Get moving: Foot off brake for 80 plus on December 4

Q: I'll be turning 80 on November 15 and, for obvious reasons, I would like to defer renewing my driver's licence until December 1. Is this possible without incurring a penalty as long as I don't drive meantime? And do I thus avoid the necessity of a driving test and the $80 charge? Maurice Grant, Howick.

A: Happy birthday for the 15th, Maurice. The changes to the older driver licensing system actually come into force on December 4, not December 1. The most significant change is that from that date, drivers aged 80 and over will no longer be automatically required to sit a practical driving test as part of the process of renewing their licence. They will still have to have a medical check with a GP to assess their fitness to drive and they may have to sit a practical driving test if the GP thinks it's required. So, Maurice, you can wait until December 4 to renew your licence, provided you don't drive in the interim. Whether or not you can avoid the practical test is up to your GP.

Q: Travelling south on Great South Rd in Manukau City just past the intersection of Redoubt/Wiri Station Rd you come to Lakewood Court and, a couple of hundred metres further, the offramp from the Southern Motorway. The two sets of traffic lights do not seem to be linked and, more often than not, you have to stop at both sets of lights, which is a waste of time and fuel. On Wiri Station Rd, it is quite common to have to stop at all the intersections because the traffic signals are not linked despite some being quite close together. Could these groupings of lights be sequenced to smooth the flow of traffic? Phil Henley, Auckland.

A: The Traffic Management Unit has checked the timings of these lights and report that they are set up to co-ordinate, and normally achieve good synchronisation. Signals are normally set to give priority to major traffic movements, so it is not always possible to co-ordinate signals in all directions. If, for example, you join Great South Rd from the Redoubt Rd slip lane, you may get caught at Lakewood Court, as the priority here is along Great South Rd.

Q: On Upper Harbour Highway between Caribbean Drive and Paul Matthews Drive there is no footpath. Are there any plans for one? I see lots of people walking along the grass on both sides of the highway. Sharon Ralph, North Shore.

A: North Shore City Council knows there is a need for a footpath here, as much for safety as anything else. Highways and their surroundings are controlled by Transit NZ, so the council will talk to them about funding options for the footpath.