There is no substitute for sensibility on the road. Period.

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65.3 short track (wet).

Getting better. Still somewhat retarded.

back in zimbabwe (aka the land of plenty) all jap cars were so cheap to import, so as you can imagine everyone had one, supra's, skyline's, wrx's, the lot! i myself started with the old 280zx, wrote that off within six months of getting my license thinking i was a drift king, then moved to the skyline (R33 gts-t) except this time my dad welded a metal block under the accelerator pedal so it could only go half way down, best thing he ever did for me! however having said that, like everyone else has been saying, accidents happen, and if you survive them then you hope to learn from them, there is no substitute for experience. i've written off 4 cars so far in the 9 years i've been driving. only one of those 4 was due to my actions behind the wheel. its such a hard thing to control, but at the end of the day my opinion would be that if you got the power at your disposal then you're going to use it sooner or later. maybe they should try the welded metal block under the pedal too thats my input!

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I'm not here for a long time......I'm here for a good time!

bottom line it a Hyundai excel can still go 140km, that will still kill........just takes an hour to get there :0

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Project STi Wagon

i watched on the news or some program just recently (within the last few weeks) that they were thinking of doing psychiatric tests or maturity tests before you could get your licence (would prevent all the idiots and immature/spoilt brats from getting their licence) and i thought that was a reasonable idea...

then, just as goes for bikes (which has been mentioned multiple times in this thread already already) have a licence for little cars or lower powered cars for about a year or so and then maybe another test to gauge whether or not the driver can handle a performance car (which should include driver training, before or after the test whatever)

the thing is, WHAT would be performance then? and then you would have to define performance... a big V8 that just goes from side to side when you put the foot down from a standstill or something that just has so much torque or boost and then you have to think how much torque and boost etc etc?

personally i went from a 25 year old Civic Hatchback POS where i drove like an idiot, then a V6 and thought that was even better and then a 180sx and the step up to the turbo really did change my view on performance and driver attitude - you could be a bigger dickhead FASTER than you could with the previous cars... then the GTT came along and then the EVO VI and now the STI... thing is, with the GTT i went to driver training and from then i've figured that driver training PLUS driver attitude is the combination and is the difference from success and failure - it also taught me that if you're going to spend a good 20k after you've had a $500 POS you do realise the money is well spent not just on the motor but also the safety equipment and the technology invested for better/safer driving

if i hopped in the EVO first thing i would be dead only because when you're untrained AND immature you cannot help yourself getting carried away (generally speaking) and then when you're caught up in a bad situation cannot get out of it because you have no idea how to or have had no training whatsoever

the combination of the maturity test and driver training i think is something that will improve the quality of the driver's skills here in WA for sure (i say this because my spoilt little brat cousin had her daddy buy her a stupid Yaris and she is the most immature and stupid twat out there and has no common sense and i do not feel safe having her on the road even in a Yaris) i can also say for sure (and i'm sure most of you can agree here) that with driver training and track days etc. you become a much better driver and even better than those people that have been driving in normal day to day traffic for 20 years that can't merge and park for peanuts (i'm only 21 going onto 22 so have been driving for about 5 years now)

sorry for the rant guys but it's been on my mind for ages and this topic always comes up... to sum it up maturity/psychiatric tests before you get your licence and then a performance car/driver training test to pass to even consider purchasing/driving a high performance car (depending on what people end up defining as "performance") is what i think will make this whole idea a success

my2c of course

Hey guys

Wow I personally had no idea that when I wrote this post people had such strong opinions on this issue! Seems like a seriously big problem that needs some big answers.

Thanks to all that have kept this thread a relatively friendly and helpful place, lets keep it that way!

One thing I can say is there have been some great ideas so far, and a few of you have brought up points that I personally had not thought of.

I was totally opposed to the idea of power restrictions to P Platers when I posted, However after reading some input, I believe that although it is still not the whole answer, it may certainly be part of it.

Too all the other P Platers (like myself) out there this is all I have to say.

Yes it is fantastic to drive a fun car.
Yes it is totally awesome to show off to your mates (and pick up chicks :P)
Yes the feeling of a turbo spooling up and putting you in the back of your seat is amazing.

NO! The agony of seeing a friend die at the hands of any driver (young driver especially), when better driver training/attitude change/lower performance car/*insert your own suggestion here* could have saved them... IT IS NOT WORTH IT... Im not saying I'm all for power restrictions, Im saying if the research conclusively shows it will reduce lives lost on our roads, how can anyone be against that? INCORPORATED as part of the answer...

In the mean time I shall continue to be a passionate WRX owner and focus on becoming the best driver i can be - For all on the roads!

Very mature attitude for a P plater TCS, to be applauded

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A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves.

my thort on this is that you should just get a 100 dollar car go to th bush find a huge feild and just cut sick on it and u dont risk anyones life but ur own vause if u try it on the road then ur not just risking ur own life but every one elses which is stupid

i always use to say that to my old lady and its true doesnt matter if you have power or not it just takes longer to get to a high speed.
If they bring out the power to weight ratio law whats stopping p platers from goin out getting a non turbo rotary and doin work to that i bloke i new had a 11 sec n/a rx3 its not a turbo car still ways around having fast cars

They'll stop you driving all Rotary Mazda's through power to weight limitations anyway.

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[CENTER][SIGPIC][/SIGPIC][/CENTER]
[CENTER][COLOR=#ff0000]Built Ej207: Semi-closed RA Cases - Wiseco Forgies - Manley rods - BC 272 cams - GDA Heads - billet f/whl - Vi-pec - WbO2 - 800cc Yellow tops - TD05-20G - 409Hp ath @ 1.75bar on E85[/COLOR][/CENTER]

Regulation is one way, but parents are a much bigger influence. My dad made it clear I'd have a 4 cylinder or nothing, and he was paying. In fact, he made it so abundantly clear that my first four cars were all 4 cylinder. (And we're talking 70s-era bangers, not the modern high-revving variety.)

My first car was a 1971 Renault 12 ($800 all up - money well spent), second car was a Cortina TC auto with oodles of OHC 2L action. I picked up 3 speeding tickets in 12 months and decided to slow myself down .. so I bought a VW Kombi van.

Sure enough, no speeding tickets. Next car was a horrible lemon, an Escort Mk2 1.3l auto. It had a bright green metallic paint job, cost me over 3 grand, and was lucky to make 80 on the freeway, downhill with a tail wind.

After the Escort I got an HJ Kingswood 202 with the bench seat & three on the tree. I loved that car - big, roomy and slow.

By the time I got a VN commodore I was over 25 and my sensible brain cells had finished growing. I was married, we'd just bought a house, and I picked up the last speeding ticket I've had to date ... around 1993 or 1994.

I've always done my insane driving on the PC, from Chequered Flag and Pole Position in 1983 to rFactor, Grid and GT Legends now. Much cheaper, less stress, and the accidents and prangs are easier to walk away from.

I do agree with power restrictions in theory, but they'd have to be very harsh in practice. E.g. no bigger than 1.3l, speed limited to 120, no after-market addons, etc. Shopping trolley on wheels.