Do P plater HiPo band work?

[AWD Chaser]

Hi guys,

Do the bans on p players driving hi performance cars actually work? Had it reduced any metrics since its introduction?

The reason I ask is in the example of the quoted article below, is there much point in hi performance bans?

I'm not questioning whether or not the bans are a good thing, I'm just questioning the effectiveness/reasoning of having the bans in the first place.

From Canberratimes.com.au

A Canberra woman's number plates were confiscated after she was caught at 170km/h in her Holden Barina near Goulburn over the weekend.
Police spotted the car, a red Barina, speeding at 60km/h over the signposted limit along the Hume Highway near Goulburn on Saturday afternoon.
They pulled the car over, and a 21-year-old Canberra woman, and immediately suspended her NSW visiting driving authority for six months and stripped the car of its ACT number plates for a period of three months.

[XR6T0Y]

debatable

[Ibanezteve]

It's not what you drive, it's how you drive it!

[flappist]

Originally Posted by AWD Chaser

Hi guys,

Do the bans on p players driving hi performance cars actually work? Had it reduced any metrics since its introduction?

The reason I ask is in the example of the quoted article below, is there much point in hi performance bans?

From Canberratimes.com.au

The difference is that the person in question was doing it deliberately rather than "accidentally".

Inexperienced people in high powered vehicles can get into trouble without realising it far more easily than in low powered vehicles.

It takes time to work out how long it takes to stop or how fast a corner can be taken and in a high powered vehicle you can set yourself up for the dump before you realise it.

[grandpa_spec_F6]

In my short time on the road (~6 years) the majority of people I see doing grossly stupid things are P-Platers in 6cyl Commodores (VC through to VE) or 70's 'fully sick drift pigs'.

My usual gripe with this stuff:
- I was one of the first on the P-Plate laws (Red 1 year, Green 2 years) here in QLD and I know first hand they do bugger all to 'stop' people doing silly things.
- My AU Falcon had more power than the VK 308 I wanted (don't hate ) but I wasn't allowed to drive the latter
- Unfairly targeted although my car was maintained to a standard far higher than most of the Camrys you'd find in a shopping centre carpark. I also obeyed far more road rules than aforementioned drivers.

Do I think they work? To an extent. If I had my F6 at 17 I think it would have been trouble. Not because I drove like an idiot but because I've been caught off guard a number of times when driving e.g. corners, braking, oil on the road which would probably have ended up far worse as I didn't know how to handle the car or myself in those situtations.

Almost every person I've talked to young and old have either said "When I see P-Plates I think 'oh great here's a hero'" or "I speed up to see if the chick is hot". This perception within the community has done nothing but put a label on young drivers, a label that, thanks to numerous 'news' (I am loathed to call them news) programs have now closely associated with another **** and bull term... HOON.

Where does it end? Do they deter people? Do they stop people? Is it a vote grab? Will babies be kissed at the next election? Would they ever lie with statistics?

Power to weight ratio is a step in the right direction but for me until they step up and roll out a comprehensive education program through schools I'll put it down to a vote grab.

Stopping kids killing themselves while driving is a good thing, no arguments, when the law makers actually start to take their own BS seriously I'll start to change my mind on the subject.

[scottyg938]

Depends on the mentality of the driver really.
I was driving my ef xr6 turbo for most of my P plates then for the rest I was in my current car BA xr8. Never came close to coming unstuck because I drive reasonably sensibly and didn't try push either my or my cars limits.
don't yet have any bans on P platers in canberra but there is talk of bringing them in on high perfomance cars and night driving and passenger restrictions

[Franco Cozzo]

It didn't do anything to change attitudes, but high performance cars and attitude doesn't mix.

[Crazy Dazz]

In short no, and frankly it is ludicrous to think they would. The only conceivable benefit I can imagine would be that if a p-plater has a limited budget for a car, and is prohibited from paying extra for a performance model, then they might by default spend more money on a safer vehicle. On the other hand though, “performance” vehicles tend to have upgraded brakes, tyres, suspension, etc.
Ultimately it comes down to the skill and attitude of the driver, and the safety of the vehicle.

I’m not sure why people seem surprised that young people are amongst the “worst” drivers? Look at any fields of endeavour and you usually find that experience counts (until age starts to impact performance.)
Young drivers need better training, more opportunity to get “real world” experience in a safe environment, and safer cars.
When I was a teenager, there were still isolated places where we could go for a spin on muddy bush tracks. You learnt what happened when you entered a corner too fast, but at worst you wound up upto your knees in dirt or swamp and had to get your mates to pull you out. Better to learn that lesson at 40kph in the mud, than at 100kph on a highway.

[xisled]

In Victoria the restrictions have been in place for over 12 years now.

Before the full ban on V8's it was power to weight. No one used to argue about it before the ban on V8's came in.

Just think if an 18 year old could drive a new GT or even go and buy the upcoming VE GTS. First day on their licence, you are asking for trouble.

[LTDHO]

Originally Posted by Ibanezteve

It's not what you drive, it's how you drive it!

Exactly.

Low powered cars can still be thrashed and driven dangerously.

Back when I spend a lot of time at Pickles/Fowles there were losts of low power cars with P plates wrecked there.
I can't tell you if it's more or less than seeing V8's there in the 80's.

[grandpa_spec_F6]

Just think if an 18 year old could drive a new GT or even go and buy the upcoming VF GTS. First day on their licence, you are asking for trouble.

My 17 year old self says "screw you, it's my choice"
My 22 year old self says "that sucks, but wise choice"

At the end of the day it comes down to attitude as many have said.

[302 XC]

Define a high performance car ???
A P plater in a stock six pot falcon can hand the loose to many a carb V8 ,and in I6 form aren't really that much behind the injected eights .....
Its a fine line whats Hi Po or not
My I6 tray back falcon ute can light up the rear boots no worries,steps outta line on any corner with just a whisper of pedal pressure,gets beyond the road legal limit very briskly from standing start,thats if the thing hooks up, instead of bagging up,all from a bog stock as per factory engine
Matter of fact the newer 190 Kw falcons are P Plate friendly and give any previous factory hottie ,be injected or carb V8 a big fright

It was and will always be the nut at the wheel that's the issue not the power a car makes

[Franco Cozzo]

My GMC Sierra is banned under Victoria's high powered vehicle laws, and its a 4082kg apartment complex on wheels.

Power to weight ratio was the best way to limit vehicles IMO, they got rid of it in 2007 and went to blanket ban on V8 and petrol forced induction, the latter exemptable via application.

[lucas2]

It's all about attitude. Experience plays a large role, but attitude will probably be the final factor.

[rag top]

Originally Posted by AWD Chaser

Hi guys,

Do the bans on p players driving hi performance cars actually work? Had it reduced any metrics since its introduction?

The reason I ask is in the example of the quoted article below, is there much point in hi performance bans?

I'm not questioning whether or not the bans are a good thing, I'm just questioning the effectiveness/reasoning of having the bans in the first place.

From Canberratimes.com.au

If she was an ACT P Plater - IMO the answer is no. Not aware of any p plate restrictions on ACT P Platers driving cars here in the ACT (only bikes). So the driver in question "could" have done the same thing in any car.

[grandpa_spec_F6]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

My GMC Sierra is banned under Victoria's high powered vehicle laws, and its a 4082kg apartment complex on wheels.

Stop giving me stuff to quote you on!