The case of the millionaire's son, Antonio Singh Boparan, who caused severe injuries to a toddler while driving a high powered Range Rover at the age of 19 exposes the pointlessness of the government's plans to raise the driving age to 18 in an attempt to cut young drive accident rates.
I do not believe that young drivers today are any less or any more capable than young drivers 30 years ago. The governments proposals do nothing to tackle the real problem which is the simple fact that modern cars are considerably more powerful than the vehicles that we first drove after passing our tests. Not only are they more powerful, they are also much easier to drive and loaded with features that render the driver complacent endowing them with a false sense of security.
Allowing a 19 year old to get behind the wheel of a powerful car like a Range Rover is akin to handing a 9 year old a powerful, petrol driven chain saw in his first woodwork class because he managed to use a mini-hacksaw for 2 minutes without killing himself. It is crazy.
The way to tackle the problem is to address the cause. Singh would still have crashed whether he'd passed his test at 18 or 17 - the access to the car is the issue. And as long as an 18 year old can easily pick up a cheap second hand car that is capable of more than 100 mph and accelerates faster than a 1970's sports car then cases like this will continue to happen.
The answer is to restrict newly qualified drivers to low powered vehicles - I'd suggest a maximum 65 bhp rather than simply go on engine size - and restrict them for 2 years. After 2 years they can move up to the next level - but still be restricted to a maximum 80 bhp for a further 2 years. On top of that, ANY motoring offence committed in those years will add a further 2 years MINIMUM to their restriction.
Furthermore, while restricted to the 65bhp limit drivers will be required to display a red R plate on the front and rear of their vehicle and a green R plate while on the 80 bhp limit of restriction.
Finally, I would make it a requirement for anyone, regardless of age or experience, wishing to drive a high powered vehicle (say, above 150bhp) to take the advanced driving test.
I'm not normally one for state intervention in people's lives to this extent. For instance, I am opposed to both the compulsory seat belt and crash helmet laws as I believe this should be up to the individual. But this is different because the modern car in the wrong hands is a lethal weapon - and in most cases the "wrong hands" means young inexperienced drivers. As modern cars have got more powerful, easier to drive and packed with more features (and distractions), roads have got busier, more badly maintained and with even more distractions (the proliferation of signage in particular).
When 16 year olds started killing themselves on their FS1E's and KH250's the government took a sensible common sense approach that dealt with the issue (although I thought the restriction on mopeds was a little too severe). It dealt with the issue and the industry adapted successfully to the new rules with new designs
2 comments:
Stan,
The whole incident was a disgrace and I personally think that the guy should be locked up for longer as well as having to pay for all medical costs.
I don't think your plan would work and as it would give the state too much power to decide what if anything the rest of us could drive.
Newly qualified drivers in my opinion should have the following imposed for 2 years:
1.) Be forced to carry have Green L or different colour number plate.
2.) Not be allowed onto the roads after 10pm until 6am without someone aged 25 or over who isn't drunk or stoned. OR not be allowed to carry passengers other than 1 in the front passenger seat.
Penalties should be harsher for infractions during this period.
I would then dismantle most speed cameras and re-introduce traffic police onto the roads. How many people have noticed an increase in speed cameras and a decrease in driving standards? Couple that with an increase in unlicensed, uninsured cars on the road driven by unlicensed drivers.
BUT this is only half the story. What about immigrant workers driving cars they came over in from Poland, Hungary, Romania etc Are they taxed and insured to be on our roads? Do they know our highway code? What about those that buy cars here?
What do others think?
It doesn't get much worse than this. You should see the state of the poor little mite now, paralysed and breathing through a ventilator - she's had 11 operations in 12 months - after this fiend had finished with her with his mad driving.
I earnestly hope that this unspeakably vile piece of garbage, this turd floating on the toilet of humanity, gets what is coming to him from the prisoners and guards in jail. By that I mean DEATH!
I would love to kill him with my bare hands. I wouldn't have to worry about going inside, I would rightly expect to be treated like royalty by the guards and other prisoners.
Obviously it would be better if he was to be killed, his body incinerated, and his bones pounded into dust. But for now the best we can achieve is to broadcast the name Antonio Boparan Singh far and wide acorss the web so that he can never have a normal life. What normal woman would want to touch the scumbag after what he did to that little girl? What normal worker would want to work with him after what he did? Who would want to talk to him? I noticed that when the filth walked to the court he had some paid bodyguard with him. Obviously the vermin had received death threats.
When you come out, Antonio Boparan Singh, filth, you will need protection from about 50,000,000 people who want to see you swinging from the end of a rope.
Post a Comment