OPINION: Why the ‘ultra’ driver’s licence is a lemon

COMMENT: The caller licence to thrust an “ultra precocious powered vehicle” successful South Australia represents the worst benignant of bureaucracy.

This speedy media triumph for the authorities is simply a ruse radical tin intelligibly spot through.

South Australia’s U-class licence is the effect of a tragic decease 5 years ago, erstwhile a Lamborghini driven by Alexander Campbell left the roadworthy and deed 2 teenage girls.

Sophia Naismith died and Jordyn Callea suffered superior injuries arsenic a effect of the incident.

Their families were appalled erstwhile the operator was spared jailhouse time.

The calamity prompted the South Australia authorities to instrumentality an further licence for drivers of high-performance vehicles, which comes into effect from December 1.

Spin doctors celebrated headlines trumpeting a “Driver’s licence alteration for a cardinal Aussies”.

That is simply a naive fantasy.

The licence lone applies to cars with much than 276kW per tonne – a staggering magnitude of powerfulness for the value of the car.

Of the 250,000-plus vehicles presently listed connected car classifieds website Carsales, determination are little than 500 crossed the state that conscionable that powerfulness figure. Of those, determination are conscionable 36 listed successful South Australia, and the cheapest of them is simply a V12-powered Ferrari 599 GTB listed for $285,000.

Ferrari says that car tin scope 100km/h successful 3.7 seconds – an awesome achievement.

But determination are dozens of quicker cars that are not taxable to the U-licence, including the Porsche 911 Turbo that hits 100km/h successful 2.8 seconds, oregon the $80,000 Tesla Model 3 Performance that rips to 100km/h successful 3.1 seconds.

This licence volition person nary applicable impact, which is fitting, due to the fact that it requires nary applicable grooming oregon hands-on assessment.

Drivers who got their licence successful a dodgy Holden Gemini decades agone tin get down the instrumentality of an outrageous Lamborghini Aventador arsenic agelong arsenic they implicit an online people and aggregate prime quiz.

While determination is nary request for drivers to clasp applicable grooming to assistance them grip accelerated cars, high-end conveyance manufacturers connection courses and experiences to springiness owners a thrill portion teaching them astir their car’s capabilities.

I’ve experienced those courses arsenic portion of my occupation penning astir cars. They bash bonzer things for your driving.

And you don’t request to bargain a Porsche oregon Ferrari to summation entree to prime grooming – determination are precocious operator courses each astir Australia to thatch you however to grip a car.

Like the online learning modules pushed by HR departments astir the world, this U-licence is simply a inexpensive mode for authorities to consciousness similar they’ve addressed a occupation portion heaping work onto drivers.

It’s determination to pass drivers of the dire consequences that tin hap if they bash the incorrect happening down the wheel, past punish them with caller laws if they gaffe up.

Driving is simply a applicable skill, 1 that requires vision, co-ordination, dependable judgement and a basal knowing of a vehicle’s capabilities.

High-performance cars up the stakes successful each area.

Pilots cannot postgraduate from a lightweight, single-engine Cessna to a almighty jet-powered craft without important grooming and appraisal and racing drivers are not allowed to advancement to Supercars oregon F1 without proving they person the indispensable accomplishment and judgement.

Why should roadworthy cars beryllium different?

Adelaide Advertiser readers successful the website’s comments conception person seen done the government’s spin, describing the licence arsenic a “total worldly up”, and “a ploy … to effort and springiness the authorities greater leverage”.

One scholar who completed the people said it was “tokenism, positive revenue”.

You don’t request to wage for a U-licence to spot that it is an ultra dud.

David McCowen is simply a motoring writer for News Corp Australia.