KEY POINTS:
One of the Government's allies has called for a rise in the driving age to reduce the road toll.
Following a weekend of carnage, United Future leader Peter Dunne said the driving age should be higher than the current 15.
He said an older minimum age would reflect busier roads, more powerful cars, and catch up to international norms.
Mr Dunne said: "If we as a country are serious about changing driver behaviour and cutting the road toll, we should not be allowing our 15 year old children loose and unaccompanied on the road - for their protection and that of other road users.,"
"Fifteen is just too young to be driving unsupervised. The 15 to 19 year age group make up nearly one in five deaths on our roads, and I think we need to better protect them and others on the road."
His party wants the driving age to be either 17 or 18.
A poll of 4585 nzherald.co.nz readers in March found that 52 per cent wanted a driving age of 18. Support for 15 was just 7 per cent, while 8 per cent thought the age limit should be as high as 20.
Mr Dunne said a rise in the driving age should be accompanied by better driver training, including practical defensive driver training as part of the process of getting a restricted licence.
He also wants to see compulsory third party insurance, and believes there would be widespread support in Parliament.
However, Transport Minister Harry Duynhoven said research suggested raising the driving age would not make a difference, as it was a driver's experience, rather than their age which appeared the main factor in their safety record.
He said in March: "In New Zealand we have the 'I'm 15, it's my right to have a driver's licence' mentality.
"We don't have an equal mentality of 'Hey, I'm 15, I'm beginning to learn to drive, I better be responsible'."
Young drivers are over-represented in crash statistics compared with older drivers, despite a recent improvement.
Common offences committed by young drivers on restricted licences include driving after 10pm without being accompanied by a person who has held a full licence for at least two years, and carrying friends as passengers when they are not allowed to.
- NEWSTALK ZB, NZ HERALD STAFF
