FURIOUS caravanners have fired a broadside at young and inexperienced drivers who, they claim, are putting lives at risk on our highways.

Their criticism is aimed mainly at P-platers who they accuse of having little respect for either the law or their fellow road users.

Gold Coast caravanner Bruce Moir, who has clocked up tens of thousands of kilometres touring all areas of Australia, has accused the young drivers of having little respect for the law or their fellow road users.

"P-plate drivers are the ones that are disproportionately breaking the law around us, and are driving far too aggressively for provisional drivers," he fumed.

"And as they throw away these plates and become more proficient and confident, they become even more aggressive and impatient."

Bruce and wife Joy have been travelling fulltime in their caravan for several years, visiting all parts of Australia and driving in all kinds of terrain and on roads of every description.

He said people were aware that the accident rate was higher for the under-25s and suggested this was caused more by a "poor attitude rather than lacking driving skills".

"We find those once demur, low profile young ladies now are not going to be outdone by the blokes – they’re wanting to be out in front too and are now amongst some of the worst offenders," Bruce claimed.

"If somebody is going to upset you, the driver will likely be a young, well dressed, good-looking office-girl type."

Bruce and Joy welcomed in the New Year with friends at Swansea near Newcastle in New South Wales ... but was far from impressed with what he saw.

He explained: "We had a bird's-eye view from our first floor balcony of the goings on of this generation Y on the waterfront just below us, they almost exclusively and generally behaved badly.

"The biggest problem, of course, is alcohol!

"The other big problem is the fact they don't have any respect for the law, anybody or anything around them ... they even argue with the police when they are challenged. They congregate in this world of their own; as if a public facility is theirs to do what they will with it."

And Bruce had an ally in Queensland caravanner Jack Brettle who told Caravanning News: "I couldn't agree more with the driving standards of some youngsters. They seem hell bent on an early grave by driving as if there was no tomorrow."

Jack said he often travelled the Bruce Highway and was astonished at the antics of young motorists as they tried to overtake his 22ft Jayco caravan.

"Double white lines mean nothing to a lot of them," he explained.

But New South Wales traveller Rick Lasseter believed most young P-platers were considerate when behind the wheel.

"It's those older caravanners who are in a world of their own as they crawl along the highways ... only to speed up when they reach the overtaking lanes. They're completely oblivious of other traffic around them and are the cause of much aggravation, particularly from truckies.

"Maybe the roads would be a safer place if they left their caravans at home and took a coach holiday instead."

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