NSW Proposed P Plate Zero Tolerance Plan
January 8, 2007 by Alborz Fallah
Dear God! Seems like Australian transport authorities are getting dumber and dumber. Its hard to keep myself from going on a massive rant about people in power who have no idea about the real world situation for P platers, but I will try. It seems like NSW is a P Plate “No Drive Zone”. NRMA has put in a proposal to the NSW Roads Minister Eric Roozendaal suggesting that all young drivers be put on a zero demerit point system for the first year of driving.
In other words, if you got your license yesterday and you didn’t indicate as you changed lanes the next day, you would lose your license for 3 months and would have to resit the test once again! The new rules would place 350,000 young drivers on a system which gives them absolutely no chance to learn from their mistakes!
NRMA says that the plan is considered an alternative to the calls for curfews and passenger restrictions – which are still mired in the complexities of exemptions. Whilst I agree that there needs to be a alternative to the new laws, this is just simply and utterly unacceptable. Other plans have suggested that all new drivers undergo psychological assessment prior to gaining a license.
However, its good to note that this new plan shows that NSW has failed to curb the “P plate road toll” with high powered car restrictions, and other draconian laws that came into effect in 2005. NSW Road minister Mr Roozendaal has confirmed he would consider the proposal.
“We have had this on the agenda for some time … since when Eric (Roozendaal) asked me to be on the committee,” We believe that in 2005 … measures imposed on vehicles was tackling the wrong problem … and the results speak for themselves. Restrictions don’t stop the bad attitude and our research shows that attitude is the key problem as well as lack of skills.
“This would send a clear message. It was very much the thinking that risky drivers, people who misbehave, have picked up a speeding fine or the like before. This will be a proxy for an attitude assessment.” NRMA President Mr Evans said.
The NRMA submission to the Young Driver Advisory Panel along with this current proposal will also call for
- an increase in highway patrols,
- a review of driver training and instructors
- a campaign to encourage young drivers to buy safer cars.
I am glad that there is going to be a review of the driver training and instructors, however more highway patrols will solve absolutely nothing. Its actually relatively humorous to note that on one hand Mr Evans is willing to admit that restrictions on cars is not the problem, whilst not willing to admit that more and more speed cameras and toughter road rule restrictions are not the solution!
What an absolute joke. This new plan, if approved by the NSW government will not help reduce the road toll one little bit, it is simply, once again, a campaign set to scare young drivers as oppose to educate them about better driving techniques. This is perhaps the worst idea that has come out of NRMA ever, it even makes the QLD governments “Enough is Enough Campaign” seem reasonable!
Print it: 
Could have at least picked a NSW reg vehicle for the pic!
This whole situation is a perfect example of the blind ’stab in the dark’ attitude the government has. They came up with the fantastic idea of putting a ban on all turbo, v8 or otherwise ‘too powerful’ vehicles, and when that got them nowhere other than a 30% higher road toll for P plate drivers, they have decided to have another blind stab in the dark, thinking that they will somehow solve all their problems. I spent a year on my L’s, i passed my P’s test, i earnt my licence the same as everyone else, and now they are telling me that i really have not earnt anything, and they will freely take my licence away from me at the first sign of a mistake? How about looking at the stats of elderly drivers? how bout looking at restrictions for them? no, because thats too close to themselves, soon they will be in their 70’s, and when that time comes, they don’t want some cop pulling them over, telling them that they will have their licence suspended for 3 months for ‘failing to come to a complete stop at a marked stop sign’. These new laws will achieve nothing, they all seem to be putting on a facade of action for the government, at the expense of young drivers.
These new laws are rediculous and will have no affect what so ever, and to anyone who reads this i suggeust you should remove your P plates as this would give you less chance of getting caught breaking these “new laws”.
only letting one passenger in the car of a p plater is only going to cause more deaths. there will be more on the road between 11 and 5, more drunk because they cant have more than half the people drinking and get a lift with a sober person. if someone wants to have a drink they wont be able to get home unless they find someone that isnt drinking. which is almost impossible. you might find one in every ten or so. and with these new laws you cant have four drink and one not like before. which is very sensible because that will keep those four drunk people off the street out of the way from causing damage. these new laws will put three of those four drunk people out in public areas where there is a high chance in there drunken state they wont realise what they are doing, hurt someone or something. im sure you dont want that. i know having drunk people in the car will be a distraction. but i am sure it is better to have a sober person who is responsible take them home and not let them drive or walk the streets late at night. i think this is a very bad idea and you should rethink the new law.
hm….. yer i dunnno
i find it hipocritical that the ADULTS are killing more then 4 times more people on the road then us p plate drivers and they wont even inforce the same dam laws on themselfs. How bout the RTA take a good look at whos causing more of a problem and focus on them…. or are they just too scared to take on some 1 their own size?
By the way a HUGE AMEN to Ali Carse for his post, i couldnt of said it better myself, spot on!
All These Laws Are Bullshit!! All They Do Is Encourage Us To Do The Opposite!! It Makes Things More Of A Challenge And Makes It Funner !! STUPID GOVERNMENT DOESNT KNOW SHIT !! They just cant think of anything better to do then target us !! Haha Well all i can say is GOODLUCK!! but your shit aint gona work its just go make things worse !!
Well the rules are now here. What concerns me the most that that P platers can lose their licence for something inadvertant, as opposed to flouting the law.
I dont know of a single driver who has not had a minor traffic fine or has not exceeded the speed limit by a small amount at some time.
I think if the legislation is reasonable, which I dont think it is, then lets accept it for ALL drivers.
We have the situation where P plate drivers in rural areas will lose their jobs for what is in some cases, an arbitrary and trivial offence.
I will NEVER vote labour while this madness continues.
S Davis
These laws are so completely stupid! Everyone who’s left comments is right. Sure there needs to be some changes but these aren’t going to work
There are so many reasons why these will cause even more accidents:
As mentioned there’s going to be a whole lot more teenagers on the road during these times cause you can’t have more than 1 passenger. Good luck to them if they think 50% of P platers at a party won’t drink.
Everyone makes mistakes I’m sure they did and they didnt have so many restrictions. Treat us like idiots and there’ll be people who act like idiots. Everywhere else in the world don’t have stupid restrictions come to think of it they dont even have L’s or P’s they have a driving course and either pass or they don’t.
So stop treating us like idiots cause we’re not
i disagree with alot of these new laws!
ive just turned 16
and feel no urgency to drive.
it seems all too hard
for god sake!
less ppl aloud in car = more drunk drivers.
zero demerit points = virtually impossible.
you cant abolish accidents, unless we all drive around in bubbles made of brick that go 4-5 kms p/hour
Wtf. Na seriously wtf. Having these new laws set would be a massive inconvenience for most P plate drivers. I think its compleatly arogant of the government to be so clueless in how young people drive. yeh I’m not saying there all perfect, but the old people have a two to three times higher accident rate the that of the young drivers. Old people crash a car and its ok but when a P plater has a crash its all over the news and its all ways the P platers fault. Its like they think it fn halariuos for them to watch us suffer.
ok what sean said was exactly right… we can’t introduce laws that only apply to one band of people. its undemocratic.
young drivers are not the only group with high statisticss for crashes..we’re just the ones underrepresented in government. Other notable groups include the elderly and of course men:)
the interesting thing is that the one argument the NSW government has really been driving home is that P platers are 15% of drivers, 25% of crashes. and yet these restrictions do not apply to p platers above 25- thus demonstrating that the reason for targeting us is not inexperience- but age.
and another thing! having less severe punishments for speeding offences for those with full licenses isnt just takign a harder line with p platers- it almost seems to be condoning speeding if you are above 25..
speeding is unacceptable- whatever your age group.
hehehehe… stupid nsw govt. bring back JH.