Horse 262 - P-Plates and the Solution

It appears as though the government may have come up with a somewhat workable solution to the P-Plate problem. Under the proposed scheme, drivers holding P1 licences will be banned from driving cars with engines that are "8 or more cylinders" and/or "artificially aspirated". Added to this, drivers on P1 and P2 licences who lose their licence will be limited to carrying one passenger for 12 months - a restriction that will apply from when their licence is reissued.

I think that these steps are in the right direction, this should restrict "obvious" sports car driving. However I ask what's going to stop P-platers from buying a little Corolla and making modifications to the engine? The Government is trying to create laws that will protect everyone but I can't see how it will be policed if young drivers are getting around in small modified cars as sometimes it's hard to tell what's been done to them.

The confiscation regulations that are proposed are also interesting and should strike fear into people who "borrow" other people's cars to go hooning in.

Just a word of warning: Double demerit points will be in force for 17 days over the Christmas, New Year and Australia Day holidays to improve road safety over the holiday season. Double demerits will be in force from Friday December 24, 2004 to Monday January 3, 2005 inclusive and from Friday January 21 to Wednesday, January 26, 2005 in all states and territories except Keeling-Cocos which has no roads.