More young Hawke's Bay drivers passing licence tests

Young Hawke's Bay drivers are getting better - or getting better at passing the tests. Photo/File

Hawke's Bay young people are passing their driver's licence tests at a greater rate.

New Zealand Transport Agency statistics show the rate of Hawke's Bay 16 to 24-year-olds passing Class 1 (car) licence tests has increased at all three levels - learner, restricted and full - in the last five years.

Almost 79 per cent of learners passed in 2016, up from 61 per cent in 2012.

Restricted passes rose from 52 to 60 per cent, and full from 71 to 76 per cent.

Both restricted and full rates were slightly below the national averages of 62 and 76.5 per cent respectively.

The percentages were the total number of tests passed as a percentage of total completed tests.

Source: NZTA

Paul McPherson, head instructor at Bay Driving School, said an increasing pass rate wasn't a sign that the test was too easy.

"The majority are [good drivers]. They have to be pretty reasonable to pass their restricted test," he said.

Mr McPherson said professional lessons were important, rather than a few drives with Mum or Dad.

A lot of [parents] think they know what they're doing, but they're passing on bad habits . . . letting the wheel slip, cutting corners a bit. There are hundreds of other bad habits that people do.

"The reason a lot of people fail is because they're not aware of what they're required to do on the day. It's a bit like any test: if you don't do any study, and you're not fully prepared, you're not as likely to pass."

However, he said nothing trumped practice.

"It's time behind the wheel."

Roger Venn, Automobile Association general manager of driver training, agreed pass rates had increased in part due to a growing use of professional instructors, rather than relying on Mum or Dad.

"The way we used to learn, with parents, grandparents, siblings - there's a general realisation that we don't have the skill sets to get our young drivers not only just through the test but to [learn to] drive safely."

He said in parts of Europe and the US, drivers had to have a certain number of hours with a professional instructor to get a licence.

He also said pass rates were comparatively low in New Zealand compared to other OECD countries, and therefore increases weren't unexpected.

However, just because a driver has their licence doesn't mean they should stop educating themselves, he said.

"I would encourage all young drivers, and their parents, to concentrate on maybe taking some additional training, and the defensive driving course is a great course for that.

"People need to take a responsibility for their actions. It's the most dangerous thing you're going to do every day pretty much, and people are so blasé [about it]."

NZTA's road safety director, Harry Wilson, said it was difficult to draw any conclusions comparing different regions' pass rates.

"The best determinant of whether an applicant will pass or fail is their preparation. The drive.govt.nz website is a key tool to help people get ready for their driving test.

"Ultimately we want to ensure that everyone gaining a licence has the skills and knowledge to be a safe and competent driver."