Motorway Driving

Japanese imports are governed to 112mph, are taken off their roads after 5 yrs of use and have only been used for short journeys.  Most have service histories too which can easily be translated.  The cars are in excellent order generally.

What is more concerning is that they can be bought by a young driver and imported without any real checks on that driver's abilities.

You missed the point a tiny bit...

Due to the large number of cars over 10 yrs old that can be imported without SVA being required and the cost of thses cars being well down on equivalent vehicles already in this country, younger thus inexperienced drivers can get their mucky wee mitts on them easier..

VOSA decided that all cars manufactured post 1997 had to have a full model report if it was to be imported, prior to 1997 and post 1994 (the current 10 yr limit) all cars must have an SVA but do not need a model report prior to import, pre 1994 cars (current 10 yr limit) do not need either a model report or SVA.

Instead of making life harder for would be boyracers, it has effectively make things easier cos 75% of these cars have already been modified up to the gills before they leave Japan by their original owner.  And any car without a cat fitted and that is post 1992 can be easily altered for the MOT in 10 mins, seeing as the majority of these cars have wide bore exhausts such as Hypermax etc.

Sorry can't see that getting the wrong sort off the street, it'll merely go some way towards legitimising them....

stephenperry wrote: http://www.rac.co.uk/racworld/driverquiz/ I get this result!   I would have said more likely "Raging Bull" or "King of The Road" "Middle of the road, that's the favourite place of the Suburban Cruiser. You drive safely, have your car serviced and wash it regularly. However, you tend to find your speed and stick to it rather than driving for the appropriate road conditions, and you get some flak from other drivers as a result.

That's what I got too. I think they're seriously misguided, and anybody who's been in the car with me would agree...

Rhys: Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) is the common name but it is still the DL196. I recently took mine again and passed my Direct Access last week (meaning i can go and buy and ride a busa/blade if i want to straight away) and i must say is alot harder than when i previously took my Part 1 (12 years ago) which is good. It is also going to get alot harder for people to pass a riding test (about time) with the introduction of speed tests on a 5 mile stretch of road and learning how to ride at high speeds and emergency braking at higher speeds before they are allowed out on the public roads.

Unless you do a direct access (which is only for people over 21) you are limited to 125cc 14.6bhp for 2 years afterwhich you can then not exceed 33bhp until 21 then you can ride anything so if a 17 year old is doing it they have 4 years experience of riding before they get to be unrestricted.

With regards to motorway driving there are talks of doing the same for all riders/drivers so my instructor was telling me (he does both bike and car) however this wont be any time soon.

In regards to the comments about younger/inexperienced drivers getting hold of skylines, supras and imprezas one thing that you forgot to mention having driven these cars yourself as have i is that although they have alot more performance they also have alot more control and handling than the clio and nova era so if there were some law to restrict the cars for 2-3 years to a sensible performance level then i see no problem with people being able to own them as it will inevitably be more beneficial to preserving life if they are driving a car with a good setup instead of buying a nova or clio which has absolutely crap handling or braking under load (older models here).

I would say that in my youth i was irresponsible for alot of things but never one that would jeopardise the safety of other road users or passengers. We all have to learn somehow and times change to the extent that cars are alot quicker now but equally they are alot safer as well in most part. That doesn't excuse inexperience i know but limiting new drivers to lesser cars is not the answer but restricting these cars is.

my tuppence worth

Russ

An interesting read but not all young drivers in reasonably high power cars are nutters  , and then again not all 'older and mature' drivers in high power cars are sensible  . I'm what you would class as a young driver I guess as i'm 24 , I currently drive a 525i sport which isn't exactly slow however I drive it with the respect it deserves . I do agree that a lot of young drivers nowadays do drive cars that are far too quick for them and they drive beyond their limits and without due care or attention for other road users , but you can't tie us all with the same brush .

I was heading back from London the other day and was cut up at a roundabout by a middle aged business man in his 5 litre 4x4 , this was after he had been lane swopping and undertaking cars  behind me ...anyway he cut me up so i gave him a quick beep of the horn only for him to swerve towards me when we left the roundabout !!

Bad , Dangerous and inconsiderate driving can be done by anyone in any type of car

Edited by BMWE34sport

I got my DL196 a while ago just for the experience, and was tempted to go for a direct access, but didn't as there are so many nutcases on the road now, it doesn't matter what that drive either, even push-bikes are dangerous, since they ignore traffic lights and love riding on the footpaths as well.

Better stop there or I will turn into a grumpy old man..