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Driving safety and performance cars



  Mk1 1.2 & Mk1 172
As a car owners' club with the word "Sport" in the title we should be advocating safety, sensible driving and abiding by the law, however hard that is when you have a Clio Sport!!!

I think that a debate on the topic would not go amiss, and if you lucky youngsters who have bought/been bought performance cars at a young age would put in some sensible argument then that would be great.

This is not about bitterness, or jealousy. I for one, have had my share of great cars, so I am not at all jealous. It is purely in the interest of a lively discussion.

I will open with a section taken from another post:

Quote:
Originally Posted by chiefsilverback
Quote:
Originally Posted by Clio_gib
They are not being hugely irresponsible, they know i am responsible and they actually know how i am, unlike you, you think im an idiot who will go speeding round gibraltar which there isnt much point because roads here are sh!t, you got to realise that stuff here in Gibraltar are different to the UK, we do not have never ending roads, here in Gibraltar its like a scalectrix track, you just go round and round the same route all the time, and you cant speed coz of traffic aswell....you need to realise that the UK isnt the world, fair enough you live there and it is rather big, but look at America, Dubai and some parts of Spain, people getting R32's at the age of 16 in america, a guy in la linea i know is 19 and has a V6, its not being irresponsible, its being able to afford it, and enjoying it!

No matter who you are or where you live giving your child a performance vehicle as their first car is irresponsible!!! Filling it full of powerful sound system is then just plain stupidity!

When someone passes their test all they have is a bit of paper that means they can drive a car on the road, they don't know how to drive that is something you never stop learning and only experience can teach it. That's not an opinion, that's a fact!

No matter how responsilbe etc... you think you are a performance car is dangerous because it allows you to go round a corner 50% quicker than you would in a standard 1.1. I'm not talking about balls out 10/10ths driving just at normal speeds you will naturally go down a road quicker because your car corners much faster etc...

To danger comes from the fact that when you come round a corner and there's something in the road your doing 45mph in a 172 whereas you'd be doing 35mph in a 1.2 Fiesta. You havn't been doing anything wrong, you've not been pushing the car anywhere near it's limits but because of what the car is you are suddenly in a situation you've never been in before and you jump on the brakes, lose the backend and crash.

Someone with 10 years experience will come round the corner see the obstacle, look for a safe exit point, apply the right balance of braking/throttle and steer around the obstacle.

This isn't targetted at you specifically this is a generalisation. Ask every person with 5 years + driving experience and I bet they will say something similar. When I was 17 I thought I was a driving God, I now know I'm a competent, fast driver but it's taken me 8 years a couple of crashes and some very close calls to get there and if I'd been given a 172 when I passed my test I'd probably be dead now so I should thank my parents for putting me in a 1.1 (I still crashed it)!!!!!


I have to say I agree with everything you say. (Are you a bobby?). I had my first "own" car when I was 21. It cost £800 and I saved up and bought it myself. It was a Metro Turbo. My parents were vehemently against the idea.
What worries me most is the fact that young inexperienced drivers do not realise the mechanics (the physics, if you like) of driving. It is something you learn.
This is what happened to a friend of mine... fortunately he lived to tell the tale. He is 29 with a lot of driving experience, and he was a little over zealous with a bend at speed. Part of the reason he walked away was the car's safety features... but a lot was to do with driving EXPERIENCE and knowing what to do to make a bad situation better!!!

m_3c52d8d98a792119a5334d3bbde81db4.png
 
  LY 200
Fuckabout.

If some young lad wants to buy/has been bought a performance car of any type then cant we all just say good luck to him!? Why is there soooooo many old farts not just on here but out there in general who are so quick to shoot young drivers down?

Iv been driving since 17, got my first performance car when i was late 18 (bought by myself :rolleyes:) and am now 21. Iv driven quickly on occasions when safe but iv never had an accident nor have i had any points!!!

I dont really think it matters whether Cliosport or any other car forum for that matter stressed how important it was for young/old, inexperienced or experienced drivers to take care on the roads as at the end of the day people will make there own decisions.
 
  Mk1 1.2 & Mk1 172
I don't think congratulating someone for being £26k in debt, not to mention the £4k they're paying in insurance is a good thing, either...
 
  AMV8, Mk1 Golf
ok so im 19 and i own a group 17 , clio 172 - so your saying im a bad driver and that im in loads n loads of debt
 
  cock mobile.
What a strange topic...

I think everyone here would encourage driving safely despite what car they had.
 
  LY 200
Don't you think encouraging safe driving is a good idea though?

Yes but only the good people will take note who its not really aimed at as they already have an ounce of common sence about them anyway.

The way i see it is the there are certain types of young people/people in general out there who will drive fast and there are certain types out there who will drive like morons.......There usually the ones who either write a car off and dont have the dosh to replace it or dont have the 6 free points for long that the dvla imposes when a new licence is given!!!

Doesnt matter who promotes safe driving, whether it be joe public or the laws imo, the types its aimed at wont listen anyhow.

What im getting at is you cant tar every 17/18/19 year old with the same brush which so many people seem to do.
 
  AMV8, Mk1 Golf
yup agreed, no one is going to encorage dangerous driving, ok so everyone may drive a little crazy from time to time but in thier opinion it is safe to do so at the time, no one if going to drive with the intention of crashing...
 
I think maybe from now on people should just answer the question which the user posts instead of getting into whether or not they are too young to drive. Yes we should encourage safe driving but I dont think we should do it inside someones post, we should send him a PM saying we are concerned this way its doesnt start arguements and its strictly between the person who started the thread and the person who is concerned. I am 18/19 and want a 182 maybe next year if I can get it on finance. Yes I have only just passed my driving test so I will not be as good of a driver as some of the people on this forum but I am still almost 19 years old! I am very responsable and some might even class me as an adult, I act like one but just dont look like one (dam babyface!) Anyway thats my 2 cents on all this, take it or leave it but I personally think its a good idea.
 
  The Bus and MRT
I don't think congratulating someone for being £26k in debt, not to mention the £4k they're paying in insurance is a good thing, either...

It's their money why not spend it on their hobby/passion? I just got an R32 on finance, I'm a lot worse off than I was before, lost £330 spending money each month but wouldn't get rid of it for the world, I love it and love driving it.

As for performance cars at a young age I had a VTR that I learnt to drive in and passed my test in, I worked to save up for it and then my parents doubled the amount I'd saved. Lots of people thought it was too fast for me but at the end of the day it just boils down to how responsible you are, age makes no difference I see just as many people 30yrs+ driving dangerously as I do 17 year olds. The way I see it if a younger driver has gone through the effort to save up and afford a fast car they are less likely to drive it dangerously than some sales man in his company car that doesn't give two s***s about it.... don't know where I'm going with this really but I don't think it matters what someone says on a forum it's not going to make any difference to the way someone drives
 
Nothing said on this thread will stop young fast drivers from driving how they do. I dont understand what this thread is trying to say or ask.
 

Pep

ClioSport Club Member
  M2,XJS,S1000RR
i understand what you are saying JPandDeb, however i understand everyone else's points of view aswell,

i get annoyed when people tar me with being a bad driver because i am 17(18 tomorrow :D), i have been driving for 10 months with my liscence, and have experience of cars off road/private roads since i was 12, i consider myself a fairly good driver, as everyone else does i suppose, i have had one accident where someone went into the back of my car at some lights, so not my fault at all btu i still get looks as if i am an unsafe driver when people know about it.

yes i have 3 points for speeding, and ill hold my hands up and say i was in the wrong, whether it was 33mph at 2 in the morning or 90 on the motorway, speeding is speeding so i accept my punishmnet for it, i wouldnt say i speed alot, i was fairly unlucky when i got caught but if it takes me 3 points and a fine to make me more aware of my speed in certain situations then fair does, just to comment it has made me think a lot harder about my driving, and i genuinely think it has made me a better driver.

the point im trying to make is that you shouldnt make out every 17year old is inexperienced, my dad did rallying for years, and my uncles off roading, so i have been driving ever since i could reach the pedals, (all offroad tracks etc, never once driven illegally on the road) so i think i can handle my car, yes its a 1.2 but it makes no difference, i could still slide out on a corner into a bus stop with waiting people the same as a 17 year old could in a 172, whatever is said in this thread will certainly not change whatever the said person will act like driving the car, its just a huge argument boiling up between 17-21 year olds and everyone else, you shgould give everyone the benefit of the doubt with things like this when you have never met them or seen how they act.

not sure if that made sense, went on a bit didnt i!
 
fact of the matter is no matter what way you look at it young inexperienced drivers are the biggest cause of accidents on the road, especially for being uninsured etc, so it stands to reason why people have reservations. some people like Jay and Laura will be fine in a high powered car, but personally I think they are the exception to the rule. If it were up to me I'd not let anyone under the age of 21 drive a 2.0 or above for safety reasons, as most young drivers are idiots when they get behind the wheel or simply too inexperienced to handle a car like that.
 

Cookie

ClioSport Club Member
I drove for 2 years in a Clio 1.2 (Passed when I was 21), built up my no claims, and now have a 172 at 23.

If only everyone was that sensible... or perhaps the DVLA should enforce some restriction on engine size, such as they do with motorbikes.
 
  Engles Mummy
fact of the matter is no matter what way you look at it young inexperienced drivers are the biggest cause of accidents on the road, especially for being uninsured etc, so it stands to reason why people have reservations. some people like Jay and Laura will be fine in a high powered car, but personally I think they are the exception to the rule. If it were up to me I'd not let anyone under the age of 21 drive a 2.0 or above for safety reasons, as most young drivers are idiots when they get behind the wheel or simply too inexperienced to handle a car like that.

I agree partly with your comment. Yes the majority of young drivers are dangerous and they think there gods gift behind the wheel, as a matter of fact most drivers (any age) think there god’s gift behind the wheel when clearly they need a reality check.

What annoys me though is when people jump to the conclusion that if your a young driver with a sport it automatically means your a spoilt brat, can’t handle the power of an ALL MIGHT SPORT (what a joke) & is most certainly going to crash!

I'm 19, I started go-karting at 8(been doing it every since) passed my test at 17 and bought a 1.2, had that for a year then at 18 I bought a 172 cup, had that for a year then now at 19 I own a v6 mk2. The 172&v6 were both purchased in the winter (icy roads)

For those of you who saw me on track know I can handle a car at high speeds and know I’m not some young inexperience punk behind a wheel.

I'm a very safe driver, I'm always aware of my surroundings, I'm not racing driver but I'm good enough to drive at speeds above the national limit & I know my personal driving limits. I'm a smart driver, yes I do often Cain it but only when it’s safe, the road is clear and when it’s nice & dry!

*Not sure if thats a valid post for this topic lol
 
  cock mobile.
I drove for 2 years in a Clio 1.2 (Passed when I was 21), built up my no claims, and now have a 172 at 23.

If only everyone was that sensible... or perhaps the DVLA should enforce some restriction on engine size, such as they do with motorbikes.

Insurance costs usually dictate this anyway, as with you.

There's no need to become even more nanny state than we already are.
 

Cookie

ClioSport Club Member
DVLA should enforce some restriction on engine size, such as they do with motorbikes.

Is that so!?

My mates only 20 and has a gxr600!? :S

"After passing the standard motorcycle practical test you will be restricted for two years to riding a motorcycle of up to 25 kW (33 bhp) and a power/weight ratio not exceeding 0.16 kW/kg. After the two year restriction period you can ride a motorcycle of any size."

Taken from - http://www.dsa.gov.uk/Category.asp?cat=94

Can ride a bike of any cc you want, as long as its got its restrictors in place if you're under 21.
 
Ive had fast cars since I was 19, Iam 28 now. At 19 I lived with my parents, had no morgage, payed £10 a week board and allways seemed to have enough money to go out every night.Infact I found it alot less hard on my wallet then to run a nice car than i do now> When ever I see a young lad with a nice motor, I think good on him. Its just as easy to kill yourself in a 800quid fiesta if you drive it like a prick, Id much prefer my child to be spending his or her money running a car than pissing it up the wall every friday sat night (although that is an important part of growing up too!)
 
  172 cup
I wont argue that experience counts for a lot, but everyone has their own opinion of what makes a good and bad driver. Ive know 22 year olds who've owned 911's and 55 year olds (both of whom randomly ended up parking them in hedges) I guess my point is that not everyone can drive a performance car safely and the uk driving test doesnt equip anyone with the skiils to deal with a 200bhp car, having large bank balance or access to the bank of mum and dad also doesnt make you a good driver - My opinion is that every one no matter what age should be limited to a 100BHP for at least a year ... maybe there should even be a second test ... racing test or something for those who which to drive a 200 BHP + so that they learn how to handle their cars in safe conditions
 
  Chocolate Bar™
I don't think congratulating someone for being £26k in debt, not to mention the £4k they're paying in insurance is a good thing, either...

It's their money why not spend it on their hobby/passion? I just got an R32 on finance, I'm a lot worse off than I was before, lost £330 spending money each month but wouldn't get rid of it for the world, I love it and love driving it.

As for performance cars at a young age I had a VTR that I learnt to drive in and passed my test in, I worked to save up for it and then my parents doubled the amount I'd saved. Lots of people thought it was too fast for me but at the end of the day it just boils down to how responsible you are, age makes no difference I see just as many people 30yrs+ driving dangerously as I do 17 year olds. The way I see it if a younger driver has gone through the effort to save up and afford a fast car they are less likely to drive it dangerously than some sales man in his company car that doesn't give two s**ts about it.... don't know where I'm going with this really but I don't think it matters what someone says on a forum it's not going to make any difference to the way someone drives

do tend to agree with that! the problem comes when people with little or no experience get 'given' a fast car and dont respect it.

i did tend to drive my 172, albeit for only 3 weeks, more sensibly than i did my 1.2 mainly because i knew if i wanted to i could plant my foot and give it a blast.
 
  2 wheel power
Quite frankly young drivers (and i am including myslef in this statement) tend to drive 'quicker' shall we say. Not saying that all young drivers drive recklessly as i know many that don't. But as has been mentioned earlier, you can crash in any car.
TBH, if I was offered a 182/172 now I'd take it, I've only been driving for a month and people may resent it but it is up to the driver how they drive
 
  Clio 172 mk2
f**kabout.

If some young lad wants to buy/has been bought a performance car of any type then cant we all just say good luck to him!? Why is there soooooo many old farts not just on here but out there in general who are so quick to shoot young drivers down?

Iv been driving since 17, got my first performance car when i was late 18 (bought by myself :rolleyes:) and am now 21. Iv driven quickly on occasions when safe but iv never had an accident nor have i had any points!!!

I dont really think it matters whether Cliosport or any other car forum for that matter stressed how important it was for young/old, inexperienced or experienced drivers to take care on the roads as at the end of the day people will make there own decisions.

I'm an 'old fart' of 31 and am happy to shoot younger drivers of performance cars down.

a) because I can and b) because experience is what it's about....more years on the road means more experience dealing with different situations....period.
 
  LY 200
In answer to a) Good for you my friend ;) and in answer to b) read the bit in the middle where it says iv personally been driving performance cars since late 18 without any accidents (should have typed near misses in there too) or points to my name. As im nearly 22 i make that nearly 3 years of safe driving.

I have pals who are exactly the same so its not just me, some even have higher powered cars for instance a tme evo 6 for one of them.

As said by somebody else earlier on in the thread young drivers are hit with big premiums for insurance, less available points, we dont need anything else really.

As with everything just because a minority cant be trusted to do something in an appropriate manner you cant stop the good people who will as its dead unfair.

Im all for harsher penaltys for the ones who are caught taking the piss, driving dangerously etc. Fixed 3 year ban and few thousand pound fine would make people think twice imo.
 
  Mk1 1.2 & Mk1 172
Granted, young drivers are not necessarily bad drivers, but they have a LOT to learn. I thought I was amazing when I passed at 17. I had been driving around off road for years, with a grandfather who had 4.5 acres and an uncle who is a game-keeper. However, it wasn't long before I realised that there was a lot more to being able to technically control and drive a car. I consider myself a good driver now. However, no-one is invincible.
 
  Engles Mummy
f**kabout.

If some young lad wants to buy/has been bought a performance car of any type then cant we all just say good luck to him!? Why is there soooooo many old farts not just on here but out there in general who are so quick to shoot young drivers down?

Iv been driving since 17, got my first performance car when i was late 18 (bought by myself :rolleyes:) and am now 21. Iv driven quickly on occasions when safe but iv never had an accident nor have i had any points!!!

I dont really think it matters whether Cliosport or any other car forum for that matter stressed how important it was for young/old, inexperienced or experienced drivers to take care on the roads as at the end of the day people will make there own decisions.

I'm an 'old fart' of 31 and am happy to shoot younger drivers of performance cars down.

a) because I can and b) because experience is what it's about....more years on the road means more experience dealing with different situations....period.

lol "because I can"

Big Dick coming through! Back Up, Back Up!
 

Martin_172

ClioSport Club Member
out of 8 of my mates who are all 17 and 18 everyone of us has a car, 5 of us saved up bought and insured our cars ourselfs. the other 3 have all been given or bought a car.

only 3 of them have had a crash, and guess what 3 it is?!! yep the 3 that got the cars from mummy and daddy
 
  LY 200
^^^Yep, i thought that, just another example of CS generalisation there.

I got my first car bought by my parents, so what!? I appreciated it and treated it with as much respect i have with any of the cars iv paid for myself!!!
 
  AMV8, Mk1 Golf
bought my 172 myself no help from mum n dad.
i tend to drive alot better than i did the 1.2 i respect it alot more
 
  Mk1 1.2 & Mk1 172
My opinion is that every one no matter what age should be limited to a 100BHP for at least a year ... maybe there should even be a second test ... racing test or something for those who which to drive a 200 BHP + so that they learn how to handle their cars in safe conditions

I don't think another test would make a lot of difference, and a "racing test" might be just the thing to encourage even more reckless driving on the roads. Let's face it the current test is garbage. It tests to see if someone can technically drive a car. There is nothing to test whether someone is suitable to be driving.

However, I do agree with a limitation. Perhaps a sensible scale would be:

17-18 years (or 1 year's driving experience) - up to 75bhp

18-21 years (or 3 years experience if over 21) - up to 110 bhp

21-25 years (or 5 years experience if over 21) - up to 200 bhp

25 and above (or 5 years experience if over 25) - Anything.
 
  Clio 172 mk2
I'm an 'old fart' of 31 and am happy to shoot younger drivers of performance cars down.

a) because I can and b) because experience is what it's about....more years on the road means more experience dealing with different situations....period.

lol "because I can"

Big Dick coming through! Back Up, Back Up!

Well f**k me...I knew that would ruffle a few feathers lol
 
My opinion is that every one no matter what age should be limited to a 100BHP for at least a year ... maybe there should even be a second test ... racing test or something for those who which to drive a 200 BHP + so that they learn how to handle their cars in safe conditions

I don't think another test would make a lot of difference, and a "racing test" might be just the thing to encourage even more reckless driving on the roads. Let's face it the current test is garbage. It tests to see if someone can technically drive a car. There is nothing to test whether someone is suitable to be driving.

However, I do agree with a limitation. Perhaps a sensible scale would be:

17-18 years (or 1 year's driving experience) - up to 75bhp

18-21 years (or 3 years experience if over 21) - up to 110 bhp

21-25 years (or 5 years experience if over 21) - up to 200 bhp

25 and above (or 5 years experience if over 25) - Anything.

Why not just execute all young people so you can eat your werthers in peace?
 
  Clio 172 mk2
I don't think another test would make a lot of difference, and a "racing test" might be just the thing to encourage even more reckless driving on the roads. Let's face it the current test is garbage. It tests to see if someone can technically drive a car. There is nothing to test whether someone is suitable to be driving.

However, I do agree with a limitation. Perhaps a sensible scale would be:

17-18 years (or 1 year's driving experience) - up to 75bhp

18-21 years (or 3 years experience if over 21) - up to 110 bhp

21-25 years (or 5 years experience if over 21) - up to 200 bhp

25 and above (or 5 years experience if over 25) - Anything.

Why not just execute all young people so you can eat your werthers in peace?

lol

Yep.....ban everyone under 25 from driving
 
  Veilsided MR2 Rev3 Turbo
Why is it that theres so many of the older generation out there who are hell bent on making the life of younger people as hard as humanly possible. Then they wonder why the younger generation is reproachful towards them. Just because you are young doesn't mean you drive like an idiot. Yes experience does play a large part in your ability to drive, but that applies to all ages, not everyone starts driving at 17. People should not be judged by their age, but by their ability to drive. Some of the poorest driving i have ever seen has been by people 30-40 plus, who have the I've been driving for 10 years now i know everything sonny, or the i was driving before you were born attitude.
 


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