Dear Editor:
If I were to drive a 12-passenger van in British Columbia today, I would need to obtain a special licence with a written and road test.
On the other hand, my current Class 5 licence can get me into a 500-horsepower supercar. In fact, a Class 7N (novice stage) licence is sufficient to drive a vehicle that can reach top speeds of more than 300 km/h. Not surprisingly, we hear stories (such as the recent one about the West Vancouver Ferrari driver) where drivers who are inexperienced and irresponsible, but with access to resources, are able to endanger the lives of others repeatedly in these supercars.
I would like to see the province consider new requirements that address this growing issue.
As a first suggestion, new licensing requirements for operating vehicles with 500-plus horsepower. Prerequisite would be a Class 5 licence. Like any licensing requirements, drivers would be tested on skills and safety. A graduated program could also be considered.
Secondly, motor vehicle laws need to become more stringent for excessive behavior such as this Ferrari driver’s. A suggestion would be licence suspensions of one month after the first infraction, one year after the second, and lifetime after a third.
It’s sad that it seems someone needs to die before we treat these occurrences with the seriousness they deserve. These changes would authorize driving only to those mature enough to respect the power of these machines.
Eve Hou
North Vancouver
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