c/idiotsincars · by flathead@lemm.ee · 2y

P-plater practising parking plunges car onto popular Sydney beach

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-25/p-plate-driver-flips-car-onto-balmoral-beach-nsw/102898914

Witness Terry Thelwell told ABC Radio Sydney he and his wife were only about two-metres away from where the car landed.

"My wife and I were sitting having lunch on a chair down below on the beach and heard this almighty roar and looked to our left and heard screaming," he said.

"The car … came hurtling across the grass on the promenade at Balmoral, I don't know how she didn't hit anybody,"

"It hit the wall at such speed and the car somersaulted over the wall, smashed the wall completely, it's a hundred-year-old wall, somersaulted on the beach and landed basically two-metres from us."

33 points · 9 comments · view on lemmy.world

9 Comments

riodoro1@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 2y

Beautiful job. There were two pedals and you should’ve hit the other one.

espentan@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2y (6 replies)

"P-plate", is that something they give to morons, so they're easily identified?

flathead@lemm.ee · 6 pts · 2y (5 replies)

Sort of. it stands for 'probationary'. Drivers in Australia need to display "P Plates" for the first few years after they are licensed. I think "P1" is the first year and P2 the second and third years. There are additional restrictions also:

NSW (where this occurred) is the most restrictive on new drivers. P-platers must adhere to the following rules:

P1 license holders must not exceed 90 km/h
With a P1 license, maximum towing allowed is 250kg
If the P1 licensee is under 25, only one passenger under the age of 21 is allowed between 11pm and 5am
P1 licenses in NSW are only permitted up to four demerit points
P-platers under 21 years of age cannot operate a high-powered car
After 12 months, P1 drivers graduate to P2
P2 license holders see their speed limit increased to 100km/h and up to seven demerits are allowed

espentan@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 2y

Thanks for a comprehensive answer!

Cheers from Norway

Toucho@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y (3 replies)

Provisional* https://www.nsw.gov.au/driving-boating-and-transport/driver-and-rider-licences/driver-licences/provisional-p1-licence

flathead@lemm.ee · 2 pts · 2y (2 replies)

Amusingly enough it's "Probationary" in Victoria... :)

https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/licences/your-ps/p1-and-p2-probationary-licence-restrictions

Toucho@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Wow! It sure is, sorry for needlessly correcting you

flathead@lemm.ee · 2 pts · 2y

All good. I think it's funny. Another stupid thing that Melbourne and Sydney evidently can't agree on. At least they both start with "P". It's a small miracle that they don't have different letters on the plates and make them change at the border.

flathead@lemm.ee · 1 pts · 2y

I can't help but comment because I didn't notice how beautiful the alliteration in the headline was until now. That's a good one. Pity the car wasn't a Prius.