NZ driver licensing system - what would YOU do???

[Guitana]

Just ban Asian drivers - they can ride black single speed pushbikes only.Increase the sales tax on black single speed pushbikes,and a manditory black single speed pushbike licence test will be needed....expensive test too,renewed monthly.

Watch it Motu Asians own most of NZ now and they could kick you out at anytime!!!

[onearmedbandit]

Raise the minimum driving age to 18.
Compuslary driver instruction and testing, with penalties for failing. (ie, do it once, do it right)
Power restrictions on drivers under the age of 20. (maybe conicide with 2yr 'learner' stage)
Re-tests every 5yrs.
Infringements of basic driving skills requires you to resit your licence (no cost involved). (ie failing to turn into the correct lane, failing to indicate - simply things really but if you can't do it you resit your test until you can)

That should get a few people talking.

[NinjaNanna]

I have always thought it odd that your ability to ride a motorcycle larger than 250cc is based on your ability to ride a 250?????

I think the Australian System of supervised riding and then testing on a larger bike makes more sense.

[MSTRS:Me]

No licenses for foreign drivers until they are naturalised citizens.

And that includes the genetic component of their DNA???

[mstriumph]

1. licence pushbike riders riding on the road from age 12 - provide miniature road systems at all major locations and make it part of the school sylabus that children practice on them/study and impliment the road rules progressively from age 5.

2. make it mandatory that all prospective drivers MUST have passed their pushbike driver's test and held it for 6 months before being eligible to go for any other sort of licence

3. make it mandatory that ALL drivers must pass their motorcycle full and demonstrate two years survival on the roads on two wheels before being permitted to take a car licence

4. introduce a 4 wheel drive licence - make it manadatory that candidates must demonstrate two years survival on the roads in a standard car before being permitted to take it.

----------
5. introduce best practice training centres with [obviously very expensive] courses for each type of driver/rider on the roads ...... the candidate pays for the training and the courses are optional with a stiff test at the end - BUT, if you pass, you get classed as an 'expert' driver and are permitted to travel at 30kph over any posted limit outside metro areas & special zones when driving/riding the class of vehicle you passed the test for........... of course, if you commit any infringement as an 'expert' you lose this priviledge and have to retake the test and training to regain it
-----------------
6. make it illegal for the Dover to drive ANYTHING that isn't pink with purple frills and small bells on over the speed of, say, 50kph on any public roadway

and, of course, introduce a law stating that the 'Minister for Driving Licencing' can park where she pleases and drive/ride at whatever speed i fancy

[bikemike]

Don't know if it's changed since I last enquired, but a 'motorcycle' instructor goes through the same training as a 'car' instructor. That is, the training is in a car. Joe Blogs who teaches m/c gets no specific m/c instruction instruction....

Anyone confirm this?

If this is still the case, this would be one to change :-)

[Disco Dan]

I wanna find a country where cars are banned...

[Lou Girardin]

Raise the minimum age to 18 (except for mopeds). Develop tougher tests ala Europe. The Driver testers to be run by a Govt agency, not private. Require a minimum period of professional instruction.
Retest ALL drivers every 10 years. Reinstate over 80's tests.
Introduce a graduated licence system for car drivers.

That'll do for starters.

[Guitana]

Raise the minimum age to 18 (except for mopeds). Develop tougher tests ala Europe. The Driver testers to be run by a Govt agency, not private. Require a minimum period of professional instruction.
Retest ALL drivers every 10 years. Reinstate over 80's tests.
Introduce a graduated licence system for car drivers.

That'll do for starters.

That's a bit harsh how will the Asians get their licenses if they can't bribe driving instructors???????

[Juud]

Raise the minimum driving age to 18.
Compuslary driver instruction and testing, with penalties for failing.

I agree with that, except for the penalties for failing (getting your license would be expensive enough, we don't want it to be exclusive for the rich).
But compulsory lessons, yes. Whoever thought learning to drive from a family member is a good idea should be shot.

[Guitana]

Maybe we should try the "CHAOS" approach. You can buy a license to drive anything for ten dollars.There are no road rules no fines no speed restrictions. The upshot is everybody would be so scared to go on the roads only the truly stupid ones will venture out and probably be killed in the process!!!!!

[James Deuce]

I agree with that, except for the penalties for failing (getting your license would be expensive enough, we don't want it to be exclusive for the rich).
But compulsory lessons, yes. Whoever thought learning to drive from a family member is a good idea should be shot.

Germany has operated this way for decades and yes, there are people who never get their license. Incidentally it costs approximately 10000DM to pass your drivers license.

[Beemer]

I agree with Dover - what you get here is a 'permit' to drive and it doesn't really offer much more than that. It's a bit like a permit to light an outdoor fire - it doesn't necessarily mean you have the skills to do so in a manner not likely to endanger others!

I think driver/rider training - AFFORDABLE - should be compulsory. Most people learn to drive by being taught by their parents, partners or friends. So if they have any bad habits, you tend to pick them up too. Most motorcyclists have a much higher level of skill when learning because the consequences of making mistakes is also much higher.

I'm not 100% convinced about restricting learners to certain cc ratings because to my mind it's more about teaching them the skills to handle whatever they are driving rather than limiting them to low powered vehicles.

You have to undergo extra training to get a truck or bus licence so I think the basic driving licence system needs to be harder. There ARE people out there who just shouldn't be driving - just like there are people who aren't good enough to be doctors or lawyers or whatever. Why should we make it easy enough that EVERY person has the ability to get their licence? I liken it to school - some kids are plodders, they work well all year and yet don't always do well in exams - others muck around all year and yet blitz the exams. Why should one short test (plus a scratchie one) be sufficient to prove the person has the ability to drive?

[onearmedbandit]

I agree with that, except for the penalties for failing (getting your license would be expensive enough, we don't want it to be exclusive for the rich).
But compulsory lessons, yes. Whoever thought learning to drive from a family member is a good idea should be shot.

As Jim2 says Germany has operated this way for years, and despite having 'some' unlimited speed zones has a low road toll. In Japan it is similar, obtaining a drivers licence costs around $2000, and that goes up each time you fail, and it goes up as you get older. The idea is to encourage people to know what's required and obtain their licence at an early (but higher than NZ) age.

[Juud]

Germany has operated this way for decades and yes, there are people who never get their license. Incidentally it costs approximately 10000DM to pass your drivers license.

You mean they actually get a penalty for failing the test? Seems a bit harsh on people who are that nervous for a test and make mistakes they normally never would have made (like me for instance ).