Govt look at raising minimum driving age

The Government is looking at raising the minimum driving age and lengthening the time it takes to get a full licence, it was reported today.

Transport Minister Steven Joyce said young people aged between 15 and 24 were over-represented in crash and fatality statistics, and wanted to take new proposals to Cabinet early next year, Fairfax Media reported.

The options were to look at raising the driving age from 15 to 16 or 17 and extending the minimum time spent driving under learner restrictions to a year.

Statistics show young people make up 16 per cent of licensed drivers but are responsible for 37 per cent of serious injury crashes.

Mr Joyce said there were "too many young people dying on our roads", and the Government could not ignore the statistics.

The low minimum age at which New Zealanders can get a licence has been criticised in the past, and Chief Coroner Neil MacLean last year called for it to be raised following two fatal crashes in one day involving young people in Canterbury.

- NZPA