If you are really young and you are driving a very powerful car, is this a very bad thing?

Question

If you are really young and you are driving a very powerful car (Bigger, Stronger Engine), do you believe this a bad thing and or a risk? Why?

Answer 1

Insurance statistics say that older drivers are safer. So a younger driver with a powerful car sounds like a dangerous combination.

Answer 2

Hi,
There's a reason why insurer's put massive excess's on young drivers, because the majority can't correct a car or react properly if anything goes wrong, unless they've taken extra driving courses etc.

Getting a license in Australia is pretty easy, but putting teenagers in V8's (which we love over here, like America), or high output cars of all sorts, has been proven to be deadly. Even the great Peter Brock (record breaking Aust. driver) died when something unexpected happened in that rally race last year, and he was probably more experienced than most likely everyone that's responding to this question combined.

I live a half block from the corner of 2 main roads and have had a 22 year old male wrap his souped up Toyota Soarer round a pole and died 2 years ago, then last year another kid (aged 19) did the same on the opposite connecting road (this car was 10-12 feet up a wooden pole with no straight lines in it any more). He totally lost control on a clear day, dry road, slight bend in the road, and was speeding by about 20 kph/12.5mph or so from what the papers said. Another kid last year managed to mount the curb while test driving a sports sedan and launched the car into the same dealership after hitting the gutter after not reacting properly to a corner because he went in too fast. He wrote off 1-2 cars and heavily damaged 3 others (all new)!! - I still have photos on email somewhere of his car landing on the roofs of 2 other cars in the d/ship and his car on it's side!!

Totally agree with all our reductions here (Aust.) for reducing power to weight ratio for probationary drivers. So I agree with you it is a bad thing until you they are experienced. Bare in mind I am talking from personal experience as I haven't caused any accidents, but it would be naive of me to think how many accidents I would have caused if I had the size, power & speed of my current car (7.44 Liter/454 cubic inch V8 engine) as an inexperienced 19 year old rather than an experienced 29 year old.

Of course there are exceptions to everything, and you may get good young drivers but the majority aren't. Anyway there's a few examples for you, hope this helps.

Thanks

Answer 3

statistics show that younger drivers are more likely to be in a road accident, and the main contributing factor is driving too fast. Opponents of the theory that the bigger the engine, the more likely you are to speed will argue that you can go fast enough to kill someone or yourself in a Robin Reliant, but let's be honest..... you're far less likely to drive like a tool in a car that defines you as one in the first place !!

From experience of seeing idiots on the road all the time (Western Australia is full of them), it does seem that the majority of idiots either drive big V8 Commodores or Falcons, or drive hotted up jap cars and have been watching way too many drift movies.

Fact is, driving takes experience, and experience takes time. When you first get your licence, you are a crap driver. Even if you're careful and don't get into hassles, you're still a novice. You're just fortunate that you have the common sense to accept that fact and drive within your abilities.

Get a car that you can learn with. Something that won't leave the road and put you into a tree when you try and show off to your mates after a cider or three. Think you're too good a driver to crash into a tree? Peter Brock was a fairly good driver, and he managed to die that way. You're never good enough, so PLEASE.... DRIVE CAREFULLY OUT THERE !!

Good luck !!

Answer 4

Yes. Young people don't have the experience to properly judge risk when driving, and a very powerful car can get out of control very quickly. Even someone who has experience but is unfamiliar with a particular vehicle can find themselves in trouble if they aren't careful, and without that experience a young person is that much more likely to find themselves in over their head.

Answer 5

Very young meaning not mature? That's the problem, too many young people think that cars are toys. They are tools made to do a job. That's the way they need to be treated. Playing around in them will get someone hurt or killed.

There is nothing wrong with a young person driving a powerful car, what is wrong is the person not respecting the potential for damage that he/she can cause.

Answer 6

Yes because young drivers often lack the judgement and self-control to safely operate a powerful vehicle. It's a maturity thing. I speak from experience, when I was 17 I had a 65 GTO. Never wrapped it around a tree, but did a lot of stupid things with it.

Answer 7

It is really fun to drive a powerful car like a porsche or a lamborghini. But it is risky too because you dont know how how to drive a fast car and can lead to accidents. But if you are a professional driver you can drive. But remember there is always a risk.

Answer 8

In the old days they were all big a powerful. Just be careful. Gas prices made the cars smaller not accidents.

Answer 9

Depends on the person, and the age of the person. Insurance company's would see it as a 'risk' factor on a young person. It just depends on older people, some are 'good' drivers, and 'unfortunately', some aren't so good at driving.

Answer 10

Some....most younger drivers are immature and very inexperienced, so having a powerful vehicle at a young age could be dangerous IMHO.