Should drivers need a special licence to operate supercars?
Authorities are weighing the introduction of a special license for supercars after a Nigerian rapper crashed a McLaren 570S in Cape Town.
The introduction of a special licence for supercars is under the spotlight after the second major collision involving exotic cars in Cape Town in weeks. This follows Nigerian rapper 3GAR Baby’s high-speed accident captured on CCTV and shared widely on social media. Investigators beg the question: Should Cape Town introduce a special licence for supercars to stop the carnage?
SPECIAL LICENCE FOR SUPERCARS
3GAR Baby, also known as Prince Daniel Obioma – hails from Rivers State but now spends his time in a lavish Cape Town mansion. He obviously loves the punch of his McLaren’s twin-turbo V8 engine. Not to mention the sleek carbon-fibre bodywork, and eye-watering acceleration of zero to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds.
In a report from IOL, there’s no indication for police whether he was under the influence of alcohol or drugs when the high-speed accident occurred. But any incident in the early hours of a weekend morning is bound to raise suspicion. Nevertheless, the prince is clearly not skilled enough behind the wheel to handle the supercar’s 420 kW driving the rear wheels only.
GREAT POWER BRINGS GREAT RESPONSIBILITY
Which is why, as the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility. And it just so happens that several jurisdictions around the world require a special licence for supercars. This is surely something Western Cape authorities should consider after a 32-year-old doctor and another person were killed – also in the early hours of the weekend – in a high-speed crash involving a Ferrari in the CBD.
Leading the way for the special licence for supercars is Australia. States like Victoria have implemented graduated licence schemes targeting high-performance vehicles, known as a ‘U-class’ endorsement. Central to various restrictions is acknowledgment that driving a supercar requires skills beyond those needed for everyday vehicles.
SOME SUPERCAR RESTRICTIONS
Examples that Western Cape traffic authorities could follow are: Drivers younger than a certain age being prohibited from driving high-powered vehicles. These can be ascertained by the number of cylinders or if the power-to-weight ratio exceeds a certain threshold. The limit in Victoria defines a supercar as having a power-to-weight ratio of at least 276 kW per tonne (1 000 kg).
By this calculation, Prince Obioma’s McLaren 570S – which weighs just 1 350 kg, has a power-to-weight ratio of 323 kW per tonne. Interestingly, Victoria in Australia isn’t alone in recognising the unique skills required posed by supercars. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), home to possibly the highest concentration of exotic cars in the world, a special licence for supercars hopes to reduce the number of high-profile accidents recently.
SKY-HIGH INSURANCE PREMIUMS
Similarly, the United Kingdom has prohibitively expensive insurance premiums to create a de-facto licence limitation for supercars. The simple truth is – the combination of extraordinary power, responsive handling and the temptation to show off (often mixed with intoxication) has proven deadly time and time again. Prince Obioma’s speed before he even hit the curb was way too high. A high-performance car requires specific technique but, crucially, a fundamentally different mindset.
Which is why organisations like the Western Province Motor Club at Killarney Raceway host open track days for high-performance driving. You can bring your road car, whether it be a modified daily or an exotic supercar, and explore its limits in the safety of a racetrack. They also offer programmes with theoretical components covering the physics of driving, before exploring these practicalities on a skid-pan and racetrack.
Sadly, peoples’ bank balances are rarely commensurate with their driving capability. Nevertheless, a special licence for supercars will prevent needless destruction and death on Cape Towns’ roads.