John MacDonald: Here's why we need two practical driving tests

Is it ever-so-slightly ironic that, on the same day that the first highway in the South Island had its speed limit increased to 110 kph, we had the Government announce that it wants to make it easier for people to get their driver’s licence? 

The highway is the main drag that runs between Christchurch and Rolleston. And the proposed driver licence changes are a range of things to make it easier and quicker for someone to get their full licence. 

There’s some good stuff in there. But I’m not liking this idea of doing away with the second practical test. 

We’ve got a few weeks to tell the Government what we think of its ideas through a consultation phase that starts today. 

There are some good things in the plan. I like the idea of new drivers having to behave themselves if they want to graduate to their full licence. The Government wants to halve the number of demerit points new drivers can get before having their licence suspended. At the moment, it’s 100. The Government wants to reduce that down to 50 demerit points. 

I like the idea of zero alcohol for all new drivers. At the moment, this only applies to new drivers under 20. The Government wants to apply that rule to new drivers - whatever their age.  

So they’re some of the good ideas. 

But this idea of only having one practical test, instead of two - it doesn’t get my tick.  

And I know Transport Minister Chris Bishop is saying New Zealand is a bit isolated in that regard. But doing something just because it’s the way everyone else does it has never been a great justification for anything. 

Just like it’s not a great justification in this case. Because when someone is starting out as a driver, surely that’s the time when you want every opportunity to iron out any bad habits. 

Because, like any bad habit, the sooner you nip it in the bud - the better. 

But under this proposal, a person would have one practical test to get their restricted licence and never be tested again until they’re well past retirement age. 

Here’s Transport Minister Chris Bishop’s explanation as to why the Government is doing this. He’s saying today: "We've heard for a while now that the system just hasn't been working as efficiently as people would like, and that there are particularly young people out there who are really reluctant to go and get their full licence because it is stressful, it is anxiety-inducing, and it is costly as well.” 

Stressful and anxiety-inducing? Don’t you think that, when it comes to something as important as a driver’s licence, feeling a bit stressed about it is a good thing? 

That might just be me. But there’s probably a truckload of things we could do away with on the basis that they cause stress and anxiety for people. 

And, surely, if someone does one practical driving test - they’re going to be just as stressed about that one. So I don’t see how reducing it from two is going to address that issue. 

Remember too that, apparently, having a driver’s licence is a privilege - not an entitlement. 

But, for me, the overarching reason why the two practical tests need to stay, comes down to bad habits.  

Anyone who drives has bad habits. There is no perfect driver out there. 

And, whether we’ve been driving for 12 months or 12 years, we all have bad habits.   

I surprised a few people when I told them that I sat-in on the practical driving tests two of our kids did. You can do that - you sit in the back if you promise not to say anything. 

And when I did that, I was amazed to find from the examiner some of the things that you can be failed for. 

And there were some of those things that I do all the time. And that’s why the second practical test is so necessary. 

Because it’s an opportunity for some

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald
from Newstalk.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Z'b question, is it ever so slightly ironic? Is it
ever so slightly ironic that on the same day that
the first highway in the South Island had its speed
limit increased to one hundred and ten k's on the
same day we had the government announced that it wants
to make it easier for people to get their driver's license.
The Highway, by the way, is the main drag that

(00:32):
runs between christ Church and Ralliston, and the proposed driver
license changes are a range of things to make it
easier and quicker for people to get their licenses. There
are some good things, but I'm not liking one bit
this idea of doing away with the practical the second
practical driving test. I've got a few weeks to tell
the government what we think of the ideas through a

(00:53):
consultation phase that starts today, And like I say, there
are some good things in the plan. I like the
idea of new drivers having to behave themselves if they
want to graduate to their full license. I see the
government wants to have the number of demerit points new
drivers can get before having their license suspended at the moment,
it's one hundred. Government's talking fifty. I like the idea

(01:14):
of zero alcohol for all new drivers. At the moment,
this only applies to drivers under twenty, and the government
wants to apply that rule to new drivers whatever their age.
So there are some good ideas, brilliant ideas in fact,
But this idea of only having one practical test instead
of two, that doesn't get my tick at all. And

(01:35):
I know Transport Minister Chris Bishop is saying that New
Zealand is a bit of an outlier in that regard,
but isolated in that regard. But you know, doing something
just because it's a way everybody else does it, it's
never been a great justification for doing something, just like
it's not a great justification in this case, because when
someone is starting out as a driver, surely that's the

(01:57):
time when you want every opportunity to iron out any
bad habits, because like any bad habit, the cerning your
nippet and the bud the better ray. But under this proposal,
a person would have one practical test to get there
restricted and they would never be tested again until that
well passed retirement age. Now here's how Transport Minister Chris

(02:17):
Bishop is explaining why the government wants to do this.
He's saying today, quote we've heard for a while now
that the system just hasn't been working as efficiently as
people would like, and that there are particularly young people
out there who were really reluctant to go and get
their full license because it's stressful, it is anxiety inducing,
and it is costly as well. End of quote, stressful

(02:40):
and anxiety inducing. Don't you think that when it comes
to something as important as a driver's license, feeling a
bit stressed about the test is a good thing. That
might just be me, but there's probably a truckload of
things we could do away with on the basis that
they cause a stress and anxiety. And surely, surely if
someone does one practical driving test, were they going to

(03:03):
be just as stressed about that one, aren't they? So
I don't see reducing it from two to one is
going to address that. Remember too, that apparently having a
driver's license is a privilege, not an entitlement. But here's
the reason why sticking with the second practical test is

(03:23):
so critical for me. It comes down to bad habits.
Anyone who drives anyone who drives has bad habits. There
is no perfect driver out there, and whether we've been
driving for twelve months or twelve years, we all have
bad habits.

Speaker 1 (03:38):
Now.

Speaker 2 (03:39):
I surprised a few people around her earlier when I
told them that I sat in on the practical driving tests.
Two of our kids did, you can do that, so
you can sit in the back if you promise to
zip it not say anything. And when I did that,
I was amazed to find out from the examiner some

(03:59):
of the things that you can be failed for, and
there were some of those things that I do all
the time. And that's why the second practical test is
so necessary, because it's an opportunity for someone to have
any bad habits they might have developed while they're only
restricted pointed out to them, especially if it's a bad

(04:20):
habit that leads to them failing their practical test. I mean,
if they fail, they'll never forget it, will they. And
I think it would be a serious mistake if we
took away this backstop from the driver license system just
because it causes a bit of stress and anxiety, just
because it makes it a bit more expensive, unless, of course,

(04:43):
you think a driver's license is nothing more than the
right of passage. Unless you think that a license is
an entitlement and not a privilege. You know, I'm making
it easier for someone to get their license and doing
away with the practical test the seekond practical test doesn't
sound like treating it as a privilege to me.

Speaker 1 (05:02):
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