Frustrated by incompetent drivers on our busy roads, one Auckland man has started a petition calling for drivers to be tested every time they renew their licence – and hundreds of Kiwis agree with him.
Petition creator Geoff Upson and the Ministry of Transport's safety and mobility minister Brent Johnston joined TVNZ’s Breakfast this morning to discuss whether regular testing would work.
Mr Upson said he started the petition because "I get road rage really bad, and I’ve decided that I would like to use that for something good, rather than just yelling at people on the road, and I thought, 'Hey, why not try this?'"
He said "one thing in particular" which riles him up while driving is "slow drivers in the passing lane on the motorway".
"Just, 'Oh, somebody's passed me on the left. No worries. That's cool'. You know, there's 10,000 cars behind you, but they think, 'Oh, road's clear in front'. You can actually see some of my road rage videos online."
Mr Upson said drivers should be resit a driving test when they renew their licence, which occurs every 10 years.
"I think I would probably fail as well," he admitted. "I'm certainly not the best driver, but how else can we find out what we're doing wrong?"
However, Mr Johnston explained that there was little evidence to suggest that road safety would improve with retesting.
"In New Zealand, it’s correct, though there isn't a current requirement, for retesting. We have about 270,000 license renewals each year. From a practical point of view, that would obviously pose challenges in terms of assistance capacity, but most importantly, in terms of road safety, there's little evidence internationally to suggest that retesting actually contributes significant value to improving road safety outcomes."
He said retesting older drivers could be a more feasible option.
"Internationally, that is one of the areas where there is a little bit more focus, and one of the things that the Ministry of Transport is doing currently is leading the development of a new road safety strategy. We’ve recognised that over the last four years, there has been a significant deterioration in road safety outcomes and we need to do something differently.
"As part of that process, we're open to all new ideas, evidence-led initiatives and looking at the licensing regime is a key part of that."
To sign the petition, click here.
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