4mo ago

Driver licence changes: Government proposes to scrap second practical test, reduce eyesight tests

www.nzherald.co.nz

Driver licence changes: Govt proposes to scrap second practical test, reduce eyesight tests

Proposed Driver Licence Changes: Government May Remove Second Practical Test, Cut Back on Eye Exams

Honestly, this sounds like a recipe for disaster. The driving standards out there are already sketchy enough without lowering the bar even more.

16 comments

I'm only ok with this if they add mandatory third party insurance or a mandatory defensive driving course.
Honestly it's been so long since I've done my full license test, I can barely remember it. I don't know what it's like now, but I remember people complaining a few years ago how some testing stations are so busy it takes months to sit or rebook a full license test. I don't actually think it's going to make much difference to the quality of drivers we have.. unless policing and fines become a lot stricter.
- Mandatory insurance is a recipe for disaster. Compare the cost of insurance in countries where it is mandatory to the cost here, and you will notice that ours is some of the cheapest in the world.
  If you give private companies a captive market, prices will go up.
  
  In Australia, third party medical insurance is rolled in with the cost of vehicle registration and the money goes to the Transport Accident Commission to pay for accidents and what not. If the insurance was mandatory, it could be handled by the government to prevent market abuse.
  
  By any chance do you know which countries have mandatory third party car insurance? I'd like to find out a bit more
- We changed the tests maybe 5-10 years back so that the most thorough test is now the restricted not the full.
  The long wait times are in response to removing the resit fee. People started using the tests as basically free driving lessons, just keep resitting until you pass. From memory I think they changed some rules about how often you could resit to try to alleviate that.
  
  That's interesting. I love to know in what way the restricted and full test have changed if there's details anywhere. I don't think anyone drives like they do in the tests. I'm willing to bet if they made everyone take a another practical test when they're 40 or 50, many full license holders would fail.
“Other countries such as Australia require those on restricted licences to have longer learner periods, reduced demerit thresholds or mandatory practice hours,”
Ok, are we doing those things?
Bishop said the Government’s proposal, which will go out for public consultation on Monday, included new safety measures such as demanding a “clean driving record” of restricted drivers, halving the demerit threshold and introducing a zero-alcohol limit for learner and restricted drivers of any age. Currently, any driver under 20 years of age must adhere to a zero-alcohol limit.
Best I can do is the demerit thing. Plus I'll throw in a meaningless definition and a rule that doesn't apply to most new drivers.
Without the mandatory hours, why even have a restricted class?
What’s the difference between our law abiding citizen ‘NightShiftNate’ getting his restricted, waiting 12 months with no driving (because he only needs to drive at night), then applying for his full.
Or NightShiftNate just getting his full immediately after getting his restricted?
I’d argue the latter is better, as it gets him on the road straight after his training is fresh in his mind, and confidence is up.

16 comments