The Road Toll

Yet another academic has his say on how to stop young people killing themselves in cars by increasing the legal drinking alcohol age to 21 (West Australian newspaper 17th March). In terms of usefulness, this ranks up there with increasing the licence age to 21, limiting under 21s to 4 cylinder motors and putting on square wheels to make them go slower (I reckon triangular wheels are better as there is one less bump, buy hey, I am no academic).

What is it with this magic age of 21 when all things mad automatically become sane? I know total nutter petrol heads who are 51; its all about responsibility and knowing how to drive as against how to get a licence. There are many, many “kids” who race cars, go-karts and bikes legally on a track that cannot as yet get a full licence for the open road and yet I’d cheerfully place their abilities way ahead of the majority of “mature” road users.

The difference?

They have a) been trained to drive properly and within limits and b) they know all too well what can happen if they get it wrong as many of the lumps , bumps and scratches will attest. They won’t do that again.

So instead of all these Pine-o-cleen theories that only disinfect around the edges of the wound that is our kids killing themselves and others, make it mandatory that you have a restricted licence with only 3 points available (1 offence) until you have proven to have attended a sanctioned advanced driving course by an accredited instructor. And if after that, you have a set number of misdemeanours, back to a restrictive licence you go and you must do the course again.

For country drivers you can have a bunch of roving instructors just as the legal system has roving magistrates.

Any flaws?