Giving a gun to a baby

Before I was able to ride a motorbike, I had to go through a series of licenses and restrictions. First you have to get a certificate that certifies your riding ability. Without this you cannot apply for a Learners License. From here you progress through the restricted then finally a full license after many many months of riding with restrictions.

The bike license system is similar to cars except on bikes, you will not be allowed to ride anything over 250 cc while you do not have a full license (amongst other things). It may seem unfair at first but this restriction ensures you learn to respect the power of the vehicle you are riding and respect other road users.

The recent article about calling into action a law change to restrict young drivers from driving high calibre souped-up cars is really a wake up call. Whether you are a young white, brown, or asian driver, there must be restrictions on what you can drive.

My views:

1. I do not think there is a point raising the driver age to 16 or even 17. After all, a lot of young people do need to work for income AND age usually to not reflect a person's maturity and driving skill. Instead of raising driving age, the period you stay in leaners and restricted license should be extended. The process to getting a full license should take 3-4 years. Regardless of courses taken, there should be no shortcuts or shortening of this term. This period will allow a driver to learn the road, get enough experience driving, and learn to respect the vehicle, other road users, and the road.
   
2. Also during the learning period, a driver must be restricted to driving smaller cars. Maximum 1.8 L engines and only cars. No 4X4, or vans.
   
3. To stop boy racers, there must be an age restriction on driving cars with certain car modifications such as turbos, superchargers, etc. The 15-24 age is a good range. This is the period when adolescent showing off is at its peak.

The trick to being a good driver is practice, experience, and mental maturity.