Re: Tougher licensing = Safety Fast? -Reply

[Andrew Fletcher <FLETCHA@citec.qld.gov.au>]

>>> "Arun Rao" <rao@quattro> 11/February/1997 08:52am >>>
	In summary, then (at the risk of oversimplification), the reason
	we have incompetent drivers on the roads in the U.S. is because
	we have cheap cars and gas ...

-Arun
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Sorry, huge over-simplification I think.

In Australia we have petrol @ 75c per litre and even a Chrysler Neon
starts at $25K AUS. We still have a large percentage of incompetant
drivers. 

Like the accident here in Brisbane the other day. Four cars and two
deaths, police were quoted as saying "Speed was the biggest factor".
What rubbish, the fact that the idiot in the older Nissan Bluebird "lost
control" and launched the car over the traffic island into on-coming traffic
was more likely the "biggest factor". 

We already have grading ; Learners, Provisional and Open with different
speeds ( in some states ). Why not extend that to recognise that some of
us have the ability and the vehicle to exceed the expectations of an
"Open" class driver.

People who don't have the judgement to drive to the conditions, their
ability and the cars capability call it "reckless". I call reckless giving a
license to someone without proper training. We can thank our
Governments for that.

Fletch