Zoe Hunter: Learning to drive another rite of passage disrupted by the pandemic

Learning to drive another rite of passage disrupted by the pandemic. Photo / File

OPINION:

I failed my first restricted driver's licence test.

It was back in the early 2000s and I was behind the wheel of my first car - a manual khaki green Ford Lazer with no power steering.

I was nervous and failed to fully stop at a stop sign. It was an instant fail.

Many of my colleagues also failed once, twice, even three times for different reasons - crossing yellow lines, driving past a school bus too fast, failing to give way.

Learning to drive for the first time is hard enough.
Now, as NZME reported this month, learner drivers in the Bay of Plenty are having to wait weeks to book their practical licence tests.

It's just another roadblock in their journey to independence.

According to VTNZ, as of the start of April, the average wait time for a test in both Rotorua and Tauranga was 30 days. Pre-pandemic, the average wait times were 21 days for Rotorua and 26 for Tauranga.

It's got some advocates concerned about young drivers who need a driver's licence to support their families.

Driving Change Network national co-ordinator Wendy Robertson said the long waits for
driving tests has been an issue since the first Covid-19 lockdown in 2020.

She said it has meant young people haven't been able to get a licence for work.

Another driving instructor and former policeman said young people needed to be able to drive to do simple tasks like picking up groceries for nan, taking a family member to the hospital or picking up prescriptions.

Back when I got my restricted licence, I just wanted it to be cool and have the independence to get myself to dance practice, visit friends after school and go for a drive just because I could.

Life is even busier now and it must be harder for some learners to book a driving lesson with mum and dad let alone a driving instructor.

I was lucky - I had many driving lessons with my dad.

I will never forget bunny hopping my Lazer the entire 2.5 kilometres to school with dad in the passenger seat. I was super proud to have driven a car to school for the first time. Dad said I needed more practice. I'm thankful for the quality time spent learning a valuable life skill with him.

Learning to drive can be nerve-wracking. It's also another rite of passage that has been disrupted by the pandemic. Young people have had to adapt to the many ways Covid has affected their lives - including the marking of important milestones.

Hopefully, as we slowly work our way down the Covid traffic light system, these disruptions in their journey will lessen in time.