Minister urges raising driver age after high Easter toll

Transport Safety Minister Harry Duynhoven is calling for the driver's licence age to be raised.

His proposal follows the worst Easter road toll - of nine deaths - for a decade.

"One of the issues is whether our driver's licence age is too low. We do have worries about whether we are allowing our people to drive too young," Mr Duynhoven said.

The New Plymouth MP believes the age to gain a licence should be raised from 15 to at least 16, the school leaving age.

"We do have a real worry about the behaviour of young drivers, particularly when they have got passengers with them.

"Their concentration lapses, or the bravado increases. You very rarely come across a young person in a fatal crash on their own. There are usually people with them, or they're racing someone."

Mr Duynhoven said he had tried to address the licence age issue before with colleagues, but without success.

"New Zealand is well out of step with the rest of the world in regard to our drivers' licence system. There is no requirement at all in our current drivers' licence system for any professional course or training.

"In every other jurisdiction I know of, there is a requirement for professional driving training of some sort."

- NZPA