Local Driving Instructor is Excited for Licence and Course Changes

Last week the Government announced the biggest change to the licensing system since 2011 but what does in mean for drivers in the Eastern Bay?

From January 25th 2027 there will be no full licence test, less eyesight testing, and a zero alcohol tolerance for all restricted or learner drivers. 

The times spent on each stage of a licence will also change depending on your age.

For those under 25, the learner period will increase from 6 to 12 months, and the restricted period is decreasing from 18 to 12months.

People over 25 will be eligible to get their full after 12 months. 

Whakatāne based Driving school instructor Marylou Bruys has been an instructor for 24 years.

She has helped drivers across the Eastern Bay and Tairāwhiti through lessons and driving courses over that period. 

She's excited for the changes that will be coming to the industry following these changes.

While tests and driving courses will change she said the overall length of time required to get a full licence will be the same. 

"At this stage now, you hold your licence for 18 months, and you can cut that down to 12 months by doing a defensive driving course, so that time frame is still the same."

She believes the time frames are good because it gives drivers time to brush up on and master skills they need to before getting their restricted licence. 

"Most accidents happen in the restricted phase of your driving, so that gives them time to work on what they need to do."

She said it also gives people a longer time to get into better driving habits and not fail their tests. 

Not checking blind spots, speeding or failing to stop at stop signs are commonly made mistakes on driving tests and mistakes that cause crashes, Bruys said.

She believes the longer time period on a learner licence gives the drivers time to practice these skills.

In Whakatāne, drivers need to be good at scanning and anticipation she explained. 

"We call it the 12 second searching - you can pick up the information so you don't see that hazard just at the last minute and slam your brakes on, and your eyes are scanning and looking."

Roundabouts in particular require that skill.

She said learner drivers are often apprehensive at roundabouts, so scanning helps them make decisions on when to go, and allows traffic to flow better. 

"If you look before you get there, you can judge your traffic and you can, take a life-saving second look on that right-hand side."

"I always say to my students, it's a yes or a no at intersections - you don't think, maybe I'll go."

She said the new Awatapu Roundabout is perfect for being able to anticipate others moves, and the speedbumps slow drivers down so traffic movement is more predictable.

This gives learner drivers more confidence and makes the road a bit safer she said. 

With the removal of full licence testing, Bruys hopes it will cut down wait times, but expects the test content and length will change.

In the current system to get a full licence, drivers talk through hazards, showing their anticipation skills in a 30 minute test, while the restricted licence is an hour.

Bruys said, she is interested to see the finer details of what the new tests might look like because proactive driving is an important skill. 

"When you're talking through your hazards, you're driving more proactively - like pedestrians up ahead, watching they don't cross."

"Got my two second rule, all those little things."

 "You know, your view around the car and your responsibility is 360 degrees." 

A major part of teaching drivers this is the Defensive Driving course, which will also face changes. 

Bruys said NZTA will need to find a new approved course that suits the changes being made.

With the new system under 25s can reduce their learner licence period to six months with an approved course recorded supervised driving hours.

Drivers over 25 will no longer be eligible to reduce either learner or restricted driver periods. 

The current approved course to reduce a restricted driver licence period, defensive driving, is popular in Whakatāne she said. 

Her course is "Three quarters to full every month, and I run a course every month because it takes two weeks to do it. Like I do it on a Monday, Wednesday, Monday, Wednesday." 

She said people from all over the district come to the course, with one of her current students comes from Pongakawa for the two week course. 

She believes the new course will still be popular and she has already had students calling her to ask what they will need to do next year.

"My students who will have had their licence or on their restricted at the moment, on the 25th of January, they will just need to wait that year, and then I think it was $26.40 to go and get your full."

"So they don't set a test, you just pay."

Bruys said she is looking forward to finding out the finer details of the changes and what the new courses will look like so she can keep teaching the next generation of drivers.