Whitby Free Press, Wednesday, January 19, 1994, Page 15 Varying views on gradluated IicensingMM ByEi O'Connor When it cone to opinions on graduated licensing, the 'gonor- ation gap' is clearly visible. For parents, gautdlicens- ing is a weicome solution Wo the many new-driver fatalities every year. But Wo toons, the system is an unwantod restriction on their personal freedom. T'he graduatod licensing pro- una is beîng ntroduced by the Ontari goormnt in April. Anew driverwill have Wo go through a two-levol system boforo obtaining a legal drivor's liconse. The prograi will give drivers experience in low-risk conditions in an effort Wo prevent the znany unnecessary accidents and deaths on roade each year. Andrea Giorgi, 16, who has not yet obtainod hier license, says the program "will mako me more at CRUISING CLASSICS An auto Iegend FROM PAGE 14 thep'estill indignant about it.) Tody, hecompantys cientele is mostly middle.aged nmen, 80 per oent of whom are company directors or senior exocutives. Per capita, most of them live in Hong Kong. The woalthiest tend Wo buy RoIle Royce's <other' product, the Bentley. And, according Wo statistics, niost buyers will not aiiow their wives Wo drive the car. My sighting on Rodeo Drive wasn't unusual; there are mor than 9,000 HoIlh Royces and Bentleys in the greater Los Angeles area. But because each one starta at well ovor $ 100,000, I got back in iny Chevy and drove Wo my hotel to do my shopping. The ice creani cones were only a buck, and thero was a Wal-Mart across the street. DRI VING SAFELY with RANDY RANDY McLEAP 13 A PROFESSIONAL ENCINEER WHO SPECIAUZES IN TRAFFIC SAFETY. Ik. McLeai tisa reviewed lhousd ikudvid" mtai velila cl da£kil <apats aid Ns cdoms wofkin r"oltla a wih plc gois oean id" alt a goaio"s, kldstry ad1h.ptc. hame iven hlm a tuUS avsview af talfic saaety lam. prabklemaMi al4ion ln Canda. Advice for wlnter drlvlnig If you're conternplating going out driving in, this record-breaking cdld winter, there is some very simple advice: "Don"t." Cali your friends and tell thema as much as you like their company, this is hot-chocolate-at- home-by-the-fireplace iýeather -- mee you in JuIy after the thaw. If for-" one reason or another you have to venture out, bore are a few thigetothink about. 19very year hundreds of accidents occur on icy roade and during snow storms because too niany of us continue to drive as if it were stili summer. Although we usually attribute these accidents to motoists forgetting how to drive on slippery roads, the truth is, -We don't really forget how to drive safely, we simply forget that we need to. W. are creatures of habit and our warm sununer weather driving habits are bard to break. The best way to think about how you should drive in winter is to think about how you walk. On a cold winter night when you walk along the snow and ioe-covered sidewalk Wo your car, you prcibably walk slowly and choose your stops very carefully Wo avoid élipping. Once inside our car, howover, with the doors loeed, heater and radio turned on, we tend Wo forget ease Wo drive...aithough it makes it sem that ail toonage drivers are bad drivers." She agrees such a programn was needed but 'just not té the extent they have it. Some of the rules are too much." Her inother Mary Giorgi says 'mt not really sure of ail the rules...but from what I've hoard, I think it's a good idea." She hop)es "it will protect more toonagers...setatisitics-bave proven teens aren't very good drivers." Her son, OAC_ student Peter Giorgi, an already licensed dri- ver, says he would have been upset had he beon placed under the program. "A icense means freedom, and thoy'ro taking that freodom away."1 Although ho ses aneed for some sort of program, ho says, I don't think this one is a good idea." Julie Crooks, 16,' is currently working Woward her permanent driver's license. "This puts so nany restrictions on mne... now r7m rushing to; get My licenso," she says. She also feels it is "unfair to categorize everyone into one group." Heri mother, Ma~ Crooks, dis- agreos, saying, Ithink it is an extremely good idea ... and it's ping W save a lot of lives." She sees the rieed for such a program and feels the "restric- tions are in the right place." Mary Crooks' opinion is echoed by Mike Duffy a driving instruc- Wor for Youn, brvers of Canada. He says, there were s0 many bad drivers ... soxethinghad Wo be done." But he thinks "they're being too lenient...the original plan got very watered down , ý. Doug Stevenâon of the Oshawa Driving School, however, saysI "(tho progran) is good in princi- pie, bt te restrictions are not ciearly defined ... nobody seems tW know the guidelines." He also feels it "won't go far enou b," becauso "norne of the restrctions will b. difficuit tW enforce." The proposed licensing systeni will consigt of a two-level pro- cess, which wilI last a minimum of 20 nionths, and ia ospecially aimod. at young people betweon ags 1 and 24. Ths ge group is tarreted because t ey account for almost 25 per cent of ail drivers killed in accidents. Level one of the program wil last 12 months and under this, new drivers will: * only be allowed Wo drive clasa G vehicles (cars, vans and smal trucks); * lumit the numbor of pas- sengers thoy carry Wo the number of seat beits; * drive only with a fully licensed driver with four years' experience and a biood alcohol level of less than 0.05 per cent; * be required Wo maintain a zero blood alcohol level; * not ho permitted Wo drive on '400-series' highways and some muiti-lane urban expressways; * not ho allowed Wo drive bet- ween the hours of midnight and 5 a.m.; and * ho required Wo display a sign identifying theniseives as a new driver. The 12-month terin can ho reduced Wo eight monthe by pass- ing an approved driver education course. Level two .-will also last a mini- mum of 12 months for class G drivers, and 22 months for class M (motorcycle) drivers. In level two, drivers wil ho required t: *maintain a zero blood alcohol level when driving; * limit the number of pas- sengers Wo the number of seat boîte; and * drive Class G. vehicies onfly. In April, ail drivers holding a class t or R (earner's) license under the current systein will ho allowed to continue the oid sys- that the road can be just as slippery as the sidewalk. No matter how much it may feel 11k. sunimer on the insi de, it's stili winter outsi de. Siipper road conditions means that i il take you longer Wo stop your car. To adjust, slow down and leave a greater distance between your car and the car abead. This wili give you more time t react and allow you Wo slow down graduaily whiie maintaining control. Recognizing that winter driving conditions require ail motorists Wo slow down, you shouid also give yourseif more tiîne t get Wo your destination. If the trip t work usuaily takes 40 minutes in summer, ailow 60 minutes in winter. If you park outdoors, allow an additional five minutes Wo clear and defrost your windows. ]Be extra egutious where there is a change in road surface conditions, such as when you turn off the main - snow-plowed highway to a snow- covered side street. On multi-lane roeds, some lanes are more travelled than others. Left turn lanes in particular tend W o lightiy used and often romain snow-covered. Slow down hofore entered a left turnilane, and enter at a shallow angle, 80 you can adjust your steering if necessary. To avoid fishtailing, maintain a constant speed or acceberate slowly. Don't 'jump' through gaps in incoming traffic as you niay have don. in summor. On icy roads the approaching cars may not ho able to stopin turne. Fi-nally, take a minute W dcean your headlights and tailights when you stop for gas. Think about'how much dirt and slush is thrown up on your windéhield and how many times you dlean it each winter. That same dirt is also, thrown up on your lights. This winter drive the sanie way you walk, cautiousiy. Drive safely. tom until they are ready for a road test. They will then be placed under level two restrictions. Information on the graduated licensing system and a booklet called G raduated Licensing and What it Means to You are aval- able by calling 1-800-387-3445. 175x70R13 $58. 185x70Rl3 $63. 185x70R14 $69. 195x70R14$5 P2O5x75Rl5 $ 95. P235x75Ri5xL $125. P2O5x15R14 $ 90. LT235x85R16 $140. 1T245x75R16 $155., DFGoarlch UFESAVER 0Tf4 ALL-SEAMO ___________,~~ STEEL BELTED RAXALS 155x80R13 $44.1 205x75Rl4 $63. 175x80R13 $54. 205x75R15 $66. 185x8OR13 $56. 215x75R15 $70. 185x75R14 $58. 225x75R15 $74. 195x75R14 $60. 235x75R15$9 EInsallton - wIioel balancoe AUGNMENT SPECIAL FRE . sem lrezz spsaz4 hez :::z nt$4.95 alnmntcheck I T/A Tires UNIROYAL TMb ucu. ______M;__a__i________m____ . u MIL 'Po III a Thtsrgt. c o n drn McsWNE AEw * il pan Mrcrwt h acoSpeePItSrie *al it Mua rc -c o, f xie a.3/4 I ogowhnytod« Vas u&adMmrilvhWb sn .RsmarnbdwrSr * e aloslee olso baradw I iltk aeo ou nuac ms AutoSt Id I4 *1 t ç a b- .1K. ý& ý AL ý &ý - ý& r VVVVV,