Stop Curfew for

STOP CURFEW FOR "P-PLATERS" IN NSW

We, the undersigned, petition the aforementioned Members of Parliament to prevent the passing of any legislation which would place a night-time driving curfew upon either young licence-holders, or upon provisional licence-holders, or upon both.

Additionally, we call upon the addressed to publicly adopt stances in the media against any such legislative changes.

In forming this petition, we cite the following reasons for our discommendation:

That such a curfew would be obvious age-based discrimination. We note that in past public debate over age-based discrimination, no evidence has provided significant support to its continuation. We wonder if drivers of a particular ethnicity or gender were found to be statistically more likely to be involved in an accident, whether they also be forced to adhere to such restrictions.

That such a curfew would be counter-productive to the learning process undertaken by young driver. We fail to understand how restricting driving at night can possibly improve night-driving capabilities.

That sufficient time has not passed since the recent introduction in July 2000 of the graduated provisional licence system, and in June of this year the 0.00\% blood alcohol limit, to successfully evaluate the extent of their reduction of the "road toll". We believe it is of note that the first fully licenced graduates of this new system emerged only last year.

That a restriction on night-driving would increase dependance on an increasingly unreliable and dangerous public transport system, and be highly restrictive in regional areas lacking even basic forms of such transit.

That it is nonsensical that at the age of eighteen, in the Commonwealth of Australia, an 18-year old is judged to be sufficiently mature and intellectually independent to: Drink and purchase alcohol, enter a public house, sign a binding contract, purchase and consume tobacco, become a separate legal entity, engage in sexual intercourse, own/import/purchase firearms, explosives, pornographic material, be drafted into or enlist in the armed forces and be placed in armed conflict, yet is not judged to be sufficiently mature to drive after 10 P.M.

That such a curfew would be Draconian, and an infringement of our basic freedom of mobility.