Opinion: Driver licences are a privilege, not a right

Should driver licence tests be made harder in cities with less traffic? Photo / Getty Images

If you don't think you could pass a driver's licence test in busy Auckland traffic, you shouldn't be on the road.

New data from the NZ Transport Agency reveals driver's licence test pass rates around the country, showing the average Rotorua pass rate between January 2015 and September 2018 was 71 per cent - 8 per cent higher than the national average.

On the face of it, you may think, "great! Rotorua's obviously got better drivers than other cities".

Having lived in Rotorua for five years and dodged many idiots on the road who seemingly don't know what a red light or indicator is, however, I find that hard to believe.

In a Rotorua Daily Post story this week, experts shared why they thought Rotorua had a higher driver's licence pass rate and at least one said it could be because the roads were quieter during the test.

VTNZ general manager of operations Gavin McNaught said: "In a busy metropolitan area, test applicants will be presented with a greater number of, and more complicated, traffic interactions than if in a quieter urban area.

"The increase in traffic interactions inadvertently increases the likelihood of errors."

If there are drivers in Rotorua who only passed their driving test because there were no or few other cars on the road at the time, Rotorua's higher-than-average pass rate is not something to be lauded.

In fact, it could explain why so many drivers I've come across in Rotorua take dangerous gaps at intersections and don't know how to let merging traffic in.

While I certainly don't claim to be a perfect driver who's never taken a stupid gap, I know I could pass a licence test in Auckland traffic because I did.

Learning to drive in Auckland meant I was taught skills like crossing a busy four-lane motorway, navigating a three-lane roundabout and merging into a long stream of traffic.

But I am sure, based on what I've experienced on Rotorua's roads, there are people who have never had to learn these skills and that makes them a real hazard to those sharing the road with them.

Perhaps the solution is to make licence tests longer and more difficult in cities with less traffic to make up for the discrepancy?

There will be those who think that's unfair but remember, getting a licence is a privilege, not a right, and should be treated as such.