Super Car License Introduction Causes
Existing Owners to Panic?
A Closer Look at the Details Reveals
Because of their high cost and unique features, supercars stand out from regular vehicles in several ways. However, these advantages also come with drawbacks. Many of these sophisticated functions may not work as intended, leading to issues. Such problems usually stem from difficulties in properly identifying the vehicle.
Therefore, the introduction of a special license for “ultra high-powered vehicles” (UHPV) has been confirmed in South Australia. This license, named the U-class license, must be obtained by owners by December 2024. If owners of supercars do not complete the online course and pass the exam by this date, they cannot get a license. Driving a high-performance vehicle without this license can result in fines and imprisonment.
To drive a supercar
Difficult licensing process
A U-class license is now required to drive a car producing 370 horsepower per ton or weighing up to 9,920 pounds. Since most supercars and track cars fall into this category, wealthy people who own supercars must undergo a fairly rigorous process to obtain this license.
If owners do not obtain a license by December 2024 and then drive a high-performance vehicle, the penalties are pretty severe. The fine is 2,500 Australian dollars or about 1,700 US dollars. After that, you could be sentenced to one year in prison. The South Australian government advises drivers to check whether their vehicle qualifies as an ultra-high power. Of course, this also includes cases where the basic car is tuned to amplify its performance.
License Acquisition Alone is Not Enough
Need for Over-performance Prevention Device
Just obtaining a U-class license does not mean we can drive a supercar at will. Certain restrictions apply to drivers of high-performance vehicles. To prevent excessively increasing the supercar’s performance while driving, driver assistance devices must be installed and activated.
If owners choose to disable it, they face a significant fine, equivalent to 5,000 Australian dollars or about 3,370 US dollars. While details remain unclear, foreign media have reported that if an accident causing harm occurs while this driver assistance device is deactivated, the penalties could be much more severe.
Although considered “extreme,” there was a reason
Naturally, the cost of obtaining a license, which is around 81 Australian dollars (approximately 55 US dollars), might be a point of contention for many, especially for those who already possess a driver’s license and find the process burdensome. Despite these grievances, the South Australian government’s intervention is driven by substantial reasons.
A few years ago, there was an accident where the driver of a Lamborghini Huracan could not overcome the supercar’s power, which produced more output than anyone could imagine, and drove the car onto the sidewalk. Ultimately, the young girl lost her life, and the then-Governor of South Australia called for new licensing laws. The U license was introduced to prevent the senseless behavior of some people driving supercars from taking innocent lives. A supercar licensing system will soon be implemented in South Australia, but what will be the results?
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