Driver Training will Save Lives on our Roads

Kiwi motor sport driver Greg Murphy says training people to be better prepared and more responsible drivers is the answer to saving lives on New Zealand roads – not reducing speed limits or blaming the roads.

“If there is one message that needs to be heard it is to stop blaming the roads and the speed limits and start taking driver responsibility, training and testing seriously. I’m not saying that there isn’t a need for roading improvements, there most definitely is. Improving the country’s roading network will improve transport efficiency and in some cases it might assist in reducing injuries and deaths, but people will still crash if we don’t change the current driving culture.”

“The real problem is how we are driving and until we have a system in place that puts people with the right skills behind the wheel, we will keep seeing more deaths and horrific injuries from road accidents."

“I drive New Zealand roads and every day I see people making terrible driving decisions – it’s not the fault of the roads."

“The best investment we can ever make in saving lives and reducing the road toll is by putting more resources into training people how to be safer drivers by providing specific practical training which will create much better driving awareness on our roads meaning drivers will be more focused and less distracted."

“As a parent I know, the driver licensing system in New Zealand is broken."

“I see my son getting six months knocked off his restricted licence just by doing a Defensive Driving course where he’s sitting in a classroom for eight hours. Is that actually going to make him a better driver at his most critical time of learning – I don’t think so."

“Nothing will change, unless we go to the root the problem which is how people are driving, how we are training them, how we are testing them.

“When we have better, safer drivers, then New Zealand’s road toll will go down.”

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