🚀 go-pugleaf

dam@dcs.glasgow.ac.uk (David Morning) writes:

>Simple solution, spend 5 years after passing your test driving a Reliant Robin
>irrespective of age. Sit a test again and if you pass, spend 5 years in a
>1 litre class basic car with restricted power, as happened to mopeds about
>15 years ago when manufacturers started churning out 12 HP 'super mopeds' to
>side step the then new law on 16 year olds ...that's 240BHP/litre !!!
>Now they get 2HP and speed governed to boot.
>Don't see why car drivers should be any different.

I wasn't sure if you were serious or not.  The problem with this is that it
is the driver's attitude that is the problem.  Even a 900cc Fiat can do
nearly 80mph.  Although it can't accelerate very quickly it is still possible
to wind it up to speed and then hold it at high speeds on country roads.
When I passed my test (12 years ago), my friends and I used to own the sort
of low powered cars you talk about - Mini 850s, Escort 1300s, Avengers &c.
Lots of these cars were involved in single vehicle accidents i.e. cornering
too fast.  Excessive power is rarely the cause of an accident of this nature,
except in rear wheel drive cars having fairly high power outputs (150HP+).
Young drivers will have accidents regardless of the type of car that they are
driving.  They just have to live :-) and learn.  If they have enough money to
be able to buy a sporty new car and then lose it on 3rd party insurance, 
let them.  I cannot accept the argument that somebody will drive fast
*because* they are driving a sporty car.  I even knew one person at school
who drove like a lunatic in his parent's VW camper van!

Ian.
-- 
Ian Crocker 					ian@cyborg.bt.co.uk