Should learner drivers not have high powered cars until a certain age?

lpullman

This topic is coming up a lot recently around the net.

Anyway, total rubbish. What makes a 21 year old intrinsically a better driver than a 20 year old? The answer: nothing. Age has absolutely nothing to do with it.

Driver skill, ability and attitude are the factors we should be concentrating on. Unfortunately for the road safety industry, those are complex concepts and not easily reduced to simple slogans. What is needed is a driver training scheme rather than our current system. If I had my way you'd have to spend quite a lot of time on a race track, a skid pan and dirt before you were allowed out on the public roads. There are elements in the road safety lobby who oppose driver training because they fear that trained drivers will be more confident, while incompetents will be more cautious. Worked well so far, eh?

To give a real example, I hate getting into a car with a 37 year old friend of mine because he hasn't a clue, but I'll happily drive with another mates 19 year old son who's had years racing carts, bikes and rally cars. I grew up with powerful cars and motorbikes and the only car I've crashed due my own stupidity was a Nissan Navara ute. I've pranged a few bikes while being a tool, but they were all single vehicle accidents, entirely my fault and none due to power.