Brain tests reveal teenagers not ready for driving

[avgas]

I can't name anyone that this applies to. All my friends rode two wheels first.

So your telling me you don't have your full car license then? As i notice you are on a 250 so one would assume your still on L or R bike?
While i was riding when i was young OFF ROAD i was not a legal road rider until i was 17. Most of my friend drove their parents cars when they had their restricted/learners a good 6 months before they were allowed bikes.

[scumdog]

I don't think it's so much his age as how he has been raised. Will probably have the same attitude when he is 18.

Amazes me how many stounch young guys throw the toys out of cot when they fail. How dare you fail me!

It's more a problem with authority figures I think.

A lot of it is bravado to cover a basic lack of self-confidence, you would be surprised how 'un-staunch' they are when not near a suitable audience.

But some 'firm' but positive parenting would help a lot of them.

My theory: With dogs it's six months, children it's three years of their lives.

'Stand on their neck and show them whose boss' (figuratively speaking) and you won't have bugger all problems with either.
No need to be nasty about it but firm boundaries right from the start will set the standard.

[sAsLEX]

'Stand on their neck and show them whose boss' (figuratively speaking) and you won't have bugger all problems with either.
.

On there back, hand on the chest or throat and literally show your dominance and put the dog in their place, would probably work for kids too but you would end up in jail!

[Dave Lobster]

So your telling me you don't have your full car license then? As i notice you are on a 250 so one would assume you're still on L or R bike?
While i was riding when i was young OFF ROAD i was not a legal road rider until i was 17. Most of my friend drove their parents cars when they had their restricted/learners a good 6 months before they were allowed bikes.

I started riding at 16 on the road. I got my car licence and full bike licence at 17. I didn't get a car until I was 21. I had no use for one.
I ride a 250 through choice, not because I have to. Mrs Lobster says I'm allowed to have any bike I want.. but I choose not to.

Oh.. and never assume..

[Ocean1]

Seems nobody has mentioned the effect ACC has on the availability of vehicles "unsuitable" for younger drivers. As a teenager in Europe try buying a GTO or WRX and see how far you get. The first thing the dealer is going to say is "certainly sir, just show me your insurance details". No insurance, no car. In the UK a typical teenager can get insurance for non-sports cars under 1600cc easily enough although even then the cost is far more attractive for something like a 1200cc Starlet. Want to modify it? Sorry, no.

Insurance companies make their living assessing risk, none of them would cover an 18 year old driving a GTO, (for example) at any price. ACC does, at the same price as you're Mum in her corolla. This is one example of how an artificial market creates huge inequities in costing, the real cost of personal insurance for kids in badly modified sports cars is just plain unacceptable, no matter who’s paying for it.

I also have a problem with lending institutions behaviour. If you look at the price of cars in low socio-economic areas they’re damn near twice that of others. Same with yards that specialise in “boy racer” models and accessory shops. Why? Because they’re not selling cars they’re selling finance. High interest finance, because it’s high risk lending, they expect a high rate of defaulters. I don’t know where the line between ethically valid financial lending and outright usury is but I reckon that’s well over it. If high risk vehicle owners had to pay the full costs of purchasing and insuring their vehicles up front a lot of our problems would disappear overnight.

[Swoop]

Agreed.
The facts:
Assumptions:
Realities:
Each of the classes has taught me something different about road awareness.

I don't think we should raise the driving age.

I do belive you may have something here. KB has discussed the effects of riding for a while, before being allowed a cage licence (see below a-la froggies). A licence structure thet requires all drivers to learn (but NOT be licenced to operate) all classes of vehicles?
Interesting.

I think a combination of raising the drinking age and the driving age could be a well spent improvement.

Not if you are the politicians who are deriving revenue from this...

No unsecured loans, no 'ticking-up' mags/stereos/tints/body-kits either.

Need to spread rep around, etc, etc....

it will not be long before Knackstedt and Clarke conspire to take you guns your bikes ...

"Cold dead hands?"

What about when they start protecting the public from the possibility of senility?

COOL! They can get rid of the incompetent idiots we have at the moment! Who said the dinosaurs are extinct...

"fuck Susan Mum, I want my my fucking license.....now".

A. The little shite should not have spoken like that in front of his Mum.
B. He was throwing a 3 year old tantrum
C. He could not see past the moment at hand (typical teen attribute)
D. So long as he dressed like a threat to NZ motorists, he will be tested accordingly, by the obviously vigilant instructor.

Good on the testing officer!

Amazes me how many stAunch young guys throw the toys out of cot when they fail. How dare you fail me!

Not authority figures, just attitude. The "PC" environment dosen't help the issue.

CMT and a good RSM will learn them out of that behaviour!

Fucken A!

Why? Because they’re not selling cars they’re selling finance. High interest finance, because it’s high risk lending, they expect a high rate of defaulters.

Good to see someone "gets" it!

[kro]

Hey, don't get me wrong, had you have bought this topic up 15 years ago, I would have defended the driving age, but I am at a major loss to find the good teens these days, they are damn hard to find,

I see jumped up little fucks, of both genders, behaving like retards on our roads on a daily basis, I have very little other than this to rate the ability of youth in general to handle themselves responsibly on our roads, and I believe the damage is multiplying every month.