RC-Drift.com Posted September 30, 2006 Share Posted September 30, 2006 I do agree with you that the R plate system seems to be largely pointless, particularly in light of zero prosecutions. What do you do instead though? Raise the age limit to 21? Enforce 50mph restrictors in R plated cars? I actually don't know. 2 grand ideas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahc Posted September 30, 2006 Share Posted September 30, 2006 Was he driving a blue Laguna? I saw an R plate Laguna nearly take out a motorcyclist once because he overtook a line of cars near the Bungalow. Never occurred to him there was a reason there was a line of cars, i.e. someone coming the other way. Possibly lack of experience...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
localyokel Posted September 30, 2006 Share Posted September 30, 2006 I did explain to you how the two laws are policed differently, but I guess you chose to ignore that. R plates are practically impossible to police quite frankly whereas an all Island limit would be policed easily. You're comparing apples to oranges. The police don't police two laws differently - that is a ludicrous suggestion - they either bother to enforce certain laws or they don't and in the case of R plates its the fact that they can't be bothered. I have rang through about drivers and the standard response is ... bugger all ... and as Dudley Butt proved nobody gets fined or taken to Court when we all know that they are a serious issue. As a good proportion of the cars smashed to a pulp at the test centre have R plates on them, then that shows how stupid the situation is. If that is the case they may as well get rid of the R plate laws as they are un-enforcable. The cars are there on public display in the car park, so why are people not getting booked as its hard to write a car off by observing the reduced R plate limits? As this is the fact I have no reason to expect that an all Island limit would be policed with similar effort, they might stick a few cameras up but it won't do anything because they have the means to do something now about R plate drivers and choose not to. What you said was - at the end of the day -- that its easier to enforce an all Island limit and that is an entirely different matter as we seem to have a society that only does the easy stuff as a smokescreen for the fact that the difficult stuff that really makes a difference is just too much effort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Wright Posted September 30, 2006 Share Posted September 30, 2006 choosing to enforce one law and not another is choosing to police the two laws differently, what else is it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rallybug Posted September 30, 2006 Share Posted September 30, 2006 I was following one today on the way back to Douglas from Tynwald Mills - it was in front of me coming out of Glen Vine, and pulled away from me going down the Ballahutchin - I accelerated and matched their speed when I was showing 70mph. We both then slowed down for the 30mph sign in Union Mills, but where my speedo was showing 30, they were pulling away from me, to the extent that when I was approaching the shop, they'd already gone past the Railway! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THRILLER Posted September 30, 2006 Share Posted September 30, 2006 I heard on the News the other day that there are plans for learner drivers to do atleast 12 months learning before they can take their test. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stookie Posted September 30, 2006 Share Posted September 30, 2006 Limit everyone to the type of vehicle they have passed a competency test to drive - that happens already with bikes and HGVs, etc. Got nothing to do with age. Why does everyone want to be a traffic cop? Are we all so sure our speedos are reading correctly that we have to be able to tell if someone else is exceeding a limit - a 10% margin of error on two cars, one plus and the other minus will result in a 20% speed differential when both think they are at the limit? How do we know whether a speeding driver doesn't have an emergency? OK, we probably all get a bit p*ssed off with what we perceive as bad driving without ever questioning our own abilities as a driver or an expert witness! A few years ago I was the victim of some decrepit tossers who obviously had nothing else to do but report me to the police for "the worst driving they had ever seen". What they alleged was I had crossed an unbroken line during an overtake of them (I hadn't) and somehow disturbed their cosy slumber at the wheel - apparently with my headlights full blaze (and they are very bright) they "suddenly saw me appear behind them" on a straight unlit NSL road in the dark. I say they should have been prosecuted for driving without due care, but instead the police chose to take me to task - their word against mine and my passenger's/innocent until proven guilty? You wouldn't give me much of a chance with a certain deemster and the fact I was driving a sports car Not long after, my daughter reported being overtaken by a car at Kate's where there are double unbroken lines, heading towards Douglas, a well known black spot, and nothing ever came of it. A bit of consistency would be nice, but if any car is driven by a policeman's auntie/girlfriend/wife/significant other, does the report get the same treatment as with everyone else? If the police decide what to pursue and what not, they can almost set themselves up as judge and jury; not that it would make any difference to what they investigate or not, but do the police still decide who gets prosecuted or have we introduced an independent body similar to the CPS? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galen Posted September 30, 2006 Share Posted September 30, 2006 As a parent of a youngster who passed their test earlier this year, there are many "R" plated drivers who are law abiding. Many others I would agree are appalling in their attitude to other road users and who abuse the 50 mph limit. Often they are accompanied by a group in the car of similar aged individuals and appear to be out "for the thrill". However, I insist that I regularly go out with my youngster (yes, after their test!) and check that they are driving properly (at least in my presence). However, in my youngster gaining experience / confidence post the test, it amazes me the number of qualified drivers who "honk their horn", "ride the bumper" and generally put intense pressure on getting past the "R" plated driver.who is legally (and rightly, in my opinion) limited to 50 mph. Perhaps a possible solution to this problem would be to have a law that until 19 or 21 only 1 passenger of a similar age can be in the car whilst it has "R" plates. I accept it would not solve the problem but it would at least restrict "peer group pressure" to go faster and endanger not only the car occupants, but other road users. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mojomonkey Posted September 30, 2006 Share Posted September 30, 2006 Maybe we should make being under 25 a criminal offence? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galen Posted September 30, 2006 Share Posted September 30, 2006 Maybe we should make being under 25 a criminal offence? with such insight have you ever considered a career in politics - there is an election coming up soon ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mojomonkey Posted September 30, 2006 Share Posted September 30, 2006 I'm merely commenting on the somewhat vigilante attitude that people generally seem to have. We were all young once and sure everyone has driven faster than they probably should have. Its not big or clever but it happens. I don't think you'll ever be able to take away the novelty factor of being a new driver. As for the political career I think I'll give that one a miss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mojomonkey Posted September 30, 2006 Share Posted September 30, 2006 Perhaps a possible solution to this problem would be to have a law that until 19 or 21 only 1 passenger of a similar age can be in the car whilst it has "R" plates. Could we have similar law for old people as well, I find them equally dangerous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galen Posted September 30, 2006 Share Posted September 30, 2006 Perhaps a possible solution to this problem would be to have a law that until 19 or 21 only 1 passenger of a similar age can be in the car whilst it has "R" plates. Could we have similar law for old people as well, I find them equally dangerous. Good idea - and it would would solve the pensions issue as well !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RC-Drift.com Posted September 30, 2006 Share Posted September 30, 2006 Accident statistics show you're talking out yer ass regarding old vs young drivers, under 20's on the road is like juggling live hand grenades Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drdimmer Posted September 30, 2006 Share Posted September 30, 2006 Accident statistics show you're talking out yer ass regarding old vs young drivers, under 20's on the road is like juggling live hand grenades So put people back till they're 20 before they can learn? It is still going to cause problems, the new found freedom and ownership of the car will still cause a proportion of new drivers push their driving skills dangerously. Under 20 or over 20. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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