cc limit for L plate car drivers

[GN1NiteStnd]

Hey do you guys reckon that learner car drivers should have a cc limit?
From step one they get to drive cars as powerful as they can buy. And there has been a lot of deaths lately.

[madboy]

Quite a bit of debate about this in the thread on the Hastings teenagers. I can only speak from experience. The significant crashes I've had were in my parents Honda Civic (1.5l 66kw) x 2 or 3, and my first MX-5 (1.6l 88kw) where that got effectively written off twice.

Strangely outside of racing I never crashed my 1.6 turbo 323 (120kw odd), nor my 1.8 turbo 323 (140kw odd), nor my heavily modded turbo Lancer (200kw+ at the wheels).

IMHO a cc limit is not the answer. I didn't calm down until common sense arrived with maturity (some debate is still going on there). How do you teach common sense?

[bugjuice]

fuk yeah.. might reduce a few deaths.. might..
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ad.php?t=12717

[SpankMe]

It should be restricted by horsepower. Also they should not be allowed to own a modified car.

Either they get some sort of restriction or remove the 250cc restriction. The current situation is just completely biased. More people can be killed by a learner cager than a leaner biker.

[Odin]

IMHO a cc limit is not the answer. I didn't calm down until common sense arrived with maturity (some debate is still going on there). How do you teach common sense?

I agree to some extent. the lesser cc rating is not going to stop all crashes but i dont think it would be an all bad think to impliment. Though it should not just be based on cc but more a relationship between cc and weight.
I think the lincensing age should be 18 but from 16 - 18 you can drive 50cc mopeds.
I also think a compulsory wetweather/advanced drivers cource is needed.
And generally a bit more "complet" driver trainning required both for car and MC.

I didn't get my license (car and MC) till i was 20 and have never crashed in/on anything other then my bicycle.

[Motu]

It won't make a scrap of difference,same as our 250 limit keeps learners off fast bikes - a small capacity car is still very capable of serious killing speed...the Pukekohe crash last year was just an old Civic.If you want to limit them to a small low powered car they will have to start a whole new importing program - in Japan small 600cc micro cars are very popular in the cities,these will be ideal for learners.Honda Civics,Daihatsu Charades,Toyota Starlets????? I drive these things every day - they are NOT slow,and certainly won't stop young guys killing themselves and their ''friends''.

[unhingedlizard]

i had an idea regarding this. havent thought it through completely but wondered about making the age limit higher (say 18) but allow kids that become prefects or have high grades etc, basically good school performance get thier licence a year earlier.

Just random thoughts.

[ajturbo]

It should be restricted by horsepower. Also they should not be allowed to own a modified car.

Either they get some sort of restriction or remove the 250cc restriction. The current situation is just completely biased. More people can be killed by a learner cager than a leaner biker.

now we are talking!!!
a hp limit......
this IS the only wat to go... and reduce the age !!!

[Motu]

How much HP is your limit?....now go and find cars of that HP and see what you come up with - I'm picking you won't find cars available in that HP range...and if you do,then they'll be the ones that are already killing our youth.

[ajturbo]

How much HP is your limit?....now go and find cars of that HP and see what you come up with - I'm picking you won't find cars available in that HP range...and if you do,then they'll be the ones that are already killing our youth.

bugger and i thought i had ALL the answers!!

[Lou Girardin]

.the Pukekohe crash last year was just an old Civic.''.

Integra Type R.
He boasted of regularly seeing over 200 in it. Say 170 minus the bullshit factor. Sure even small modern cars can reach high speeds, but it takes longer to get there than in some 250 - 300 hp shopping basket.
Power to weight ratio is the ticket. Use the Holden Sunbird as an example - no power, lots of weight.
Make the dumbarses drive shit cars like I had to.

[oldfart]

Hey do you guys reckon that learner car drivers should have a cc limit?
From step one they get to drive cars as powerful as they can buy. And there has been a lot of deaths lately.

Hell yes. Motu has some good points & the 250 restriction on bikes has always been a bit silly when you compared the likes of "RG & TZR 250s" to, say, 500 single 4 strokes. Also Motu points out the real facts like 1300's go quick etc etc. Despite this, some form of limitation, say 1000cc car has got to be better than letting 17 year old teens loose in a turbo like Hastings. Make a law & fine tune it when the flaws get thrown up

[unhingedlizard]

the funny thing is, people will make a law, and when that doesnt work, frather than trying something allong thoush lines, they bin it for....NOTHING.. no back up, nadda.

[Timber020]

Hey, sweet idea, Me and my brother can sell our 1300cc little car to a learner.

Sure it will be pushing a shade under 500hp and only weighs 700kgs but at least tubular frame will make a nicely framed box to put the bodies in. Kit cars rock.

Power to weight is the way to go. CC size means SFA. I couldnt get insurance on a 69 186 kingswood because it was over 2 litre. Got a 1.8 celica, no problem. WTF? the holden only did 70mph but the celica did 180kmph.

[unhingedlizard]

trouble is, you can get a crap power to weight for a learner car. then all the kiddies remove all the seats, seat belts, AIRBAGS, and other assortted safety gear to save weight. Result, in a crash they are still more at risk.

I grew up driving small crappy cars and the mentality you get will them is that is takes you so long to gain speed, you well do anything to keep it, anyone who has ridden a 125cc sportsbike for any length of time will know what i am talking about.

I think the most effective method would be to up the age limit. What better time to give a kid a high performance steel box that can do 100kph than the same time they are pressured in school to experiment with drink and drugs?
In saying that, i dont think there is any hard and fast way to solve the problem but a start would be to realise that being allowed to drive is not a right. Its a privilage, and like every privilage it comes with responsabilitys.