Raising driving age?

[firefighter]

get shot for your country, etc etc

Actually, that age is 17. Although I think at that age, if you are in that position, you should be allowed to buy booze, ciggies and porn!

[p.dath]

Here is a link to info on the Victorian model:
http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/...singSystem.htm

It says learners must undergo 120 hours of "supervised" driving, and that means with someone who has a full licence. So I guess they have gone for an honesty system.

Learner drivers under the age of 21 who obtain their learner permit on or after 1 July 2007 must complete a minimum of 120 hours of supervised driving experience (including at least 10 hours at night) before they can take the licence test.

These hours must be recorded in an official Learner Log Book that is signed by the learner driver and the experienced driver. This log book is issued to the learner driver free of charge when they pass the learner permit test.

Learner drivers who do not accumulate 120 hours (including at least 10 hours at night) and have not been exempted from this requirement, will not be permitted to take the licence test and will forfeit their test and appointment fees. Learner drivers will not be permitted to complete the Learner Log Book at the VicRoads Customer Service Centre on the day of their appointment.

There is no requirement for learner drivers 21 years of age or older or learner drivers who obtained their learner permit prior to 1 July 2007 to complete a minimum of 120 hours of supervised driving experience before they can take the licence test.

[SMOKEU]

So you are saying the Police driving standards are too low?

What I'm saying is that the police are focusing their attention in the wrong direction.

[p.dath]

What I'm saying is that the police are focusing their attention in the wrong direction.

I was teasing you. I was suggesting that you were complaining about those people driving Police cars (aka, the Police drivers had the issue).

[Dave Lobster]

so you are saying the police driving standards are too low?

yes!

7, 8, 9, 10

[neels]

I did some trawling on the net, and found this graph. It would appear that the most dangerous age to be on the road is 20-24 years old, so rather than raising the driving age we should ban people when they turn 20 and allow them back on the road when they turn 25.

[SPman]

So you are saying the Police driving standards are too low?

A lot of them are. There are police who are specifically not allowed to drive police vehicles.

I'm sorry, but i was actually a participant in one of those studies, and the "frontal lobe" section of the brain, the one responsible for risk-taking and hazard detection, is not fully developed until a person is at least 25.

Which is why they like to get younger people in the military................

I agree with you about the development age of 25. However, may I suggest that perhaps you don't need a 100% fully developed brain before you can start driving and providing benefit.

I was driving tractors when I was 12, driving (under supervision) on the road when I was 14, and had a full licence 2 weeks after I was 15. By the time I was 16 I had done 10,000km. Most of the people I knew followed a similar path and, although we pushed boundaries, most of us were fully aware of the risks involved. Many of the next generation kids I know also got their licences at 15 and, similarly, were aware of the risks and drove accordingly, with minimal damage to themselves or others.
Because there are a small group of youths, who act as if there is no tomorrow on the road (and there always has been) and due to rising population numbers, even though the percentage is small, the overall numbers are rising, the MSM delight in false Death-Shock-Horror-Tragedy, oh woe is us headlines, every time one of these peabrains takes out a car load of others with him, like ACC, the general public is hoodwinked into beleiving that the answer is to make a license a priviledge of age attainment, as though that will miraculously cure the problem!
Well, it won't, it'll just shift the stats up a notch.

[SPman]

Here is a link to info on the Victorian model:
http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/...singSystem.htm

It says learners must undergo 120 hours of "supervised" driving, and that means with someone who has a full licence. So I guess they have gone for an honesty system.

They do the same in W.A. as well. Also, restricted bike riders have to be "shadowed" by a qualified rider for 50 hrs (I think) before they can get their full.
Doesn't seem to do much for the general standard - Perth drivers are just as bad as Auckland drivers.....no....I Lie....they're worse!

[Clockwork]

I did some trawling on the net, and found this graph. It would appear that the most dangerous age to be on the road is 20-24 years old, so rather than raising the driving age we should ban people when they turn 20 and allow them back on the road when they turn 25.

Interesting stats but since it includes 0-4 5-9 & 10-14 you'd have to assume this isn't about the age of the drivers.

[YellowDog]

That's a bit scarey. You just couldn't rely on whether the other driver will know/follow the new rules.

One good thing from the UK highway code is that you should not anticipate the actions of other road users.

This means that if they are indicating left, you do not have the automatic right to pull out into their path.

You only pull out when you see they have slowed to make the turn.

I agree that the one year raise in minimum age is pointless. Some of the other stuff is pretty good.

[slofox]

Actually, that age is 17. Although I think at that age, if you are in that position, you should be allowed to buy booze, ciggies and porn!

Well, buggrit! Let's raise that to 18 as well. Keep it tidy y'know...

(I didn't know that actually...)

[p.dath]

I did some trawling on the net, and found this graph. It would appear that the most dangerous age to be on the road is 20-24 years old, so rather than raising the driving age we should ban people when they turn 20 and allow them back on the road when they turn 25.

I think you'll find that includes passengers, and those involved in the accident (such as cyclists and pedestrians). If you rip those out, the graph will start decreasing more quickly from 20 onwards.

[scumdog]

The coaching idea is far from foolproof. I can see many, many parents simply signing off fake hours simply because they cannot be bothered putting the time and effort into their child. Which is the exact same problem that we already have.

Ah well, when little Johnny ploughs into a logging truck due to his inept driving they can bask in the glow that signing off those hours falsly has paid off...

[Ixion]

One might have thought that inept driving, prevention of, is why we have a driving test ?

[scumdog]

One might have thought that inept driving, prevention of, is why we have a driving test ?

Like a half hour test when lil' Johnny is twying weelie, weelie hard is ever going to reveal all his ineptness?

But maybe I should have used 'inexperience' rather than inept.