rippin209
Well-Known Member
I completely agree with this, I think the U.S. is to lax on licensing, I have a class A with 5 endorsements so I've gone through more of the process then most but still think it was simpler them it should be.There should be extra testing required before you're allowed to buy a truck or full-sized SUV. So many people who own them are incapable of operating a vehicle of that size and almost no one (in my personal experience with the 'average road user') knows how to effectively secure a load.
My son (who was 16 at the time) was T-boned by a girl that had just got her license 2 weeks earlier, she was driving a 97 suburban he was driving a 2010 Honda civic, the girl had her friend and boyfriend in the vehicle (illegal your first 6 months of driving) she was speeding and ran a stop sign (because she was distracted) and hit my son's vehicle hard enough to total both vehicles. I don't believe a child should be driving a 5,000lb vehicle.
Luckily no one was seriously injured but it was still scary pulling up to the seen and seeing both vehicles smashed knowing my son was driving one of them
I like the idea of a progressive licensing system (so it's not simply an academic exercise) start out with a normal vehicle for a year or two and then you can move up to something larger with more power and or start towing a trailer, or something like that.
As far as securing your load, most of the U.S. Has good enough laws on the books it's the lack of enforcement that's the problem, dash cams are helping in law suits but it would be better if it didn't get to that point.