Youngsters safer in a new car with no speed or no radio?

[saaby93]

Something for new cars to reduce accidents by young people
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21483160
It shows an option on a new car for limiting speed to 80mph or limiting the radio volume
Are most accidents by youngsters caused by them driving over 80mph, with the radio too loud, or by driving an old car?
Or are they invincible at any speed with or without a radio

Edited by saaby93 on Sunday 17th February 09:18

[McWigglebum3rd]

Well technically with no speed they aren't moving ergo very little danger

[Triumph Man]

So they are limiting the speed to a speed which is over the speed limit anyway? Right...

Anyway, I don't agree with limiting speed. If you crash, it will still hurt at most speeds below 80 anyway. Maybe limiting volume is a good idea so we no longer have cocky little sts driving through town with their music blaring.

[Triumph Man]

Or how about, and I'm going to be controversial here, proper education in the first place?!

[McWigglebum3rd]

Triumph Man said:

So they are limiting the speed to a speed which is over the speed limit anyway? Right...

Anyway, I don't agree with limiting speed. If you crash, it will still hurt at most speeds below 80 anyway. Maybe limiting volume is a good idea so we no longer have cocky little sts driving through town with their music blaring.

Actually if you watch you will see if can be limited down to 45mph

[andy-xr]

I'd be in favour of lowering the legal age to start driving a car. By the time you enter in to gobste mode (around 17/18 for lads) it'd be nice to have a year or two's experience so you can understand when to be a tt and when not to

[JDMDrifter]

Surely it doesn't make a difference , you can kill yourself doing any speed really , most fatal crashes among youngsters are on country roads. It doesn't matter if you can only do 80 , if you hit a tree it'll still kill you ...

[peterperkins]

Perfectly sensible idea for parents to help limit any dangers there offspring pose.

Good on Ford I reckon.

Combined with parental education to start with seems like a win/win.

[ClaphamGT3]

I vacillate between;

Let them all drive ancient, marginally road-legal high performance sheds; natural selection will run its course and, in the absence of a serious war, we need to find a way to thin out the bottom of the teenage gene pool

And

Make them all drive classics like Mercedes W123 series (200 or diesel only) or Volvo 200 series (possibly series landies) which are slow, strong and will actually teach them how cars work

[Crafty_]

I don't think that over 80mph is a problem. I think inappropriate speed is more of a problem - e.g. driving too fast for the road and/or conditions which then results in a crash.

Removing the use of the radio or restricting volume seems pointless, everyone has a phone, they could just play that through a speaker or headphones.

[devnull]

This is nothing new, the 'mykey' system has been out in the US for a while. I think it's pretty stupid - and why would you set the limit to 70 anyway? What about speedo tolerances? Do they not think that kids are savvy enough to disable the system anyway?

[MotorcyclesFish]

They are young, therefore they are determined and inventive. This is a nice, if misguided idea, but will be rapidly circumvented.

[Mastodon2]

Limiting it to 80mph will not help, they'll just drive through residential areas at 80mph, bouncing off the limiter. Teaching them to make better decisions while driving is far more effective than just limiting their car.

[acf8181]

Triumph Man said:

Or how about, and I'm going to be controversial here, proper education in the first place?!

exactly!

motorway lessons, skid control lessons, etc are very needed

[daemon]

Triumph Man said:

So they are limiting the speed to a speed which is over the speed limit anyway? Right...

+1

I dont think too many accidents with young people happen at 100MPH, usually its driving too fast for the conditions.

[Slow]

Which youngsters have a new car?

Personally i drive with music on a decent non defening level. Mate gets in and boom its now max and he puts his window down - absolute wker.

[davepoth]

JDMDrifter said:

Surely it doesn't make a difference , you can kill yourself doing any speed really , most fatal crashes among youngsters are on country roads. It doesn't matter if you can only do 80 , if you hit a tree it'll still kill you ...

Exactly that. Hitting a tree sideways at 45mph into the drivers' door would probably be lethal.

Disabling the radio wouldn't help either, they'd just play music out of their phone.

[Patrick Bateman]

It's your car y'know?

[tyranical]

I agree that there should be "a" limit for sure, I remember thinking I was invincible when I passed my test and although touch wood i've never had an accident at the time I came close a few times.

I also think a volume limit is good for a number of reasons, 1 it stops us hearing st pumping out at traffic lights and two having really loud music I would imagine hinders your concentration levels, I can't concentrate when music is really loud.

[Slow]

To be honest diesels NEED a loud radio just so we dont have to listen to a tractor all day