Drivers in 'ultra high powered' cars could be forced to take new driving test

James Rodger
·2-min read
Motorists have backed the use of new driving tests to help keep roads safer -with new rules hitting South Australian roads within months.
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


Drivers could face a NEW driving test under proposals backed by motorists up and down the UK. Motorists have backed the use of new driving tests to help keep roads safer -with new rules hitting South Australian roads within months.

Drivers and road users in the UK say drivers should take a special test for high-performance vehicles. 54 per cent have said they would back the move, while 40 per cent believe rules should be introduced to make those cars available only to people who have the skills to drive them.

In Australia, from 1 December 2024, you'll need a U class licence to drive an ultra high powered vehicle (UHPV). To apply for this licence, you'll need to pass the online U class licence course. If you're employed at a motor vehicle related workplace like a dealership or workshop you may be exempt from a U class licence.

READ MORE Martin Lewis warns people on Tax Credits, Housing Benefit or ESA from DWP

These vehicles are defined as having a gross weight of 4.5 tonnes and a power-to-weight ratio of 276 kW per tonne or more, which equates to 370 bhp/tonne. Drivers are required to know these new rules and whether their vehicles fit the requirements or they could face a fine of AU$2,500 (£1,282).

Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, said: "Certainly, most people have probably seen a high-performance model of this type used irresponsibly and, when drivers lose control of a vehicle with that amount of power, things can go wrong very badly, very quickly."

Mr Burgess added: "The characteristics of EV drivetrains means they can deliver very high peak power. For example, the relatively accessible MG4 XPower has 429bhp. While these are heavy cars and the bhp per tonne ratio doesn’t quite put them in the same class as something like a Lamborghini, they are placing much more power in the hands of everyday drivers."

"This course is currently being developed and will ensure a person is aware of the risks associated with driving an UHPV and the use of common vehicle features within Advanced Driver Assistance Systems," a spokesperson for the South Australian Department of Transportation told Drive.

Latest stories

  • Residents say new roundabout with 36 traffic lights is 'ridiculous'

    Angry residents have slated a new city centre roundabout with a whopping 36 traffic lights as 'ridiculous' and say it is causing more traffic problems than before. The 'signalised' roundabout on the junction of Milton Road and Elizabeth Way in Cambridge lit up on Tuesday (Oct 8) with a colossal number of lights. The works to put traffic lights up is part of the Milton Road Improvement Scheme which the Great Cambridge Partnership (GCP) said cost £31.9m. However some critics of the new renovations said the sheer amount of lights means traffic queueing for the roundabout is standing still for a long time.

  • The six best used family SUVs for £10,000 – and the one to avoid

    Scanning the classified adverts for a family SUV can easily bamboozle even the most tenacious buyer. With so many models now entering the used market, you’re spoiled for choice, so it’s tricky to work out which one best suits your needs.

  • Long delays as major Essex road closed in both directions after serious crash

    Emergency services are currently on-site, working to manage the situation and attend to those involved in the crash.

  • Ex-racing driver Billy Monger banned from driving for crashing into parked cars

    Monger was disqualified from driving for 49 days and ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £2,694, a police spokesman said.

  • UK airport announces change to hand luggage liquid rules with 'immediate effect'

    The airport said the changes to hand luggage rules will begin immediately

  • Pay-per-mile road pricing is ‘inevitable’, drivers warned

    Motorists will “inevitably” end up paying per mile to drive on Britain’s roads as the switch towards electric cars drains away fuel taxes, the Government’s infrastructure tsar has said.

  • London travel news LIVE: M11 reopens after horror crash near Stansted Airport

    The major motorway was shut following a ‘serious collision’ on Friday morning, Essex Police said

  • Why buying a car from a deceased person’s estate is not as morbid as it sounds

    When buying a used car, you probably have a mental picture of the ideal previous owner. It’s probably a little old lady who has driven carefully to the shops once a week, her car fastidiously maintained and kept in a garage. Such cars exist, but how would you feel if you knew that little old lady had passed away just before you bought it? Would it change your mind?

  • One missing after boat capsizes in River Thames

    A boat carrying six people has capsized in the River Thames with a man in his 60s still missing.

  • Biker in fatal crash three times drink limit after birthday celebrations day before

    A Norwich motorcyclist who died in a crash on the A140 at Horsham St Faiths was three times the drink-driving limit having celebrated his birthday the day before.

  • Homeless man who pushed stranger into path of oncoming Tube train jailed for attempted murder

    A homeless man who pushed a stranger on to Tube tracks, and into the path of an oncoming train, has been jailed for life with a minimum term of eight years. Brwa Shorsh, 24, was sentenced for attempted murder on Thursday at Inner London Crown Court after being found guilty, the CPS said. On 3 February, Shorsh pushed postman Tadeusz Potoczek off a platform at Oxford Circus station and into the path of an oncoming Victoria Line train.

  • Man threatened driver with knife and stabbed window SEVEN times in road rage incident

    A man threatened a driver with a knife before stabbing their car window at least seven times in a road rage incident in Wheatley, police say.

  • Driver jailed for causing death of 'lovely, caring young man' in A684 crash

    Cameron Guy Ward, 30, of Oak Drive, in Sowerby, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to the charges of causing the death of 26-year-old Gregory Newcombe.

  • Why pilots could face new speed restrictions in the sky

    It is the trillion dollar question. How can aviation, one of the world’s most carbon-intensive industries, become more sustainable? A new study suggests that slower planes could be part of the solution.

  • Man killed in crash on major road

    A man has been killed in a crash last night on the A21 in Sussex.

  • Plea for leniency by holidaymaker over bus lane fines while rescuing boat rejected

    A plea by a boater for leniency after he inadvertently drove into a bus lane while trying to rescue his boat has been rejected.

  • Oilstainlab HF-11 Is a $2.35 Million Hypercar Made by and for Maniacs

    The proposed machine promises swappable 650-hp internal-combustion and 850-hp EV powertrains and will have a manual transmission.

  • Trainee pilot 'destroyed' building in crash at County Durham airfield

    A trainee pilot ‘destroyed’ a building at a County Durham airfield after crashing into it, a report has revealed.

  • Drivers to expect six months of delays due to A120 roadworks with diversions in place

    Overnight weeknight closures from A120 Crown Interchange to Little Bentley roundabout until March 2025

  • Elon Musk unveils Tesla 'Cybercab' as focus shifts to robo-cars

    STORY: Elon Musk made a big entrance late Thursday. He rolled towards the stage at the Warner Bros studios near Los Angeles in a new two-door Tesla which he calls the ‘Cybercab’. The vehicle has no steering wheel or pedals, and is meant to launch robotaxi services. Musk says it will go into production in 2026, priced below $30,000. And he says real self-driving will finally arrive: “So, we’ll move from supervised full self-driving to unsupervised full self-driving, where the car… you could fall asleep and wake up at your destination.”Musk also showcased a larger self-driving vehicle - the Robovan - which can carry up to 20 people. The debuts are all part of his move to rebrand Tesla as a robotics firm, not a mass-market automaker. The company’s humanoid Optimus robot was also on show to hammer home the point. The event sparked huge enthusiasm among fans, with Musk promising thhat owners would be able to make money renting out their cars as cabs. “Your average passenger car is only used about 10 hours a week out of 168 hours. So, the vast majority of the time, cars are just doing nothing. But if they're autonomous, they could be used, I don't know, five times more. Maybe 10 times more.”Some observers were more skeptical, however. One shareholder told Reuters he was disappointed by the lack of a clear timeframe for robotaxi services. Other investors noted a lack of detail on how quickly Tesla can ramp up production, and how it can overcome regulatory worries about safety. The Cybercabs rely on AI and cameras to get around, dispensing with the other sensors - like costly lidar - used by rivals like Alphabet’s Waymo. Experts say that approach significantly cuts costs, but also poses huge technical challenges. Musk also has a history of being overoptimistic on timing - and he said as much at Thursday's event.As early as 2019, he was promising to have robotaxis on the streets by the following year.