Rejecting the New P-Plater Laws

Under the new legislation, announced today by Victorian Premier John Brumby, probationary drivers will be banned from carrying more than one passenger aged between 16 and 21 at any time in their first year of driving.
This law will be in effect as of 1 July 2008 and will be a painful stab in the stomach of many soon-to-be P-Platers.
If you think this is a good idea, first look at it from the P-Platers point of view;
They spend 10 13 years in school, which is a living hell for many of them, then when they finally finish, its a time to celebrate.
Every other state seems to already have it better than Victoria, even without the new laws. As if the new P1, P2 Red Ps, Green Ps system wasnt bad enough. Now this? And Im hearing about a curfew? How strict is it going to get? In Tasmania, you can get your Ps at 17. In South Australia you only need to be 16 and a half. We need to be 18, we have to stay on our Ps for 4 years, and now we can only take one friend wherever we go. Its really starting to become too much.

Limiting the passengers to only one person changes things considerably.
This will mean that half the people at parties will have to not drink whatsoever. This means there will be twice as many cars crowded around at parties. What happens to having a designated driver? Each person gets their own designated driver? Its pointless.

Having the passenger amount limited to only one also means that there is going to be a huge percentage rise in car fumes in the air, because there is going to be a huge rise in the amount of cars on the road, with car-pooling out of the question, which will ultimately lead to more intense traffic on the roads.

People living in areas with limited public transport will be affected by this change also, with no choice of getting a ride anywhere with someone else if they already have a passenger in that age range with them.

And what happens to that all-important dream of going on a road-trip with all your mates after you finish school? Thats shattered. The road-trip will cost twice as much, and will consist of a convoy of cars, which makes it harder to find places to stay, costs considerably more because of the excess petrol use, and adds to the fumes in the air with the amount of extra cars running.

Not only does limiting the passengers in the car add considerably to the use of fossil fuels, and puts extra cars on the road at the same time, it also prevents young drivers from having any fun. Road-trips will get cancelled, way more cars need to be taken to parties, and you cant just go for a drive with all your friends whenever you like.