Beyond Beeton» speed http://beyondbeeton.com a guide to household management Tue, 31 Aug 2010 07:16:56 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 I’m a p-plater and I drive a turbo car http://beyondbeeton.com/perthcat/im-a-p-plater-and-i-drive-a-turbo-car http://beyondbeeton.com/perthcat/im-a-p-plater-and-i-drive-a-turbo-car#comments Mon, 28 Jul 2008 23:20:32 +0000 Rachel http://beyondbeeton.com/?p=176 If you've arrived seeking advice on what car you can legally drive on your P plates, speak to the Licensing Department or a lawyer in your state.  If you're in Perth and you need legal advice because you've been charged with a driving offence, you might want to contact Lyn Zinenko Lawyers.

I'm a (26 year old) P plater. I have never had a driving infringement, no speeding tickets, have never even been pulled over. Nor have I ever had a driving accident. I also drive a turbo car.

My car is a twin turbo. It has 18 inch rims and sports suspension.

It also has more air bags than you could imagine, excellent safety ratings and very good visibility (without being an urban assault vehicle).

So what do I drive? A beige Volvo sedan, specifically a 5 year old s80. Many larger European cars are turbo powered as this is more efficient than putting in a v8.

It is, admittedly, a big car, about the length of a Holden Statesman. As I think I've mentioned before, my husband and I only have one car between us. Our 'daily driver' is a big green Mercedes that runs every 15 minutes or so. However every weekend we ferry a bunch of rowdy passengers around in comfort - our elderly grandparents who are now unable to drive.

It would not be legal for me to drive this car in NSW. If the WA Opposition has its way, this high powered abomination will be banned here too.

The fact that some idiotic young drivers have turbo cars and also have accidents does not show a causative relationship. The idiots will be idiots whether they are driving a turbo or a 10 year old Hyundai Excel. It is quite possible to do very serious damage in a small, underpowered car and you are far more likely not to make it out of a tiny tinbox alive.

While the idea of assessing cars based on a power to weight ratio is a more sensible one, it still misses the point. It isn't the car that kills, it is the driver.

The real issue for young drivers on the road is insufficient driver education, alcohol and drug abuse, boredom, fatigue and immaturity.

When I called to renew my drivers' licence, the operator at the DPI commented that I was eligible for a free licence for a year because I have not had any infringements in the past two years while a probationary driver. Frighteningly, she told me that I was one of very few who were eligible.

While the proposed changes won't make a difference to me personally as I'm off my P's in 3 days, I am concerned that the Opposition is again looking for an easy scapegoat rather than addressing the real issues.

What do you think? Am I a hoon? Or are they just looking for an easy answer?

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