In February 2012, a new restricted licence testing regime was introduced by NZTA. The test duration was increased from 30 minutes to an hour and new testing criteria, called "critical errors", were introduced. Critical errors included driving 5km above or below the speed limit for five seconds, or failing to look at the inside mirror and speedometer every 10 seconds. If the driver made three critical errors during the hour-long test, they were failed, Mr Welsh said.
New Zealand Transport Agency national media manager Andy Knackstedt said the "new and more challenging" restricted licensing test was introduced "in order to improve the safety of young and novice drivers".
"Road crashes are the single biggest killer of teenagers in New Zealand and, with an average of one teenager killed on New Zealand roads every week in recent years, our teen crash rates are among the worst in the developed world," Mr Knackstedt said.
However, Mr Welsh said the tougher restricted licence testing would not help to reduce deaths on the road and suggested the test's high failure rate encouraged people to drive illegally. "NZTA will look back on this as a failed experiment, because a very stringent driving test won't deal with young people being killed on our roads. What we need to do is enforce the law."
In response to Mr Welsh's comments, a police spokesperson said: "We are concerned that young people still continue to be over-represented in fatal crash statistics. Police therefore support a robust licensing regime that helps ensure young drivers gain the skills they need to keep themselves and others safe on our roads, alongside other measures such as the zero blood and breath alcohol limit for young drivers."
Mr Welsh said the assault on an Auckland testing officer this week was an example of testing officers "taking flack" for NZTA's overly difficult testing regime. "It's grossly unfair for the public to abuse a test officer who is doing a job laid down by NZTA," Mr Welsh said. "We need to be encouraging people who are dissatisfied with the way the test is being conducted to, rather than abusing test officers, contact NZTA so that they get enough complaints that they do a review of the testing criteria for a restricted licence."
NZTA figures released to Hawke's Bay Today show between February 2012 and April this year, 2400 learner drivers in Hawke's Bay passed their restricted tests, while 2347 failed. Of those going for their full licence, 2962 passed and 2007 failed. Bay drivers' overall pass rate during this period was 51 per cent for restricted and 60 per cent for full licence tests. The figures took into account multiple failures by individual applicants.
A Hastings-based mother who wished to remain anonymous told Hawke's Bay Today she was surprised her daughter failed her restricted licence test at the Orchard Rd testing station this week. "She had been learning to drive with her father for a year. I thought she would pass. It's like a cash cow, now she has to pay another $80. She had to save up the money herself." It was impossible to know the criteria of the test without paying for professional driving lessons, which were proving expensive for many people.
