wkid_one
27th November 2003, 07:15
Police are concerned about a loophole in a Land Transport Safety Authority agreement which allows teenagers to get their driver's licence overseas simply by paying for it.
A United Nations reciprocal agreement allows residents of the signatory countries to drive in New Zealand for 12 months, on their own country's drivers licences.
The officer in charge of Nelson Bays strategic traffic unit, Sergeant Phil Wooding, said this also allowed New Zealanders to get a cheap licence overseas, which the police had to accept as legitimate.
"We've had 15-year-old boys going on holiday with their parents and purchasing a licence for $10, with no test and the LTSA recognises that licence, so we've got to let them drive," Mr Wooding said.
"It's quite common, it happens at any time of the year."
Police were also concerned about foreign students, particularly those from Asia, who were able to take advantage of the loophole.
]"We've got students from Asia who are coming into New Zealand to study or whatever, and they might not have ever driven before. There's no way of checking that they have ever driven before.[/B]
"It's very hard to tell whether their licence is genuine; there's something like 80 different licensing authorities in China."
LTSA media spokesman Andy Knackstedt said the authority was looking into reducing the period of time from 12 months to three.
"We get a lot of people who stay here for six months and then leave again. They are really a resident so they should have a New Zealand licence anyway, and a lot of people wait until the last minute to get their Kiwi licence," Mr Wooding said.
The highway patrol and traffic sections of Nelson police probably dealt with one or two foreign drivers a day, he said.
]"The problems are a general lack of knowledge about everything from speed limits to parking and give-way rules."[/B]
Mr Knackstedt said any change to the agreement would have to be made carefully.
"It would have to be looked at in terms of what the implications would be for New Zealanders going overseas," Mr Knackstedt said.
He said the authority would hopefully have a draft rule early next year and Transport Minister Paul Swain would look at making a decision after that.
A United Nations reciprocal agreement allows residents of the signatory countries to drive in New Zealand for 12 months, on their own country's drivers licences.
The officer in charge of Nelson Bays strategic traffic unit, Sergeant Phil Wooding, said this also allowed New Zealanders to get a cheap licence overseas, which the police had to accept as legitimate.
"We've had 15-year-old boys going on holiday with their parents and purchasing a licence for $10, with no test and the LTSA recognises that licence, so we've got to let them drive," Mr Wooding said.
"It's quite common, it happens at any time of the year."
Police were also concerned about foreign students, particularly those from Asia, who were able to take advantage of the loophole.
]"We've got students from Asia who are coming into New Zealand to study or whatever, and they might not have ever driven before. There's no way of checking that they have ever driven before.[/B]
"It's very hard to tell whether their licence is genuine; there's something like 80 different licensing authorities in China."
LTSA media spokesman Andy Knackstedt said the authority was looking into reducing the period of time from 12 months to three.
"We get a lot of people who stay here for six months and then leave again. They are really a resident so they should have a New Zealand licence anyway, and a lot of people wait until the last minute to get their Kiwi licence," Mr Wooding said.
The highway patrol and traffic sections of Nelson police probably dealt with one or two foreign drivers a day, he said.
]"The problems are a general lack of knowledge about everything from speed limits to parking and give-way rules."[/B]
Mr Knackstedt said any change to the agreement would have to be made carefully.
"It would have to be looked at in terms of what the implications would be for New Zealanders going overseas," Mr Knackstedt said.
He said the authority would hopefully have a draft rule early next year and Transport Minister Paul Swain would look at making a decision after that.