Call to test drivers every 10 years
Frustrated with bad driving, an Auckland resident has started a petition to implement a practical and written test every 10 years.
The Ministry of Transport is not ruling out the idea, although it says there is ‘‘little evidence’’ at the moment to suggest it would improve road safety.
Currently, drivers have to fill out an application with a photo and have an eyesight test to renew their licence.
But Auckland man Geoff Upson said taking a refresher course would remind drivers of the basic rules.
‘‘I’m just generally frustrated with bad driving,’’ he said.
‘‘If anybody tells you they’re a great driver, then they probably have some bad habits that they don’t even realise they do.’’
It was wrong that people who weren’t good or safe drivers could renew their licences, he said.
Ministry of Transport mobility and safety manager Brent Johnston said the ministry was developing a new road safety strategy that would evaluate how the current driver licensing system supports road safety.
Re-testing drivers every 10 years was not currently on the cards but he would not rule it out, he said. ‘‘There is little evidence to suggest that the resource and time required to run or sit mandated tests would lead to the level of improvement in road safety we are after.’’
But if the evaluation or other evidence suggested more testing would produce results, it would be considered, he added.
‘‘The Ministry of Transport shares the petitioner’s concerns about road safety and the increasing trauma and death on our roads. It is clear we need to do things differently to tackle this problem and save lives.’’
A review of the driver licensing system in 2017 found the current system was working adequately, but there was room for improvement.
Motoring commentator Clive Matthew-Wilson of The Dog And Lemon Guide said he opposed drivers undergoing practical driving tests to renew their licence but, instead, thought a computerised driver evaluation test would be a better option.
Matthew-Wilson said practical driving tests had limited benefits as they tested the driver’s ability to follow rules, rather than their ability to drive safely.
‘‘As a general rule, experienced drivers have fewer accidents than inexperienced drivers. So, there’s little point in simply making every driver resit their test every 10 years,’’ he said.
Measuring drivers’ responses was what was needed, with a 60-second computerised test capable of weeding out drivers whose ability was poor, MatthewWilson said.