how recent does a defensive driving course need to be? do they expire??

**bounce** · 8th March 2007, 19:57

Hey. got the restricted a short while ago and am looking forward to moving on to the full.
Understand that a defensive driving course through either AA or AAA will take 3 months off the restricted time (over 25).
Question is how recent does the course need to be? I did an AAA defensive course on the way to my car licence about a kazillion years ago. do you think they'll honour it?

Did a search on this and seems that the defensive course has changed recently and now has a prac component as well. Yeah if anyone knows what the story is here that would be cool.

**Steam** · 8th March 2007, 20:02

Originally Posted by bounce

I did an AAA defensive course on the way to my car licence about a kazillion years ago. do you think they'll honour it?

No I just did mine and the driving school specifically said it has to be a new one, 6 months or a year or something. Mind you though, I did read a thread about using old certificates somewhere here on KB.

**nodrog:Me** · 8th March 2007, 20:03

Originally Posted by bounce

Hey. got the restricted a short while ago and am looking forward to moving on to the full.
Understand that a defensive driving course through either AA or AAA will take 3 months off the restricted time (over 25).
Question is how recent does the course need to be? I did an AAA defensive course on the way to my car licence about a kazillion years ago. do you think they'll honour it?

Did a search on this and seems that the defensive course has changed recently and now has a prac component as well. Yeah if anyone knows what the story is here that would be cool.

they didnt houner my one that i did way back at school in the oldern days, they said it had to be within 6 months old, but that was 3 years ago when i re sat it.

and even though it was 11 or so years between these course's, i am bloody sure they were all the same crap videos and booklets.

**bounce** · 8th March 2007, 20:19

damn. don't really want to pay another $160 to sit a course I've already done. the previous format was a bit of a joke though. One guy in my course didn't say a word all 4 sessions and still got his cert.

I'll give it a try anyway. doesn't have a date on it and I can't find anything on the LTSA site that says it has to be under a year old or anything. My basic handling course was of similar age and they let that through - so worth a crack I guess...

**nodrog:Me** · 8th March 2007, 20:24

Originally Posted by bounce

damn. don't really want to pay another $160 to sit a course I've already done. the previous format was a bit of a joke though. One guy in my course didn't say a word all 4 sessions and still got his cert.

I'll give it a try anyway. doesn't have a date on it and I can't find anything on the LTSA site that says it has to be under a year old or anything. My basic handling course was of similar age and they let that through - so worth a crack I guess...

i think you will find that the certificates have a side piece on them with a date and a special number, and that gets taken by whoever you sit your license with.

**Ixion** · 8th March 2007, 20:41

There is no requirement in the legislation about how recent the course must be. Though you may have to make them call LTSA central to confirm that, since it appears that many testing centres make up their own rues.

However, what MAY catch you out is

(A) The course must be a CURRENTLY approved one. So if you did one years ago, it is quite likely that course may not be on the "current list". I imagine there is some time after a course ceases to be offered when they take it off the approved list
(B) If you are under 25 you must have held your restricted for 6 months BEFORE the course. So old ones from before your restricted won't count. This clause does NOT apply if you are over 25.

EDIT: I'm not sure that (A) is quite correct. I think maybe the course must have BEEN approved under the current legislation - which old ones would not have.

**Lee Rusty** · 8th March 2007, 20:55

course is not the same as the old one - with the new one you have to complet ethe course and then sit a 1 hour practical either in a car or on a bike.
THe DDC course to shorten a restricted period must be done while you hold the class of licence you are going to shorten
so to shorten a 6 month restricted period you must do course while you hold that restricted for that class - so old ones dont work - as to the old one being easy - the new is not hard but it is a better course

**Littleman** · 8th March 2007, 21:31

Originally Posted by bounce

Hey. got the restricted a short while ago and am looking forward to moving on to the full.
Understand that a defensive driving course through either AA or AAA will take 3 months off the restricted time (over 25).
Question is how recent does the course need to be? I did an AAA defensive course on the way to my car licence about a kazillion years ago. do you think they'll honour it?

Did a search on this and seems that the defensive course has changed recently and now has a prac component as well. Yeah if anyone knows what the story is here that would be cool.

As Ixion said there is nothing in the legislation to say when a defensive driving certificate may expire. My mate tested these greedy selffulfilling bearucrats and got his defensive driving course accepted from back in 1999.

He initially got a lot of 'uummms' and 'aarrrs' from the AA when he initially inquired and asked to show him that 'he couldn't'. He kept pushing it but they eventually caved.

There does seem to be little point in doing a defensive driving course and them not accepting it if it were to 'expire' otherwise much like a first aid course they would demand that we resit it every two years or so.

Keep pushing them as they are reluctant to let people through without making them jump through petty hoops on courses that they run and make lots of money from.

And lets not forget how patronising it is doing their money sucking course when one is over 25.

Bastards....

And when you queue to jump through their petty hoops at the AA office and then they have the cheek to ask you if you want to be an AA member...... tell them to stick it up their arse.

**Wasp** · 8th March 2007, 21:34

no, it does not count - i just finished doing my dd course with the triple A and will have to do another one for the car license when i want it

**Gremlin** · 8th March 2007, 22:44

Originally Posted by bounce

I did an AAA defensive course on the way to my car licence about a kazillion years ago. do you think they'll honour it?

This is the key... if you did it for your cage license, it was "loaded" onto it... It is use once. So if you used it for the cage, then the rest of the debate is pointless...

On the other hand, if you did not use it on your car license, yes, within the laws about it being current or whatever, there is no expiry date on a DDC. They will try to tell you there is, but I checked it specifically with passrite, for someone else... and there is no expiry date.

**JMemonic** · 9th March 2007, 09:41

I am reading this thread wondering what AAA is I know of the AA (Automobile Association) but not this other outfit would some on shed some light on this for me.

**Quartermile** · 9th March 2007, 09:59

Dam cos I did my defensive last year for my car licence so I will have to do it again.... oh well, can I refuse to do the practical in a car as it is for my Motorbike Licence?

**mazz1972** · 9th March 2007, 10:17

On this page on the AA website it says:

The New Zealand Defensive Driving Course teaches you how to steer clear of danger. The road is one of the most dangerous places anyone can be in New Zealand. So it makes sense to learn how to recognise the hazards and deal with the common influences and circumstances that lead to accidents - drugs, alcohol, peer pressure, inattention, emotions and driving conditions.

The course takes just nine hours and instills a lifetime of safer driving strategies for any driver, young or old. It is an intensive interactive course that includes four in-class theory sessions and an in-car practical session.
Plus it's the smart way to move you from a restricted to a full licence six months sooner!*

* Three months sooner if 25 years or over. If you're under 25 years you must have held your restricted licence for at least six months before starting the course.

If you want to 100% clarify, ring Land Transport 0800 822 422 or call into a driver licencing office (where you would book the test) and ask....they MUST know.

**robzilla** · 9th March 2007, 13:27

depends on when you did your last one - i did mine 2 years ago which has now apparently expired.

Ive just started a new course ($170) now and it is teaching me NOTHING about riding - only going over the same stuff i did two years ago. (although in rettrospect some of the info was useful for driving)

Its also farking boring and you'll be in a group of retarded boy-racer wannbes with crapped out legacys with exhausts and blow off valves. excruciating...

oh yeah and you get a practical in-CAR session which is almost pointless as i dont care how well i drive anymore and you cant fail

anyways on the brightside i can sit my full as soon as i finish!