New driver licencing (as suggested by a biker).

[grusomhat]

i'd like to see 'R' plates after 'L' plates

I really hoping you are kidding.

[motor_mayhem]

That's a fair point. but there are other considerations. Years ago, cars were slower. A LOT slower. My first car was flat out at 50mph, and you better not keep flogging it like that for more than a few minutes. Not so much ability to end up in a high speed crash

Then again, young people just did not own cars. Out of twenty or so mates when I was a teenager, amybe one owned a car. We had to borrow dad's .

Which had an effect of sort of pushing up the effective driving age. You had to be in your twenties before you could afford your own car (and even then, it would be crazy slow by today's standards)

So, yes, the test was as easy, or easier, back in the day. But the risk factor for young people was a lot lower. Want to own a fast car at 18? Then you need to be a better driver than I was , puttering along at 45 mph in dad's Hillman 10.

So given all that, why are we not restricting the types of cars young people can own? It seems to have solved this issue then so why can't it now?

[allycatz]

I really hoping you are kidding.

Actually no Im not....theres a lot of teen fatalities from kids driving passengers while on restricted licences and carrying passengers when they shouldn't be. It would also identify people on the roads after 10.30 who are breaking the terms of there licence.

[Ixion]

So given all that, why are we not restricting the types of cars young people can own? It seems to have solved this issue then so why can't it now?

The proposal has been made on numerous occasions (same sort of deal as bikes). They're considering it again. Don't hold your breath. Yes, it would be a better solution. I doubt that putting the age up one year will do anything . Except of course produce a blip in the one year when there are bugger all new drivers- which will be taken as evidence that it works. Not going to be good to be a driving instructor that year.

[Thaeos]

I agree with the idea of the points made at the end of the op, except for limiting cars by CC rating. There should be a more effective or realistic measure of power that is used.

[Cayman911]

The main thing that is the cause of crashes and road rage is the way you are tested for your licence. restricted&full.

they dont test if you have any skills driving a car, if you can satisfy them you can follow the road rules for 10mins (90% of the time 5 mins) then you have a licence. its all about driving and road law. not skills and confidence.

then you go swerving all over the lanes at 40k's and pull in front of bikers and all sorta things.

and the driver will never get the confidence so i end up with a little hatchback covered in hello kitty stickers going 30km/h swerving in front of me no matter how much i am constantly holding my horn until i am rammed outa my lane!
(sorry, little burst of anger. had to keep it PG rated)

[Swoop]

It would be nice to see ALL drivers re-tested to a new set of rules, not just the new applicants.

[Spearfish]

Imagine if the proposed new power weight ratios applied to mopeds... they would go from from 2kw to 11kw!! and learners could be riding burger 650s or Yamaha Tmax 500 ? (I know they are scooters)

Would some bikes get close to failing the power weight limit if the fairings and extras were taken off or could you get a larger bike approved with extra weight added, for example permanent luggage systems for touring?

[avgas]

Since you lot think the current scheme doesn't work. Lets just scrap it.
I mean its clearly useless, why bother with it.
I would be surprised to see the figures of accidents if we had no law. It may not be as bad as we think - since we are all so much better drivers than the next guy. We are like god on wheels - the light shines out of both our headlights and arses.

Seriously why bother changing the license - there will still be dumb fucks out there driving illegally. It wont change shit.

[biker baz]

Now I carry pen & paper in my pocket & when parking write the car rego before leaving. I also check the rego sticker in the windscreen just in case the mfrs have stolen plates. A compact digital camera is handy too if the mobile dosn't have a camera.
No I am not paranoid or anal. Recently I parked the bike outside a shop. Four spaces, two used so stopped on the space closest to the shop door. Go inside, hear a crash. Spaced out pimple face knocked the bike over & the handlebars hit the car next to the bike right on the seam between the rear panel & the bumper.
The double dipping sob was not insured & did a runner when the insurance coy tried to nail them for the repairs. Mine cost $4000. Hard to believe, but I was sent the invoice by mistake.
Net result was $1000 excess & premium jacked up. The things that happen when you ain't got a gun.
Two other times recently the parked bike has been hit but not knocked over. Recently at Ngatea a yokel in a ute with a farm bike on the back nearly creamed the bike when trying to park.
If I do buy a gun I promise I will not shoot to kill. The plan is to aim at the right knee & the recoil places the bullet in the vicinity of the nasty bits so I am told. Just another way of reducing the population of inbred & feeble minded. Cheaper than road kill or drugs.

[Icemaestro]

Just to put this into perspective, I've talked to a few people here in the states, and here (at least in the states these people are from, california I think?) one is allowed to learn how to drive at 15 and a half after a theory test, which for half a year they can drive with a driver over the age of 21 in their car. At 16 they're then allowed to sit their full licence test, which involves exactly the same things as ours. Though from what these people are telling me, one person here passed without being able to do a U-turn properly.

I personally think some people take a lot longer than others to be able to drive, some never really get it at all. I personally, while not an expert, consider myself a safe driver, with no accidents (so far, knock on wood), and only one speeding ticket (for 61 down a hill). I have driven a manual car all my life, and for the first 4-5 months of my learner period, all I did with my father was work on clutch control, identifying hazards, emergency braking, and driving around the unitec car park (in that order).

Some people I notice, are barely able to drive and notice what is going on at the same time. Even in an automatic. So maybe it's the ability to multitask that affects the ability of some people to drive a car? I know of people who learnt to drive in a rural area who confess to not being confident in driving in auckland motorway traffic because there are simply too many things happening at once. This one person in particular now only drives automatic vehicles because of it, she realised her ability to multitask simply wasn't up to driving a manual vehicle and paying attention to so many things around her...

just my observations.

[davebullet]

Same reason as we don't have to learn the rules that are specific to trucks.

But... if all road users had an appreciation of the things a truck just cannot do (ie. stop on a dime) - we'd give the guys some more room and not cut in front of them "since the dumb trucker left such a gap in peak hour traffic"

I would add...
* Re-test every 5 years. Road rules and practical.

[R-Soul]

Some good ideas in there, but not that one.

NZ has it pretty good with third party insurance. Id suggest we dont mess with it. Heres why:

1) Our third party insurance rates (the number of people who insure) are as high as countries where it is compulsory.
2) Our third party insurance prices are very very cheap compared to countries where it is compulsory.
3) NZ third party insurance actually gives you first party cover as well. That is to say, if you have an accident, and its the other chaps fault, your insurer will repair your car. (So, as long as you are insured, who gives a toss about the other guy.)
4) Because of (3) NZ third party cover is great. But if we make 3rd party cover compulsory, you can be assured that specialist 3rd party insurance companies will arrive that won't play the knock-for-knock game. You will lose the cover you had under (3) and you will have to fight the other chaps dodgy american third party specialist insurer for a payout.
5) You will need to buy first party cover, just to stand still.
6) Specialist third party insurers will fight every claim. For example, even if the other fellow is convicted of an illegal right turn, they will argue that you should have been able to stop in half the distance of clear road, and that you were therefore responsible for your own crash.
7) Even if the boyracer that knocks you off your bike is licensed, registered, and has a WOF when he knocks you off, specialist insurers will decline cover if they can. They will seek to prove that the boyracer was over the legal driving limit, was outside the terms of his licence because of the time of night, or the passengers in his car etc.

It will be a sad day when we get compulsory third party insurance.

Re 1) clearly it is not, because there are people driving around with NO insurance.
Re 2) There will be (slightly) more demand, sure, but there will be more competition for it.
Re 3) that IS actually what third party does- cover the thrid parties car (i.e. not the insurer or the insured)....
Re 4) See three - it IS thrid party insurance
Re 5) WTF is "first party" cover? exactly? No such thing exists. You only get comprehensive, fire and accident, etc. You clearly have no idea what you are talking about...
Re 6) Yes they muight fight every claim -but at least you will have an insurer, with money, that CAN pay you, to deal with, and an insurance ombudsman to keep them honest - much better than dealing witha bludger on the dole with no money, no way to get it, and no insurance.
Re 7) see 6) above.

Compulsory 3rd party is defnitely worthwhile.

[R-Soul]

There would be undue hardships on a poor family that di dnot have a 1300cc car and the learner could only drive up to 130cc.

How about making new drivers/riders do community service for five nights in hospital car/bike accident wards?