Driver licence changes will save young lives

Driver licence rules need changing and they could save the lives of our young people, according to the Automobile Association.

New research shows our rules are more relaxed than those in other countries, including Australia. Tightening driver licence requirements could save lives.

The report, carried out by Adelaide University’s Centre for Automotive Safety Research, detailed a number of improvements that should reduce the risk of crashes. 

Nearly one-third of road deaths here involve young people aged between 18 and 24 years. New Zealanders in that age group are nearly three times more likely to die on the roads than young Australians. This finding AA road safety spokesperson Dylan Thomsen described as horrific.

He said “I don’t think there’s any reason at all that our young people should have a higher rate of road deaths than in Australia.

The government’s road safety plan is due out in the next few months, and Thomsen wants driver licence changes to be part of that.

The way in which our youth are being prepared to drive solo needs to be improved, he believes.

“We would love to see a really serious look taken…at how we do driver licensing.”

The study’s lead author, Dr Lisa Wundersitz, felt the differences were due to the fact that learner Kiwi drivers are younger. They also have less experience at the wheel.

To keep them safer we should be extending the learner licence period and introducing compulsory supervised driving hours, she said.

“There’s good evidence behind that, showing crash reductions in a number of jurisdictions internationally.”

The study concluded that we should be extending the learner licence period from six to 12 months. There should also be compulsory supervised driving hours for learners. In Australia and US states, 50 to 120 hours is not uncommon.

A hazard perception test should also be mandatory when moving from a learner to a restricted licence.

New Zealand should consider introducing a zero blood alcohol limit for learner and restricted drivers. Currently this rule only applies to drivers under 20 years of age.

And finally there should be tougher penalties for traffic offences. Here, all drivers accumulate the same number of demerit points before losing their licence. However, in Australia less experienced drivers have a lower threshold. Offences also stay on their record for longer.