Inexperienced drivers rate themselves highly

File photo / NZ Herald

Many inexperienced drivers think they are better than other drivers on the road, would drive faster than 100km/h if they could, and think they are good to drive after a drink, new research shows.

University of Otago road safety researchers, in a study into the attitude and behaviour of learner and restricted drivers in New Zealand, found 17 per cent of learners and 30 per cent of restricted drivers sometimes or frequently drove fast just for the thrill of it.

Some 42 per cent of learner drivers and 67 per cent of restricted drivers also said they would drive faster than 100km/h if there was no speed limit.

Dorothy Begg and her team interviewed almost 4000 drivers around New Zealand about their driving habits and attitudes as they made their way through the licensing stages between 2006 and 2008.

The research findings were presented today at the Automobile Association's research symposium in Wellington.

Dr Begg, the lead researcher, said "there were definitely strong gender differences" and males were significantly riskier drivers than females.

Young drivers were very confident in their own ability and they preferred driving at speed, Dr Begg said.

When asked how they rated their driving when compared to other drivers in general, 14 per cent of learner drivers and 28 per cent of restricted drivers said they were better or much better than other drivers on the road.

Similarly, learner and restricted drivers were quite confident in their ability to drive after drinking.

"Even if they are over the legal limit they still felt that they weren't unsafe."

Almost 50 per cent of learner drivers and 57 per cent of restricted drivers said they thought they were over the legal limit at least once when they drove.

But only 24 per cent of learner drivers and 29 per cent of restricted drivers said they thought they had had too much to drink at least once to be able to drive safely.

Dr Begg said 23 per cent of learner licence drivers and 54 per cent of restricted drivers admitted to sending a text message while driving even though 69 per cent of learner drivers and 65 per cent of restricted drivers said they knew it was never safe to send a text while behind the wheel.

"They see texting as being high risk but it's still very popular," Dr Begg said.

On August 1, the minimum learner licence age was raised from 15 to 16 and a zero alcohol tolerance for drivers under 20 was instituted.

Dr Begg said the changes were a move in the right direction.

"I'm feeling very pleased that we have got an increase in the minimum age and zero blood alcohol, I'd like to see how that goes."