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Learner drivers brace for harder tests

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Tue, 21 Feb 2012 4:20a.m.

Drivers who complete 120 hours of supervised practice on their learner licence have a 40 percent lower crash rate

Drivers who complete 120 hours of supervised practice on their learner licence have a 40 percent lower crash rate

By 3 News online staff

New Zealanders about to sit their driving license test have been warned to study hard – the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) is introducing new, more difficult tests from next week.

A more challenging on-road test for drivers sitting their restricted license test aims to improve the safety of young and novice drivers as part of the Government’s Safer Journeys strategy.

The test, which will be implemented from February 27, has been designed to encourage learner drivers to put in 120 hours of practice before sitting their restricted.

NZTA Chief Executive Geoff Dangerfield says the NZTA “makes no apologies” for the more challenging test.

“The more experience that young drivers gain in the learner licensing phase the less likely they are to crash when they begin driving alone, and we are doing young people no favours with a ‘once over lightly’ approach,” he says.

Drivers who complete 120 hours of supervised practice on their learner licence have a 40 percent lower crash rate – when driving solo – than those who only complete 50 hours, research shows.

The NZTA expects the pass rate, which is currently around 80 percent, to drop when the new tests are introduced.

Mr Dangerfield says the new test “requires a much higher standard of driving, and it will likely take some time for that message to filter through”.

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Comments

17 Mar 2012 09:10a.m.

irie blue wrote:

this is just incredibly stupid.just watch the joy riding and car thefts go up in the next few months.this is just another nail in the coffin for the poor who cant afford to put in all these hours.120 hours at 20-30 dollars an hour,who can afford that!the police are now going to be inundated with unlicenced drivers on kiwi roads,and that is going to be far more dangerous!

21 Feb 2012 01:52p.m.

Al wrote:

What about also introducing a practical test for people of any age, who move to New Zealand from abroad, to determine their competence on our roads. NZ has better drivers than many other countries and just because they have a drivers licence from the country they move from doesn't mean to say they automatically are fit for nz conditions.

21 Feb 2012 12:04p.m.

nwide wrote:

Lower the max cc rating of vehicles for under 20 year olds, then they cant hoon on the roads putting other people at risk

21 Feb 2012 11:11a.m.

Martin wrote:

If you can afford a car you can afford driver training. Also driver training should include a large portion of 100 km zoned driving . Any resources for longer more comprehinsive and harder testing will not be earning anything for the government, just more resources needed. The long term benefits are less police resources to investigate crashes and pull dead people out of cars.

21 Feb 2012 09:32a.m.

Nick wrote:

Most of the crazy drivers that are under 20 will drive if they have a licence or not so this is defiantly just to make some extra cash. More people fail, more people have to resit,?????, Profit

21 Feb 2012 09:27a.m.

Alex wrote:

The focus should not be about making the success rate drop through a more difficult exam but to make novice drivers much more capable in a way that still maintains the same pass rates.

21 Feb 2012 06:45a.m.

kane wrote:

Harder the test the more income the government will make and I very much doubt it will have any effect on our road toll for under 20s...