Normally I don’t write opinion articles because it usually sparks a whole bunch of problems but I’m hoping this time will be a bit different. Let’s talk about these new P Plater laws, particularly the ones regarding the whole turbo charged car dealio.
Having only obtained my full license last week, I feel that I have more to say about this as a P plater than I do as a fully licensed driver, so take this opinion as such. First of all, turbo cars weren’t the problem, sure they don’t help but they aren’t the issue that needs to be addressed. I feel like these new laws are basically the same as saying it’s ok for anyone to have a gun, but the younger, less experienced owners can only have small bullets. That way when a kid decides to impress their mates by opening a can of Coke with their new gun, they’ll only blow off a finger. The problem lies solely in the lack of education that young drivers receive about how to drive a car. We get taught everything about road rules, how to play it safe, how certain things effect our bodies and how a car works (indicators, clutch, gearstick, brakes etc) but do they ever actually teach us how to handle the car if things go bad? I don’t think so…
In the wrong hands, any car can be dangerous. I have driven many cars with very little power but that I could still easily manage to run up a tree if I didn’t know what I was doing. So the fact that you can now drive a whole bunch of low power turbo cars really doesn’t change all that much. All that’s going to happen is that the kids who do have turbo cars on their P’s will get pulled over a lot more. While I understand that not every individual person can be sat down and taught how to drive like Ken Block, I think this is the issue that needs working on the most. I failed the question part the first time I went for my full license, I assumed it would be mostly about driving but it was a lot of silly statistics about things like “what high scorers of the sensation seeking test are more likely to do”. It’s stupid. I went home and learned all these really specific details that don’t actually make me a better driver, sure a more well informed driver but after sitting the test twice, I felt I hadn’t benefited at all.
We should be taught about things like different braking techniques for different situations, and why it’s not smart to speed. Rather than just told not to do it and to slow down when things feel sketchy. While I was on my Red P’s I had many friends and heard of many people my age who had accidents, of the few who lived and that I got a chance to speak to, it quickly became apparent that kids don’t know how to handle cars and why they shouldn’t do certain things, simply because they were never taught.
We grow up watching Fast and Furious and playing Need For Speed then when we finally get our license we are baffled when our car lifts off under heavy braking around a corner. I have spoken to at least 5 people who have had accidents similar to this. They got their P’s, got their first car and took their mates for a drive, sped into a corner and realized that their front wheel drive Corolla isn’t turning at full lock with 4 people in the car while going 120kph around a corner. Their first thought is to slow down so they mash the brakes and next thing they know the car has lifted off and spun into a ditch. Why did this happen? Most of us are older and know a bit more about cars so it may seem stupid me even talking about this stuff but the truth is, this kind of thing happens all too much. It’s because kids aren’t taught about how to actually handle a car.
Let’s get back to the turbo cars and the new laws. Basically I think that it doesn’t matter about the car so much, I think that obviously you can’t put a 17 year old in a GT-R and hope they don’t hit the redline but I do think there is a lot more to be done in terms of education, particularly with handling. I did an advanced driver safety course when I first got my Green P’s and I think that is the kind of thing that should be mandatory when obtaining any license. During the course one of the things they taught us about was hydroplaning (sliding on a wet or loose surface). The practical part of the test was literally driving along on a wet surface while one of the instructors randomly pulls the handbrake, which I had to try and regain control of the car.
Since doing that course I haven’t felt all that compelled to do anything stupid in a car, because I have been educated about what will happen if I screw it up, which was pretty likely considering how inexperienced I was. Since doing that course I have also become fascinated with the idea of doing track days because I do want to push my car but only in a safe environment and after some research, I found out it’s not all that expensive. Couple that with the availability of advanced racing technique courses should you be interested in going to track days (pro tip: you should) and the chance to thrash cars around all day in a safe way without worrying about endangering people, getting arrested or losing your license, I really don’t see any reason why you wouldn’t want to do it.
In a nutshell, before all P Platers rush out and break open the piggy bank/sell their car to buy a Silvia, try getting to know cars a bit more. Learn the ins and outs of operating a car in as many different situations and as safely as you can. Chances are you’ll develop more confidence, better driving skills and have a lot of fun, then if you want to take it up a notch you can go to the track and have the time of your life.
Sorry for the serious article, I will keep it lighter next time!
– L