In the last few years there has been significant discourse in relation to P plate drivers and the restrictions they face to be able to drive.
Currently a learner driver must complete 120 hours of on-road driving experience and pass a practical test, once passed they then move onto a provisional license for the next three years. Their speed is limited to 90kmh on P1 and 100kmh on P2, blood alcohol level of 0 for both levels, limited passenger limit at night and a lower number of demerit points.
An addition to these restrictions has been the introduction of limits to the engine size of the vehicle.
The majority of these restriction have been implemented in recent time due to what could be described as a moral panic surrounding the skills, capabilities and consequences of P Plate drivers. It centred around a perceived hoon culture of dangerous P plate drivers street racing and drink driving in ‘hotted-up’ vehicles. This is comparable to Cohen’s (1971) description of the moral panic surrounding a youth subculture at the time, the Mod’s and Rocker’s. There was heightened focus of them in the media, much like the P plate drivers at the time, sensationalized media reporting and “exaggeration or distorting of the events themselves” (Marsh and Melville, 2010, pg 43)
The restrictions were mainly put in place as a reaction to the moral panic around the drivers, that they were out of control, feel ‘bulletproof’, and in need of discipline and structure. This may have been the case but there is statistical evidence to show that the number of P-plate deaths have decreased in recent times. According to the TAC there were 33 deaths on Victorian roads of people aged between 18-25, down from 49 in 2005 (TAC, 2010). These restrictions as well as greater education and advertisement campaigns could be attributed to this drop
http://smh.drive.com.au/motor-news/new-pplate-laws-to-save-young-lives-20060623-13ygx.html
http://smh.drive.com.au/motor-news/harsh-pplate-laws-working-rees-20090719-149q3.html
The increase of hours required for the Learner driver license is ludicrous.
ReplyDeleteI was fortunate to get my license before the 120 hour requirement was enacted and cannot imagine the increased running costs in getting than extra 70 hours.
Whilst the Zero BAC is not something im game enough to contend, it does seem that they are getting desperate with the new legislation they are bringing out - especially with those anti-hoon car crush legislation which is rarely ever used in Aus.
The problem is a social problem, one that will likely never be solved no matter how many rules and regulations are put in place to combat speeding and drink driving - And the good drivers are punished* for the behavior of the reckless.
*Punished - Increased social stigma and worsening stereotypes of young drivers.
Simply put - If someone wants to commit a crime like speeding or drink driving, they're going to do it regardless of the possible punishments if caught. Alongside the near impossible task of changing social norms, all that can be done is increase the likelihood of being caught drink driving and speeding through increased patrols and more speed cameras.
* which in itself is not necessarily the best thing to do given everyone hates speed camera's.
ReplyDeleteI guess they can only reduce the death toll for drivers so far till changing social norms is the only thing left to do.
yeah, agreed, these new p-plate restrictions are ridiculous. they are clearly another escapade to maintain what image of an effective force remains on their side.
ReplyDeletein addition to the scapegoat appeal that these measures present the police force, you must also remember the huge amount of revenue that they will get from all of the additional fines that will be handed out: I received the standard fine of having 1 extra passenger on a P1 licence and received a $430 fine.
The fact that the police are fine liberal isn't really a surprise - the mobile speed cameras have not been defended or denied to be the cash cows that they're painted as by the public's popular perception.
this on top of the fact that many L-platers are known to cheat their log book hours (http://bit.ly/a0jwuU) and you know that this method of improving road safety hasn't veered from it's path - it was never rolling to begin with.