R Stands For Racer!

[Alias]

That doesn't work. Everything comes with danger, criminals are locked up for a reason.

[Guest Klint]

That doesn't work. Everything comes with danger, criminals are locked up for a reason.

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Agreed. But that's a whole new tin of worms within itself. Those who kill through driving and are proven guilty don't get any sympathy from me.

 

The Government should offer an incentive to newly passed drivers to improve their road safety education, in the form of a discount at a trackday or IAM course etc.

[Addie]

The Government should offer an incentive to newly passed drivers to improve their road safety education, in the form of a discount at a trackday or IAM course etc.

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Why?

 

The government isn't wanting to drive well, you are.

 

I paid for my own IAM course for under £30 at the time (a lot for me at the time). As it was conducted by volunteers it kept the cost down.

 

Bring back Jim Russell too

[tree]

IAM is cheap enough as it is. £75 for under 20 year olds i think and £85 for over.

[Snaipyr]

Highly subjective discussion.

 

When I was on R plates and stook to 50mph, tail gating was a major issue outside of town, the attitude of other drivers towards Restricted drivers is herrendous.

 

May aswell bin the whole R Plate idea due to prejudistic barstuards, then we'll be back to square one, everyone is equal. 50mph or not. Do other drivers really need to know they are newbies to driving? Not really, unless they are a learner who may need excusing due to poor driving ability, which is expected.

 

When Police get involved, it's clearly noted on the licence that the driver is on Restriction, these are the guys who should know whether or not the driver is a "newbie", not the normal Bimbo Joeschmoe.

 

Being on R plates didn't stop me from going over twice the 50mph limit - simple solution to that was to go to the trackdays, where I learnt how the car would handle above and beyond the legal requirements imposed on Restricted drivers on public roads, through trial and error in a safe environment.

 

If my car was physically restricted to 50mph due to electronics, GPS systems and whatnot, I'd refuse to contribute road funds, in terms of petrol taxes, road licences/tax etc for other people to use the roads with spirited driving attitudes, abit unfair being a pattionate motormouth.

 

It's the stupid case of "Your a newbie, you can't do that". F...k convention up the arse, f....k conservative bastards off aswell. 

 

Doesn't help most of the Island's population is above the 24 year old bracket.

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If I was Queen of the IOM I'd restrict all males under 30 to Reliant Robins!

[Paul H]

As a young driver, I raced stock cars at Onchan Stadium and it taught me a few valuable lessons. Firstly, I learned what it was like when a car goes out of control. This is something that most ‘new’ drivers will never have experienced until they have an accident on the open roads and then all too often the outcome is tragic.

 

Secondly, I learned that when you have an accident it bloody hurts! The feeling of helplessness and vulnerability that trickles down your leg just before the loudest BANG you will ever hear in your life is not a pleasant one.

 

I am not recommending that everyone drives a stock car to learn to drive but I do wonder how many ‘boy racers’ would benefit from having their first accidents in a controlled environment where at least they don’t endanger other people?

 

Right, back to the problem with young people and the cars they drive today. It is true that a small engine car can hit higher speeds and a speed restrictor is one way of slowing them down. However, I do not see that there lies the real problem. Modern cars are built in such a way that we do not appreciate the reality of the speeds we travel at. When Billy and me were lads we hit sixty miles an hour in a MKI Fiesta and it felt like we were travelling in the slipstream of concord, and it took about six miles to get to that speed! Then came a slight corner and the car leaned like drunken fisherman. The cross ply tyres would protest by screaming so loud that the 10-watt push button radio could not drown them out. We could feel, without any doubt, that the car was teetering on the edge of it’s time in this world and for a few seconds even the driver became a passenger because fate somehow took over as the biggest influence on were the car was going to end up.

 

Nowadays the same happens in the comfort of a better sound proofed car running on a better chassis that is connected to the road through low profile radial tyres whose whisper of displeasure under hard cornering is easily drowned out by the 100000000 watt CD player. The car hardly mentions to the driver that he is approaching the edge of all possibilities until a split second before control is lost and so is all hope. In my experience, a modern car that goes out of control is far more difficult to get back into control than cars of yesterday. The modern car relies more on not getting into that position in the first place, skips the potential for the driver to do anything about it and jumps strait into the get ready to deploy the airbags mode.

 

Now for the solution: All cars are given an insurance group. Right down there in group 1 are the sort of cars that do not have high performance engines or great handling. In other words “Ideal to learn to drive in”. Just restrict new drivers to a group 1 insured car for the first two years and/or they are over the age of 21. Sorted.

[dangerboy]

How about an OTT big brother style solution?

 

Big Bro

 

As R plate drivers are restricted to 50? This would be an ideal if somewhat pricey solution.

[Amadeus]

If a suitable vehicle could be found for newly-qualified drivers (something that can't go above 50mph - and preferably without room for passengers) I'd suggest that people who accumulate sufficient points for speed-related offences should also have their vehicles impounded for 12 months or so, and be restricted to driving similar vehicles (providing a business opportunity for someone to hire them out).

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The vehicles exist already - so called "microcars":

 

50 cm3, 2-Stroke engine and 40mph top speed

 

Germany has just changed the law, so 16 year olds can drive these things before passing the proper test..

 

Although they are probably ideal for new drivers as they really can't speed with them (no matter how hard they try), they're not very safe in an accident, as reviews and tests found out - the second pic shows a crash test with one of them - au!

 

The perfect solution: Buy a big old Merc and replace the engine with the one of the microcar - it's like a tank with a motorbike engine, perfectly safe and definitely not too fast...

[Phoenix]

I was behind one of these so called Micro cars this morning... with R plates on. It was a banana yellow Fiat something or other... with an exhaust that was well out of proportion to the rest of the car and only about 1" off the floor... in fact it grounded a few times as we drove from down south... most amusing I thought to myself when he gets a hole soon enough... although he'll probably think it sounds cool

 

He was plodding along quite happy till he seen me in his rear view mirror... then suddenly he turned into boy racer mode and had to overtake everything in front of him at the earliest opportunity to prove that his was a car to be reckoned with.... all very well till we got to the hill at Santon where it was safe for me to pass

 

What is it about cars though? once we get in them we change.... usually NOT for the better. I mean, if you're walking along Strand street and someone overtakes you, do you down it a gear and go all out pushing people to one side till you get back in front of them... NO! so why do we do it in cars?? MAD!

[Billy One Mate]

Paul as per usual a well balanced posting and yes I think your idea is better than mine the electronic restrictors. In fact I thought it was so good, a letter has gone to both the Chief Exec and Minister of the DoT.

 

Another major thing that does concern me is how many of these boy racers who add bits to their cars notify their insurance companies of the modifications. If they dont their insurance is invalidated.

[Ean]

I mean, if you're walking along Strand street and someone overtakes you, do you down it a gear and go all out pushing people to one side till you get back in front of them... NO!

 

Erm...yes....

 

It's a fun game though, see how many people you can get wound up enough to overtake you. Just walk past them really quickly and then slow down to normal walking pace a few metres in front of them. Do it down Prospect Hill when all the business people are about, it's hilarious how many businessmen who should know better walk past you with a smug look on their face. Can you tell i don't have an Mp3 player to entertain me on my walk to work?

[Stavros]

Now for the solution:  All cars are given an insurance group.  Right down there in group 1 are the sort of cars that do not have high performance engines or great handling.  In other words “Ideal to learn to drive in”.  Just restrict new drivers to a group 1 insured car for the first two years and/or they are over the age of 21.  Sorted.

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Whilst car insurance group ratings go from 1 - 20, The ABI (Association of British Insurers) only provide recommendations on group ratings. Individual insurers will generally use these ratings as a key input to their underwriting process but will also take account of their own claims experience to guide their pricing decisions. Other factors involved in deciding the group rating will be Damage and Parts Costs, Repair Times, New Car Values, Body Shells, Performance, Car Security and the Recommended Group Rating.

 

I haven't tried but I doubt that you will find many, if any cars that would be rated as Group 1 by insurers. Whilst in theory, the idea is similar to my own, I still think that a restriction on the engine size would be a more appropriate way of dealing with the situation.

 

Stav.

[maggle]

The issue of dangerous driving is not restricted to young drivers. Consider some of the old gimmers who may have passed the driving test in the 40's or 50's. Or the person who parks on the pavement or round a bend talking on the mobile phone.

 

The solution isn't necessarily to restrict the size of the cars engine or fit limiting devices or even impose a blanket speed limit. I see the solution as ongoing education of all drivers. Introduce driver re-evaluation every x number of years and testing of cars, bikes and HGV's. Might I also suggest cameras on all traffic light controlled junctions and the complete ban on using mobile phones when driving, even with hands free and bluetooth devices.

 

I think a zero tolerance approach by the police needs to be introduced. Hefty fines for people who break the law and lengthy bans for serious offences. When people moan or lose jobs when they get caught, the answer is simple : Don't break the law.

[Speckled Frost]

While all very valid points, I think homing in on one small section of the driving population is only going to result in a small improvement (although if it saves just one life then great).

 

The problem is that there are just too many cars on the road - more cars, more accidents.

 

I think we're at a point where it's when not if you are involved in an accident and it's just a case of how serious it is.

 

The best solution of all would be to address the issue of reducing the number of cars on the roads.

[Watch With Mother]

The problem about the law is Ans is that at times it has no teeth. The accident involving my son I believe has resulted in the young driver (who had only passed his test four weeks previous) recieving a caution and oh yes mummy and daddy have got him another car. Great lesson he has learnt.

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Unfortunately, this is the way things currently are. We need to hit where it hurts and show these loons that their behaviour is no longer acceptable. With a certain percentage of the population you have to hit them where it hurts to make them get the message. The law states that with an "R" plate you cannot travel at over 50mph. Simple, if they are caught they should lose thier licence for 12 months and have to retake thier test, after which insurance should be very costly.