28 replies to this topic

[aekOne]

http://www.bordermai...-platers/?cs=12


Controversial NSW P-plate engine restriction rules look set to be scrapped in favour of a national system that will make life easier for P-platers and their parents.

Austroads, the national transport body for Australia and New Zealand, has approved a nationally consistent policy setting out which vehicles are high performance and which are simply turbocharged for efficiency.

At present in NSW, any car with eight or more cylinders or any car with a turbo or supercharged engine cannot be driven by P-platers.

The new legislation will be based around a more widely accepted power-to-mass ratio which is operating in Victoria.

The proposed changes would see lower-performance turbocharged cars such as the Ford Falcon EcoBoost, which has a four-cylinder turbocharged engine, become eligible for P-platers as well as cars such as the Mercedes-Benz B200 CDi, which also has a turbo intercooled engine. High-performance cars, such as the Subaru Impreza WRX and the Volkswagon Golf GTI VI, would be banned.

The NSW Roads Minister, Duncan Gay, backed the changes but the move would be subject to cabinet approval.

Transport NSW, which has been working closely with Austroads on the changes, believes that a power-to-weight ratio would recognise the change in technology surrounding turbocharged engines. "This recognises that many vehicles now use these technologies to improve their fuel consumption rather than increasing their performance," a spokesman for Transport NSW said.

In 2012, 1504 drivers were pulled up by police in NSW for driving restricted vehicles without exemptions, up from 2011 when 1368 drivers were ticketed for the offence.

Jack Haley, an NRMA vehicle safety expert, said the motoring body supported the national laws.

"We've had some concerns about the NSW laws for some time, by having a blanket ban on turbocharged vehicles means that some of the newer cars coming on to the market which are turbocharged for efficiency are banned. The list needs to be cleaned up on a regular basis," he said. "The cars that are being excluded aren't always logical."

Nick Smith, from Driversafety.com .au, said a power-to-mass ratio, which divides the power of car by its weight, is a way that young drivers can remain safe on the roads.

"Correct administration of the power-to-weight ratio legislation is a fair way for P-platers to drive new, more fuel efficient cars with the latest safety technologies," he said.

According to the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics, the 17- to 25-year-old age group has the largest rate of fatalities per population. This group accounts for 13 per cent of the population but 22 per cent of all road fatalities.

"If they went to a power-to-weight ratio, it should eradicate those cars which are currently on the market which aren't turbocharged, however are more powerful than some of the cars that are," Karl Gehling, Volkswagen's general manager of communications, said.Car sellers such as Volkswagen, producers of the popular small turbocharged Golf, believe such legislation will protect young drivers on our roads.

If approved, the new nationally consistent laws are aimed to start in January next year.

Corrections: The original version of this story incorrectly said the Mazda 6 was turbocharged. It did not make it clear that P-platers can already drive turbocharged diesel cars such as the Volkswagon Golf GTD and turbocharged petrol cars if they get an exemption.

Discuss?

[Liberty]

High-performance cars, such as the Subaru Impreza WRX and the Volkswagon Golf GTI VI, would be banned.

Ha ha! I love this bit.

Sucks to be a lebo or a wog.

[Shaz]

They still need to introduce compulsory driver training. I don't understand why they haven't already done it. Lots of other countries have it as compulsory, and their accident rates as far lower then ours.

I drove a 365rwkw Soarer on my red P's, and I didn't die because I done driver training. Lots of them.

The power to weight thing won't work as well as they expect it to, but at least it's a small win for P Platers, who now might be able to drive painfully underpowered forced induced vehicles.

Cheers,
Shazza.

[Shiv]

I wonder where they draw the line with regards to power and weight.

At present, moderately powered cars like the H6 Lib's and 6-cylinder Falcon's are about the fastest things P's can drive.

[Scuba-Roo]

i'm with Shaz on the driver training, i did a very basic course through AAMI, it opened my eyes up a bit, and i got cheaper insurance!

[Liberty]

I have never done the driver training but my girlfriend has. I consider myself a good and confident driver I guess, despite losing my license, but that was from my own faults. Not by causing accidents or not particularly being experienced on the roads.

There is no excuse for doing the wrong thing and losing your license by the way. I just had to learn it the hard way.

[nickknack]

They will just buy low-powered turbo cars and slap huge turbos on them. I can't see the RTA dyno-testing things, and IIRC GC8 wrxs, s13s, and r32 gts-ts are all under the 125kw/t.

i'm with Shaz on the driver training, i did a very basic course through AAMI, it opened my eyes up a bit, and i got cheaper insurance!

I did that too. Do a real defensive driving course, the AAMI one is terrible.

I consider myself a good and confident driver I guess

Doesn't everyone?

[Liberty]

Everyone might think so, but most of my friends consider me a good driver. Reactions, able to follow road rules, awareness, etc.

[Morgan]

They haven't introduced proper driver training because they can't see their brain for their wallet.

It's all about learning how to pass a test and that's it. Those in authority need to go places like Finland and see how they teach 14 year olds how to put a car out of control only so they can be taught how to get it back into control...

[Ben_20EJT]

Yer i could have worked with this when i was a p plater. Forester gt with stealth mods...

[Adam]

BRACE YOURSELVES.


THE P PLATER TURBO THREADS ARE COMING.

[Cam.]

They are here

[Scuba-Roo]

"how do i make my turbo suby as slow as a NA suby so i can drive it legally"

[Cam.]

I can just pull the turbo off and put a na exhaust on yeah?

[Liberty]

They haven't introduced proper driver training because they can't see their brain for their wallet.

It's all about learning how to pass a test and that's it. Those in authority need to go places like Finland and see how they teach 14 year olds how to put a car out of control only so they can be taught how to get it back into control...

That would be sick. I'd be up for that!

[mark300]

We will also get How can I make my Holden Cruize faster than a wrx?

[Cam.]

Throw a MBC on it and wind it up as far as it's goes.

[AussieTemplar]

This is funny because my N/A 6 cylinder e30 will still be significantly quicker then any of these p-plate legal turbo cars.. 185kw atw and only 1150kg's hehehehe.

Or how long until someone bolts on some massive turbo to one of these smaller turbo cards?

And like Shaz, I have also done defensive driving courses and advanced driver skills training.

[aekOne]

E30 driver training

[AussieTemplar]

That looked like a damn clean E30 too.