It's not the car that kills you...

TODAY, Thursday, 27th September, 2007
It's not the car that kills you...
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So licences shouldn't be issued by engine size
Letter from Michael Chua Kheng Hwee
I refer to Darren Lee's letter, "Life is no test drive" (Sept 24), in
which he suggested sub-dividing the Class 3 licence into various
categories for driving vehicles of different engine capacities.
However, I disagree that doing so would prevent new drivers of
high-capacity performance cars from driving recklessly. The fact of the
matter is that nobody drives recklessly when learning or when taking a
driving test. Drivers only start driving recklessly after they have passed
their driving test and gotten their driving licence.
If they were reckless, they would be a menace on the roads, regardless of
if they are driving a 1.6-litre or a 3.0-litre car. Both cars would still
result in about the same amount of damage in crashes at speeds of over
80kmh. In fact, the 3.0-litre car would probably be better built and
better protect its occupants.
Furthermore, sub-dividing the Class 3 driving licence into various
categories creates another problem: What about goods vehicles which are
3.0 litres and above? Will all new drivers who have only attained a Class
3 licence be unable to make a living as a delivery driver?
Besides, I believe new drivers of performance cars can easily familiarise
themselves with the handling, acceleration and power of such vehicles
within their one-year probation period.
Perhaps raising the age limit from the current 18 to 21 might help as
adults in their early 20s are generally more mature than those in their
late teens.