KEY POINTS:
Parliament appears to favour raising the driving age and a bill that puts it up from 15 to 16 passed its first reading last night without dissent.
It still has to be considered by a select committee and go through three more stages before it becomes law, but during the first reading debate only one MP voiced serious concerns.
The bill also extends the length of the learner licensing period from six months to 12.
United Future leader Peter Dunne, who drafted the legislation, said its effect would be to raise the age for a full licence from 17 to 18 years six months.
National Party transport spokesman Maurice Williamson said he tried to raise the age to 16 when he was Minister of Transport in 1998. "It failed at the last hurdle when the urban/rural divide kicked in. I think 15 is too young to drive."
He said MPs should consider the situation in other countries. In Queensland, where rural areas were vast, the driving age was 17.
Mr Williamson urged MPs not to be influenced by any "hysteria" that might surround Mr Dunne's bill.
Transport Safety Minister Harry Duynhoven said the legislation had arrived at the right time and the Government was working on a package of measures designed to address the problem of crashes involving young drivers.
"Young people far too often pay too high a price for the right to drive," he said. "We need a range of measures ... Strengthening the testing regime is one."
New Zealand First MP Peter Brown was a strong supporter.
"The public want the driving age raised," he said. "Driving should be a privilege, not a right."
Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said not all members of her caucus were happy with the bill but they all agreed it should go to a select committee for public submissions.
National's Hamilton East MP, David Bennett, disagreed.
He said the real issue was young drivers breaking the rules - drinking, speeding and driving outside the hours they were allowed to drive.
- NZPA
