Motor sporting legend and road safety advocate Greg Murphy heads to Parliament today over New Zealand’s “broken driver
licensing system”.
Murphy, who is meeting with the Associate Minister of Transport Julie Anne Genter, says he will raise serious concerns
about his experience with the New Zealand Drivers Licensing system which needs far more resource to provide drivers with
a much better “toolbox” of skills including some specific practical training.
“The message is simple, we must improve how New Zealanders are driving or more people will keep dying on our roads,”
Murphy said.
“Meeting with Minister is an opportunity to talk with her first hand about how and why the system is not working.
“As a dad with a son who has been on a restricted licence I know the system is not preparing or teaching him to be a
safer, more aware and skilled driver, it’s only focused on how to pass a test,” he said.
“New Zealand is spending millions on road safety improvements, but the greatest investment our country can make to start
beating the road toll now is helping people becoming better, safer more skilled and aware drivers”.
“It’s drivers behind the wheel who are making poor decisions. They make mistakes and people die, and the cost of death
and injury is horrific,” he said.
He will also highlight his home region of Hawke’s Bay to expose “the broken system” which is disadvantaging people based
on access and affordability.
In Hawke’s Bay there are 20,000 learner and restricted drivers in the system with about half over the age of 25 year and
the increasing unlikelihood that they will not move onto their full licence, based on current resourcing, access and
affordability.
In Hawke’s Bay the cost of gaining a full drivers licence is conservatively estimated at about $1000, which, based on
20,000 people in the system, is estimated to be a $20-million economic and social challenge for the region, putting it
out of reach of many and trapping those without incomes in poverty.
On top of the direct costs, are also the productivity cost to employers of unlicensed staff and the unemployment costs
for those unable to find work because they don’t have a way to get there, as regional public transport is limited.
Those living in Hawke’s Bay’s rural communities are even more disadvantage having to arrange for themselves and someone
who has had a licence for more than two years to take up to a whole day off to travel to sit the restricted test.
“We all need to work together if we are going to save lives and improve how we teach our drivers to be better and safer
on our New Zealand roads.”