Quote:
|
Originally Posted by jambutty
The opinion that new car drivers should be limited to driving a car with limited horsepower for two years after they pass their test seems to be gathering support.
|
Not sure that the proposed "cure" really addresses the problem. While we can certainly seeks ways to reward those who display common sense and sensible behavior, it is unlikely that restictive legislation will produce the desired result. Even low horsepower cars can tempt an irresponsible new driver to acts of idiocy.
For example, one of my daughter's high school classmates decided to see what his new, low-horsepower car would do on a straight stretch of county road one damp November evening in 1988. When he spotted the police car coming the other way (they had clocked him at 75 MPH), he panicked, evidently lost control, and left the road opposite our house. Net result was that he killed one of our apple trees and removed himself from the gene pool.
Very sad, but pretty stupid driving by a young man who was a top student! Lucky indeed that, apart from a superannuated fruit tree, he was the only victim.
Also, if it is a family car, rather than a car used by only one individual, is it reasonable to ask the household to add a low-powered car or to replace one that exceeds the limit, just because one family member is a new driver?
One thing that has helped, at least with the younger newly-licensed drivers in my state. For the first six months after getting their license, they are not allowed to drive between midnight and 5 AM. Also, they are only allowed to carry one passenger, which helps to eliminate a young driver showing off for an audience in the back seat. Also, I think that New Jersey has a more rational driving age, 17, which is the highest of any state in the USA. Some states allow a young driver to be licensed at age 14.