Raising driving age?

[puddytat]

Well it could be worse....in Germany all your learning is done with a qualified instructor.
Tough shit I reckon you youngsters,we had it easier back in my day,but we were lucky if we had a Morry or an Anglia.....Blame your fellow peers.
I'd put the drinking age back up to 20 too.....but decriminalize dak.

[oldrider]

RNZ news is full of the plan to raise driving age to 16 (or 17) from the current 15.

Good idea or bad idea?

This really pisses me off.

Well, I believe they are crazy! (Why?)

Because it means they are punishing innocents who have not even been given the opportunity to show they can drive and behave!

The ones who (supposedly) have broken all the rules will still be driving anyway!

There are adequate rules and laws in place now, what is missing is the spine and will to make them work and to actually punish the one's who break the laws!

There are miles more compliant kids out there doing everything right, so what are they doing punishing them for the transgressions of the few!

Currently the emphasis is on punishing the good drivers and rewarding the fuckwitts!

There should not be any recidivist drink drivers they should be dealt to conclusively right from the start - 3 strikes and you are out, yeah right!

Age should be a minor consideration in driving, the accent should be on "competence" I.E. either they can or they can't, the next should be attitude and reliability, age is the least consideration. IMHO.

[huff3r]

This really pisses me off.

Well, I believe they are crazy! (Why?)

Because it means they are punishing innocents who have not even been given the opportunity to show they can drive and behave!

The ones who (supposedly) have broken all the rules will still be driving anyway!

There are adequate rules and laws in place now, what is missing is the spine and will to make them work and to actually punish the one's who break the laws!

There are miles more compliant kids out there doing everything right, so what are they doing punishing them for the transgressions of the few!

Currently the emphasis is on punishing the good drivers and rewarding the fuckwitts!

There should not be any recidivist drink drivers they should be dealt to conclusively right from the start - 3 strikes and you are out, yeah right!

Age should be a minor consideration in driving, the accent should be on "competence" I.E. either they can or they can't, the next should be attitude and reliability, age is the least consideration. IMHO.

Brilliant post, and i agree completely!!

Also, i do think the attitude towards driver training here is slack. There should be mandatory lessons with an instructor, look at how the Swedish do it. 6 hours of instruction on a skid-pan even!! If i'd had some practice on a skid pan i wouldn't have crashed my car the 1st time (skidded it and didnt know what to do, braked, locked wheels etc).

[Pedrostt500]

the way I see it I would keep the age at 15yrs, but I would increase the lessons and driver training hours. I would also increase the lose of licence period for any new driver who breaks the conditions of their licence in such a way that if they are required to face cort action then they loose their licence for 12months and 1 day, this would require them to re sit their licence from square 1 again, also if they loose their licence through Demerit points they loose it for 12months and 1 day.
At the end of the day Idiots will always be Idiots, punnish the Idiots and reward the Good learner drivers, in fact why not dangle the carrot of a prize of a new car for all the learner drivers that advance to a full licence, with out a blemish on their licence, thier name goes into a draw for the 6 month period that they get their full licence.

[Dave Lobster]

Ah well, when little Johnny ploughs into a logging truck due to his inept driving they can bask in the glow that signing off those hours falsly has paid off...

It wont be their fault. It never is..

[YellowDog]

One might have thought that inept driving, prevention of, is why we have a driving test ?

Yes that's right.

It just needs to be a tougher test that most will fail until they attain a higher standard.

Maybe existing road users whom are convicted of dangerous driving offences should be made to sit a new and higher standard road test before they are allowed to have their licenses back?

[Dave Lobster]

Yes that's right.

It just needs to be a tougher test that most will fail until they attain a higher standard.

Maybe existing road users whom are convicted of dangerous driving offences should be made to sit a new and higher standard road test before they are allowed to have their licenses back?

Why not get EVERYONE to pass a higher standard of test, without the aid of a mate to help with the interpreting..

[FJRider]

Yes that's right.

It just needs to be a tougher test that most will fail until they attain a higher standard.

Maybe existing road users whom are convicted of dangerous driving offences should be made to sit a new and higher standard road test before they are allowed to have their licenses back?

It is my belief ... that if MOST drivers had to sit the licence test again ... they would fail. This is due to the number of law changes in the last 10 years even ...

A licence RESIT every 5 years would weed out a few ... um ... non performers ...

[peasea]

Why not get EVERYONE to pass a higher standard of test, without the aid of a mate to help with the interpreting..

Speaking the lingo should be part of the test. How on earth can you abuse someone properly in a road rage incident if you can't speak English?

More intense training, longer learner's period and tougher (practical) tests would go a long way to keeping our kids alive. Although I taught my eldest daughter the basics I insisted on professional training so that I didn't pass on my bad habits. (Should I have any, that is.) Professionally run courses should be compulsory along with Defensive Driving etc. The written sections of obtaining a license in NZ appear to be adequate, although not perfect (what is) but the practical aspect is an absolute joke. So it might cost more to obtain a license and/or take longer to get one but when a full license is issued we could all sleep easier knowing that the recipient has had some professional training.

[oldrider]

It was a bit disconcerting watching TV news reporters asking current drivers the road rules!

Hardly any of them knew them now, let alone what the changes would mean to them!!

[avgas]

We would have this problem if it was just horse and cart.
BAN MOTORS!

[Mikkel]

We would have this problem if it was just horse and cart.
BAN MOTORS!

Pft, we have no time for half-arsed measures. People are the real problem!

BAN HUMANS!

[Coldrider]

Ah well, when little Johnny ploughs into a logging truck due to his inept driving they can bask in the glow that signing off those hours falsly has paid off...

It sounds like if little johnny is a 'minor', his ineptness can escape the full range of penalties available to mature drivers.

[slofox]

The government really should teach people how to drive properly instead of raising the minimun driving age. I see far too many idiots in their 40s who can't drive properly. They don't indicate, they do dangerous lane changes, they hold traffic up etc.

How 'bout they teach thembloodyselves to drive first? Behold:


Ministerial cars clocked up nearly $40,000 in repairs last year -- $19,928 for self-drive cars and $19,391 for the fleet of limos.

A Department of Internal Affairs spokesman said most of the cost for the 17 self-drive cars was for normal wear and tear, the Dominion Post reported.

"More often than not, this is an accumulation of small parking scrapes and scuffs to paintwork not attributable to a single accident," the spokesman said.

However, the cars allocated to Justice Minister Simon Power and Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples were involved in accidents. Both have $889 insurance excess costs recorded against them.

A spokesman for Mr Power said the damage to his Holden Captiva occurred when his wife pulled over to make room for a car coming the other way on a narrow road. Spouses are permitted to use the cars.

Dr Sharples' office did not respond to requests for information.

Six chauffeur-driven cars were involved in accidents.

[allycatz]

Yes that's right.

It just needs to be a tougher test that most will fail until they attain a higher standard.

Maybe existing road users whom are convicted of dangerous driving offences should be made to sit a new and higher standard road test before they are allowed to have their licenses back?

Agreed, silly bitch on restricted that killed my daughter didn't have to resit anything after 9 months licence lost