Steel Mann
I must admit I hadn't thought about uphill or towing but isn't this more to do with power than speed (or maybe a bit of both)?

Ludwig
It is an important issue but it is also a difficult one to think of any workable solutions. The answer probably lies in manufacturing or law enforcement strategy because education doesn't seem to work. Raising the driving age probably wouldn't be feasible either as it would be politically risky.

Another issue might be the populations of our bigger cities - too many people, too many cars, too much road rage and too many opportunities for unsafe or hoon drivers to cause accidents.

The problems seem insurmountable and I don't know what the answers are.

Ludwig

I know my post was rather anecdotal - but I feel the points I made were entirely valid:

1. Education starting as early as possible (16 years of age) including many hours, preferably on a variety of vehicles.

And my main point:

2. Limits on the power of vehicle a teenager can drive, just as motorcyclists are restricted to 250 CC, so too car drivers.

Finally, there is no magic bullet. However limiting the type of car would be a good start.

Pelican, I think the answer lies predominantly in law-enforcement strategies and to a lesser extent with education and technology.

I find it strange that a lot of people would be quite happy if technological innovations prevented irresponsible drivers from practicing some of their dangerous antics, but are loathe to condone an improvement in policing that would achieve the same thing.

I’m bewildered as to why my ideas of empowering everyone to easily report aberrant drivers meets with such dismissal.

Implementing technological advances is a long, slow and expensive route. Education is likewise. Greatly improving the effectiveness of the policing regime by making hoons and other wnkers on our roads fearful that anyone witnessing their antics can immediately do something about it rather than just the incredibly sparse boys in blue, has got to be the way to go. They’ve certainly seen the merit of this in New Zealand.

Qld Premier Anna Bligh says that increased revenue from an imminent 33% increase in a wide range of fines will be used to put about another 120 police out there.

Now, if every one of those officers went into road safety and went out onto our roads, it would hardly make a skerrick of difference. But if they were placed in office jobs to administer a roadwatch scheme similar to that in NZ, along with a major publicity campaign imploring the public to dob in a dic*head driver, then I reckon a huge advancement would be made in road safety in Qld.

“too many people, too many cars, too much road rage and too many opportunities for unsafe or hoon drivers to cause accidents.”

Yes. All the more reason for greatly improving the policing regime in this sort of a manner.

Fractelle: “I shudder when I see a callow youth behind the wheel of a supercharged anything.”

Absolutely!

As with motorbikes, I’d like to see a system whereby drivers start out with small vehicles which psychologically counter the urge to hoon. For example, a young male could hardly treat a Hyundai Getz or Holden Barina as a hoonmobile, could he? Perhaps they should all be pink and have flowers or dolls painted on the sides as well ( :>)

I agree that driver-education should be much more comprehensive, starting in school a couple of years before driving age. I also think that a full defensive driving course should be a standard part of pre-licence education.

Cheers

Well, before I say anything, I should mention that I think your first error was paying attention to 60 minutes. That program is a far cry from what it once was, but I suppose I digress.

I suppose I'd support extended restrictions on drivers up to 21, but I'm not sure about beyond that. Some posters have indicated that anyone under 30 is a problem driver or have indicated that brains aren't fully formed. Nevertheless, I know many people under 30 who could quite easily match brainpower with the older posters on this site and as a rule I'm against blanket restrictions when there are individuals who do not deserve such heavy-handed regulation.

However, I see some wriggle room - those who are indeed sensible drivers probably wouldn't need hoonmobiles as it were, and perhaps a little time to prove themselves behind the wheel of something less powerful would do them some good. I think a suggestion that P-plate drivers are only allowed 4 cylinder vehicles would certainly have merit.

However, my proviso would be that repeat offenders (older drivers, who may have open licences) who have displayed tendencies toward dangerous and aggressive driving should also be subject to such restrictions for a certain period of time. Naturally, exemptions would exist for work use of specific work-related vehicles.

Ludwig, I sympathise with your concern at the behaviour of drivers on our roads. However, I think that if you want to get Aussies to dob each other in you're pushing the proverbial uphill. It's just not going to happen.

Earlier in the thread, I made a comment about State-sponsored events like "Indycars" and "V8 Supercars" that nobody picked up. Am I the only one who thinks it strange that the Qld government bends over backwards to sponsor and host street racing, while at the same time bemoaning and penalising "hooning" on Qld streets?

I heard it reported today that "Indycars" (or whatever vile celebration of automotive excess) is the "Schoolies" for "adults" in Queensland.

What sort of message does that crap send?