MikeB4:

 

One thing that I have always thought was crazy and please correct me if I am wrong. My understanding is a new driver has no restriction on the power of a car they can own or drive, e.g get their licence today and go and by an Audi R8, that is insane. We recognise the problem when it comes to motorcycles but not with cars.

 

You are correct, One of my first cars was a 340HP/660NM Audi S4. Before that was a BMW E30 325 which was not fast but enough to get you into trouble.
I did spend most of my childhood driving cars on farms and other vehicles and my father always had high powered cars. I was no stranger to power and how to handle it and the dangers around it. Compare this to some friends of mine who learnt to drive at 16 rather than 6, its a different world. Most of them have wrapped at least one powerful car. But that's due to their own doing and coming into grief rather than the car just lurching forward on you in traffic.

It is different to motorcycles I feel, all powerful cars made today can be driven by a Nana around town without even knowing it could go from 0-60 in 3 seconds. It is all down to self control and driver training. It does not take an idiot to realize you do not press the throttle wide open on a RS6 in a 50 kph area with cars in front of you. Modern cars are a no brainer and if you cannot drive a fast one then you shouldn't be on the road.

Old power cars are generally bought by a discerning buyer who knows what they are getting into, they are also more likely to be the ones pushing their limits. Then again, you can push limits of a non powerful car and end up in more grief as they are generally much worse at handling. Its all down to being human. 

At the end of the day, you can't go as wrong as you can on a bike. Humans will be human, Limes will be ridden on the footpath at 30KPH, people will whinge about rural broadband, people won't merge like a zip or speed up on an onramp, the world keeps turning.