Greg Murphy: Road safety campaigner and Kiwi driving legend on changes to the driver licensing system

The driver licensing system may be in for a government overhaul.

Under proposals released yesterday, the practical driving test for a full licence will go, and fewer eyesight tests will be needed.

A clean record would be needed for restricted drivers to gain to their full licence, the demerit threshold for learner and restricted drivers would fall to 50, and there'd be zero alcohol limits for learner and restricted drivers of any age.

Road Safety Campaigner Greg Murphy joins the show to discuss the changes. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Kerry Wood and Morning's podcast from
News Talks.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
He'd be Greg Murphy's road safety campaign also motoracing legend,
but these days is and the news a lot more
for it. Being a road safety advocate, he is with
us now. Good a, Greg, good morning. All right. There's
been a bit of opposition so far this morning to
the idea of doing away with the second practical test.
What do you think?

Speaker 3 (00:29):
No, there's a lot more detail that needs to be
put into it. But I'm in agreeance with getting rid
of the test because it's useless anyway at the moment
that it teaches nothing and provides nothing. Just you get
a piece of plastic for being near and competent most
of the time. So the system, I think, will require
a lot more work on the restricted license and if

(00:51):
you adhere to those regulations and rules and all sorts
of things and do probably a host of activities that
are going to make you a better, aware, safer driver
than being rewarded by not having to do a test.
If you complete those things, will I believe this is the
right way to go about it.

Speaker 2 (01:09):
You see the way I look at it, with the
second test as a chance to pick up bad habits
that have developed while someone's been on there restricted.

Speaker 3 (01:16):
The second test doesn't do that. I mean, it's so
I've had kids go through it, and I've spoken to
a lot of people about it, and depending on who
you guess and how it's done, I just I think
it's a waste of time. I think if you have
a much better, strict, stronger restricted license phase or whatever
it's going to be called, which which again, as I say,

(01:37):
requires you to pick up points or tick boxes along
the way by doing a well thought out different programs
or activities, then those habits won't actually be and reinforced
at the moment the habits come in because of Yes, definitely,
you know parents that are terrible drivers teaching their kids,
you know, bad habits, all that kind of stuff. So

(01:58):
I think if you're actually having to go through specific
tasks that are trained by specialist people, our drivers will
be much better off. And so I think there's a
lot of structure to be put into it. But I
agree with with not doing that second test. If you
have proven to be competent by doing other things along

(02:19):
the way, this should not be a simple task. This
should not be an easy thing.

Speaker 2 (02:23):
To achieve.

Speaker 3 (02:24):
We've got tens of thousands of drivers on the road
that should not be on the road. There are dangers
to themselves and the rest of us, and we've got
to be serious about the system and just not let
anybody on the road just because we feel that's the
you know, God, We've got to be fair.

Speaker 2 (02:40):
Are you saying that there needs to some sort of
crackdown on amateur driving instructors?

Speaker 3 (02:46):
No, I'm saying there needs to be much that there
needs to be proper structure in place, that we have
to adhere to regulations, rules, and a guideline, an absolutely
strong guideline that provides, you know, everyone with the best
chance they can to be understand and be safe. Our
current system does.

Speaker 2 (03:02):
Not do that.

Speaker 3 (03:03):
You can get through the system by just from mends,
bring things that. It's a memory test. When you do
your learner's license. People aren't learning what is required. They're
remembering the answers to the questions because they're online. So
they do they do tests, practice tests, remember the answers,
go in and remember the answers to the questions. When

(03:25):
people fail, it's because the wording in the question is
not They can't remember the wording and they pick a
wrong arm.

Speaker 2 (03:33):
They're not thinking.

Speaker 3 (03:36):
You don't have to learn anything, You've just got to
remember it. And then they remember the restricted license course
by going with an instructor that takes them around it
before they do the test. So it's a very simplistic system.
And people are making Teenagers are breaking the law constantly
on their restricted license, and I know that for a fact,
and they're getting away with it. There's no penalty to it.

(03:58):
So we've got a strict make a much stricter system.
We've got to then provide and force people through much
much better strike should and designed programs through the process
of getting there on their restricted license, and once they've
done that, they will be much more competent and better
off than what they are now, and therefore get rewarded
by doing that by not having to do a full

(04:20):
license test.

Speaker 2 (04:21):
Conversations moving on to a couple of things which don't
fexture in the government's consultation document. First of all, the
driving agent and be the size of vehicles that new
drivers should be allowed to drive. What's your position on
those two.

Speaker 3 (04:35):
I don't think the driving age is going to get
shifted again. Sixteen is where it's at and you know,
in most cases, I think I'm supportive of this, but
the process to get your license needs to be stronger
and stricter, and we need to we need to double
down on making sure that when when drivers are on
those those various forms of licensing, that you know it's

(04:57):
respected and respected properly, and you know it's treated and
not taken for granted. Vehicles and sizes, engines, all that
kind of stuff as problematic, no doubt about it. But
I think really in most cases, we're seeing people abusing that,
you know, the privilege of driving on our roads for

(05:19):
many reasons, lots of reasons, and we've got to actually
stomp down on you misuse and bad behaviors as a
whole rather than maybe just the power of the vehicle.
So there's a lot there, But I'm more focused right
now on a beer system that's going to prepare drivers
better to be safer and understand what safe means, because

(05:41):
at the moment they young drivers getting their licenses have
no idea what safe means. They just don't know.

Speaker 2 (05:47):
Great, appreciate your time, Thank you very much. Yes, Greg
Murphy motor racing legend and driver's safety advocate.

Speaker 1 (05:53):
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