L platers - banned from Freeways?

[new2ford]

The matter of manual cars is interesting. I believe some 90% of cars sold in Aus are now auto so experience of manual driving would be dying out. In Europe it's the opposite, about 90% are manual. I wonder how young Australians travelling and picking up a hire car in Europe will cope?

[robbyj]

Originally Posted by new2ford

The matter of manual cars is interesting. I believe some 90% of cars sold in Aus are now auto so experience of manual driving would be dying out. In Europe it's the opposite, about 90% are manual. I wonder how young Australians travelling and picking up a hire car in Europe will cope?

I had a visit from a friend from Switzerland, had her license for 2 years and didnt know how to drive an Auto.. was rather interesting

[robbyj]

Originally Posted by H.G

I dont think trucks should be speed limited either if L platers dont need to be..
lets be fair all round.

are you honestly all there? I can detect your sarcasm but seriously mate..

[wrongwaynorris]

"Honestly..... Next time be a little more observant with the real hold up. It will be the cars in the middle and right lane both doing the limit ( edit or below it usually ) side by side thinking they are in the right."

Sums up 99% of NSW road problems in a nutshell.

[wrongwaynorris]

Originally Posted by new2ford

The matter of manual cars is interesting. I believe some 90% of cars sold in Aus are now auto so experience of manual driving would be dying out. In Europe it's the opposite, about 90% are manual. I wonder how young Australians travelling and picking up a hire car in Europe will cope?

Simple most of them simply wont and it's not exclusive to young Australians either .

[jimmyxr6t04]

It's obvious that some people don't often venture past the luxury of 3 and 4 lane freeways...

Just the other week i came across a perfect example of why learner drivers should drive at the speed limit. On a single lane 2 way road, i came across a rolling roadblock of no less than 20 cars, all driving 60-80km/h in a 100 zone. The road had limited dedicated over taking lanes, but plenty of overtaking opportunities, with several stretches of clear/straight road with good vision.

There were 2 problems though:

1 - The learner stuck on 80km/h

2 - The first 2-3 idiots stuck behind the learner not willing to overtake when the chance came up...

This meant that some cars were pulling out and overtaking 5 or more cars at once..

If the learner could drive at 100km/h, i doubt this would have happened. You might get a few cars stuck behind, but it would have flowed much better.

Froget the freeways for a moment, it's the country roads where this stupid law has the potential to be more dangerous!

In saying that, if i was a supervising the learner, i would have realised that i was creating a massive roadblock. I would have instructed my learner to pull over some where safe, or turn down a side road and let the faster cars move through.

It seems courtesy is a thing of the past...

[new2ford]

In my experience living in the country, that rolling roadblock is caused 90% of the time by licensed (not learner) drivers. That's because they're not taught courtesy and use of the RV mirrors and the need to pull over to let faster vehicles past by driving instructors when they learn to drive. European drivers intuitively keep a watch behind and give faster cars behind the opportunity to pass.

That's a cultural thing that may be a bit harder to overcome, what with Australian drivers wanting to be "in front" as much as possible!

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by new2ford

The matter of manual cars is interesting. I believe some 90% of cars sold in Aus are now auto so experience of manual driving would be dying out. In Europe it's the opposite, about 90% are manual. I wonder how young Australians travelling and picking up a hire car in Europe will cope?

Funny you say that. We had friends from England stay with us last year and they wanted to borrow the Mrs auto astra. It was one of the worst and scary experiences in my life trying to teach a 50yo person who only knew manual cars to drive auto. They just couldn't relax and let the car change gear. Left foot braking thinking it was a clutch. Manually shifting the auto shifter into neutral. Not paying attention to the road. And this was just getting out of my street. I had to tell her to pull over as I was not 1 bit confident she could drive it with traffic around.

[my_gxl]

Just got back from a freeway run.

Saw all the L platers actually in the left lane, and conducting themselves well.

The main thing I saw was P platers being very unpredictable, and the normal dumb persons....grrrr...being right lane hogs.(under the limit of course)

Indicate, keep left...the law, and not hard.

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by blueoval

Funny you say that. We had friends from England stay with us last year and they wanted to borrow the Mrs auto astra. It was one of the worst and scary experiences in my life trying to teach a 50yo person who only knew manual cars to drive auto. They just couldn't relax and let the car change gear. Left foot braking thinking it was a clutch. Manually shifting the auto shifter into neutral. Not paying attention to the road. And this was just getting out of my street. I had to tell her to pull over as I was not 1 bit confident she could drive it with traffic around.

lol that's funny. I don't know why manual is so popular in Europe. I think over there they enjoy driving a car more (probably explains why they're much better drivers) and changing gears is part of the "fun". I find it a bit of a pain (especially in the city) and you lose the opportunity of cruise control, but perhaps the old thing about manual fuel economy being better is true? Our Skoda is still using only 6 litres per 100 even when cruising at 140 km/h! My Territory in OZ goes downhill on fuel consumption after about 90!

[Auslandau]

Price. Manuals are more reasonably priced than auto. Just a little bit more price conscience than here and used for the daily run arounds.

[last fairlane]

Speaking of idiotic differences in speed
back in the 70s in a tray truck or semi trailer
the speed limit was in Miles per hour days pre decimal
35 MPH for cars 30 Mph for trucks in own and 40 MPH on the highway
it was 60 MPH for cars and 40 MPH for trucks in Victoria
and in South Australia it was worse 35 MPH for cars and 20MPH for trucks
but when you got to the highway
it was 60 MPH for cars and 30 MPH for trucks
I was running interstate from Adelaide to Brisbane
the limits were (highway running)
30 MPH in SA 40 MPH in Vic 50 MPH in NSW and 60 MPH in QLD
what a confusing ba11s up and a danger to everyone
one of the strangest rules here in QLD is
if you are a learner you can drive any type of car ie turbo or V8
but once you get your licence you are not allowed to drive those cars
thanks John

[Ben73]

I don't get people who say they can't drive auto because it's too hard. Seriously are they not full quid. All you have to do is accelerate brake and turn. How is that harder then a manual.

[Ford_The_Win]

Originally Posted by jimmyxr6t04

It's obvious that some people don't often venture past the luxury of 3 and 4 lane freeways...

Just the other week i came across a perfect example of why learner drivers should drive at the speed limit. On a single lane 2 way road, i came across a rolling roadblock of no less than 20 cars, all driving 60-80km/h in a 100 zone. The road had limited dedicated over taking lanes, but plenty of overtaking opportunities, with several stretches of clear/straight road with good vision.

There were 2 problems though:

1 - The learner stuck on 80km/h

2 - The first 2-3 idiots stuck behind the learner not willing to overtake when the chance came up...

This meant that some cars were pulling out and overtaking 5 or more cars at once..

If the learner could drive at 100km/h, i doubt this would have happened. You might get a few cars stuck behind, but it would have flowed much better.

Froget the freeways for a moment, it's the country roads where this stupid law has the potential to be more dangerous!

In saying that, if i was a supervising the learner, i would have realised that i was creating a massive roadblock. I would have instructed my learner to pull over some where safe, or turn down a side road and let the faster cars move through.

It seems courtesy is a thing of the past...

Oh tell me about it brother.. The Calder Hwy between Bendigo and Mildura is always an absolute shocker like that. Someone towing a van or something like that creating a massive road block, does not see the need to pull over and do the right thing, and of course nobody's game enough to overtake. It gets to the point where I'm overtaking at least 5 or 6 cars at a time - always done very swiftly (but safely), still a nerve wracking experience though. All because of a few nuff-nuffs.

[XRDeeze]

Originally Posted by Ben73

I don't get people who say they can't drive auto because it's too hard. Seriously are they not full quid. All you have to do is accelerate brake and turn. How is that harder then a manual.

Ive never driven an Auto car on Road before, And i still have no clue on how to Drive the thing, do you put in (P) when ur waiting at a set a lights? I'll stick to manual.. they're much easier to drive too

[Ben73]

You can stick it in P at the lights if you like or you can just hold your foot brake on. All you have to go is push the accelerator to go faster and the brake to go slower. Exactly like a manual car, except you don't have to change gears. Really I think my 10 year old brother could handle it.

[blueoval]

Agree. Its not rocket science to drive an auto. You don't have to do as much. That's all. I learnt in an auto yet my very first car was manual. Taught myself to drive it and it took a day to get used to manual. Coordination was the key for manual. Second nature after a little while. Auto really there is a lot less thinking.

[my_gxl]

Originally Posted by Ford_XR603

Ive never driven an Auto car on Road before, And i still have no clue on how to Drive the thing, do you put in (P) when ur waiting at a set a lights? I'll stick to manual.. they're much easier to drive too

You can be lazy, and leave it in D with foot on the brakes.

I use the handbrake everywhere and if at the lights for a long time, I put it in N.

No harder than a manual.

[flooded one]

I just put it D to drive leave foot on brake at lights or when stopped. use R for reversing and when i park the car leave it in P. only use 2nd and 3rd for steep decents. not that hard

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by Ford_XR603

Ive never driven an Auto car on Road before, And i still have no clue on how to Drive the thing, do you put in (P) when ur waiting at a set a lights? I'll stick to manual.. they're much easier to drive too

All you have to remember is that D is for drag and R is for race..... simple!

[H.G]

Haha R means race.. motorsport would be alot more interesting if it was .......

[flooded one]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

All you have to remember is that D is for drag and R is for race..... simple!

lol just dont go thinking P is for police and slamming it into park when you see a copper while doing 110km/h in an 80km/h etc

[flooded one]

Originally Posted by H.G

Haha R means race.. motorsport would be alot more interesting if it was .......

I would love too see the V8 supercars race around in reverse!!!!

[XRDeeze]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

All you have to remember is that D is for drag and R is for race..... simple!

thanks mate, I'm assuming the N is for the NOS aswell too right

[dieseltrain79]

I think it's ridiculous an L plater is restricted to 80km/h but can drive 700hp no worries .... Get their p's , be restricted to " non powerful " cars but drive faster with no experience of cornering or braking distance changes from the increased sPeeds .....

[H.G]

Originally Posted by dieseltrain79

I think it's ridiculous an L plater is restricted to 80km/h but can drive 700hp no worries .... Get their p's , be restricted to " non powerful " cars but drive faster with no experience of cornering or braking distance changes from the increased sPeeds .....

have a little think about this. and Im sure you will come up with a reason why this occurs...

hint.. one is monitored by an experienced driver.. who often is also the owner of the vehicle.... one is more susceptible to peer pressure...

[dieseltrain79]

One problem is , they get a taste for speed , then try and drive the nuts off their " non " performance cars ...

Just look how many p Platers on this forum alone want to modify cars and hide them ... And that's just falcons and such .

As a professional driver on the roads every day , I can assure you there are a lot of " experienced , owners " letting young people give cars a good rip !

[aussie muscle]

Originally Posted by new2ford

and changing gears is part of the "fun".

i'd agree with that to some extent. Changing up in the Alfa GTV i had was a blast. it'd be a pain around the city though.

[weairy]

Several things to ask/comment on here;

1. The 80km/h limit only applies to NSW L-Platers/NSW roads nowadays, doesn't it? (I know other states must comply when in NSW).

2. On a freeway, it doesn't matter at all.

3. I'm a VIC P-Plater, and I did my Ls time in VIC on the 120-hr system. 110km/h on a freeway isn't dangerous by any means in fair weather in a car that isn't your Centrelink-loving cousin's VP Commo.

4. To any of those who're saying the 80km/h limit reduces the road toll etc. etc; look at the statistics. It's actually one of the lowest accident rate catagories, even in VIC where there isn't a speed limit.

5. To reiterate others point; we were all L Platers at some point, only the ignorant don't think about this. Be patient and remember there's a teenage kid in there doing their best to learn to drive competently so they don't make another road fatality statistic when they obtain their P Plates.

I think both systems work fairly, the speed limited NSW P-Plates-at-17 system and the VIC 120hr-Speed-Free system. The car restriction thing leaves a lot to be desired though... I can freely drive my FG XR6 without question but the old man's V8 100 Series Landcruiser and 308 powered WB Stato are off limits?