radio in a car when you are on your P's. for god sake yeah there are P platers out there that are stupid but there is also alot of good sensible P platers out there. i believe proper driving reqirements to pass your L's like must have certain amount of hrs with an proper instructor cause alot of my friends havnt even done the proper 50hrs cause there parents just wanted them to get there licence (stupid i no).
i still belive if ppl are going to drink and drive they will, no law is going to stop that. same goes for speeding because these idiots just think they are the best drivers and mabey a advanced course also should be a green P's requirement.

i hate the old farts in the goverment that aint on there P's making law's that dont effect any of them. i feel like screaming this is so stupid :jab:

[Heeno]

AUXR8 - i fully agree with you,

it would make me a happy man if they were to do mandatory licence tests every 5 years or so, it's not just young people i see screwing up, its young and old that should have been shot instead of getting a licence, it would certinaly get my step dad and alot of other oldies that have forgoten what the rules are and common road sence, off the road!
they should be banning 4wd, i say a good 80% don't even use them for what there ment for, and think because of the size they can do what they want when they want, they are the real danger!

[Biggoggs]

How silly. I can just imagine the government lucky 8-ball they shake around and see what to do next. "Ban phones", "Ban passengers", "Go slower", "Heavier penalties", "Charge extra for points"....

I especially like how in the article they finish with a few stories of irresponsible P-platers speeding, it has nothing to do with the article but helps reinforce the reader's emotions.

[Psycho Chicken]

Originally Posted by Big_Trev

Governments don't introduce laws unless they have researced the facts completely.

BWA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Originally Posted by lizardmech

The cost of getting a licence could go up because of increased administration costs and enhanced testing.

DING DING DING! I think I found the real motive here.

When can we vote this money wasting excuse for a government out? Getting sick of having to pick up the tab for their crap.

Ha Ha, it always the poor p plater that cops it, what a load of crap . i am 32 and they still pull me over, its not the fact that you have p's at all, i have had my xc defected 5 times in one year. and all i was doing was going home from work. it is what ya car looks like. its just that you young p plate nerds sook about it. I think its a good things to get young idiots out of fast cars, cause you all think you can drive, but ya cant, cop it on the chin. when you learn to resect cars. then drive them. ha ha ha ha ha.......