Modified cars 'could put lives at risk'

stamford · 08-04-09, 12:21 PM

Lives are being put at risk by young motorists who modify their cars to boost performance, says the AA. The motoring organisation wants tighter controls for things like nitrous oxide kits which are used to massively increase an engine's power.
AA Chairman Edmund King says it's young motorists who are most at risk and he wants to see new rules [read more here]

What's your views on this?

dave87 · 08-04-09, 12:42 PM

my problem is the young motorists. Its not just young people who are capable of badly installing and driving cars unfit for the road. Same said for tuning your car and driving like dangerously. Just because I am young does not mean I am stupid!

What they are trying to say is people who have just passed their test are a danger to themselves by gettting in a easy to insure car and tuning it. What is the difference to a ricer first time driver going out and buying a performance car brand new. The AA should be wanting new laws to rescrict power output on new drivers cars if this is how they feel but no they went for the big headline. Disappointed tbh

stamford · 08-04-09, 12:51 PM

True that, all new drivers, irrespective of age, should be restricted on car type, cc, bhp level until they have spent so many hours behind the wheel in order to get 'promoted' to the next level. They more or less do this with motorcycles. In the states they have stricter rules, apart from allowing them to drive way to young an age! I think they have rules on driving at night and with whom dependant on age.

arwilson80 · 08-04-09, 01:16 PM

It's all in the title...

Quote:

Modified cars 'could put lives at risk'

it could, but doesn't always... Many things put peoples life at risk. Eating fatty foods, working with electricity, falling, etc, etc.... Cars are no different. The headline is there for 1 thing - 'Sensationalism'.

Stamford - they do have 'rules' like that, but they aren't law (yet AFAIK). They also are beginning to make installing data logging / video recording devices in cars for young people an option and reduce their premium based on how they are driving. They log things like sharp acceleration / deceleration / evasive manouvres (sp?)...

dave87 · 08-04-09, 01:18 PM

Sensationalism

thats the word I was looking for!

What happened to those proposed law changes on restrictions on night driving and passengers for new drivers in this country anyway?

Johny ZS 180 · 08-04-09, 01:27 PM

I dont understand the need for restricrtions of any kind. its our money and if we want to spend it on our cars and make them faster then why cant we, as long as all the right MOT, Tax etc is in place.

stamford · 08-04-09, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johny ZS 180

I dont understand the need for restricrtions of any kind. its our money and if we want to spend it on our cars and make them faster then why cant we, as long as all the right MOT, Tax etc is in place.

I would treat owning a car with NOS, handled by a teenager no different to giving the same person a loaded gun. Just because they can doesn't mean they are able.

All well and good if they want to kill themselves in the process, but they have no right to take anyone else with them.

Johny ZS 180 · 08-04-09, 03:24 PM

Thats not what im implying. its the person with a closed mind who believes a teenager with NOS (or any type of performance car) will not be able to drive the vehicle, i appreciate that younger drivers are statistically more likley to have an accident (apparentley), but why should younger drivers be punished for the careless mistakes of others?

stamford · 08-04-09, 03:28 PM

I would guess that those 'young motorists' being the few who modify their cars to the point to which they are dangerous and fail to inform their insurance company, assuming they did have it insured in the first place. It is always the minority that tars all with the same brush.

As said it is not always the young, but the uneducated that cause the problems.

Johny ZS 180 · 08-04-09, 03:37 PM

I will definatley agree about the uneducated, i see were your coming from now. To see how fast you can make your 1.2 and then not changing the brakes or telling insurance, thats the problem. i see alot of you lads who appear to be 'driving it like they've stolen it'. Good debate my good sir!