Posted 24 May 2011 - 01:13 PM
This is a load of rubbish. So to start with, you need to have a provisional for one year? I'm sorry, but if you've had enough lessons and are able to pass the test, you're a good enough driver. Most people can't afford a year with an instructor so will drive with their parents supervision, which I know for me was a lot different to driving with my instructor.
Restrictions on the time of day? Ok, so I guess that means they won't be allowed to drive in the dark? So are they trying to say that even after passing their test, a young driver is not experienced enough to drive at night? They'll have had enough experience on the road in the day through lessons, and surely it's best to allow young drivers on the road at night after they've just passed their test, or even while they are still learning, when they haven't got into bad driving habits? I actually prefer driving at night, apart from idiots who have their headlights wrongly adjusted, I have no problems; less traffic, pedestrians etc.
Lower alcohol limit - Surely the same amount of alcohol in the body will affect a young person in a similar way to an adult. That's different for everybody, I know, but you can't say a young person just under the limit now is going to crash whereas an older drive won't. I'm sure most alcohol related accidents are caused by people over it, not under it.
Restriction on driving young passengers - I'm not sure if this means children or anybody younger than the driver. Personally, I would not want to carry young children as a passenger in my car. It's a Mini, it's not exactly safe in a crash and I don't think I could live with myself if something did happen. Saying that, though, if I was carrying a child in my car, I would be driving a lot more carefully than usual. Again, if I've passed my test, surely I'm good enough not to crash, regardless of my passengers.
Banning motorway driving - Probably the one point I'm most strongly against. Whether you've been on the road for a week or a year, what can prepare you for the new experience of the motorway? I was lucky enough to have my dad with me when I first went onto the motorway, so it was supervised and he could give me tips on what to look out for (e.g. pulling out from the left hand lane on a three lane motorway, make sure nothing is pulling into the middle lane from the right hand lane).
2nd driving test - How about a driving test for people who have passed now? They're probably more of a danger by not driving according to the highway code.
That article is incredibly biased. "In the last ten years alone, there have been 8,109 young lives lost in road accidents." Does it mention how many lives have been lost in road accidents who are not young people?
I'm all for making the roads safer, I'm sure everyone is, but there are better ways to help young people gain experience rather than restricting them in the first couple of years. How about having to have at least one driving lesson on a motorway with a qualified instructor before being allowed to drive on them? Or a lesson in the dark? Most of those accidents are probably caused by young people being idiots and breaking the law anyway, so new laws are hardly going to solve the problem.