The purr of the engine is music to your ears.
I think the New Zealand driving age should not have been raised to 16.
I have recently turned 15 and have just passed my learner licence theory test.
The law from the Government, as I understand, is to raise the age to 16, at which age learner drivers in New Zealand can legally begin to drive on the roads.
New Zealand is actually one of the few countries whose driving age began at 15.
I agree something needs to be done about reducing the death toll on our roads, but I also believe that raising the age will not achieve it.
Why? Because it's not the 15-year-olds who are causing all the deaths.
It's actually the older drivers who have been driving for a few years who are causing the crashes.
These are the overconfident, under-experienced drivers who have their full licence or have nearly got them.
When you are 15, you tend to be very aware of the fact you are learning and don't hoon around at 120kmh, or treat roundabouts and intersections with a lack of caution.
I think the Government hasn't really thought about the rural and farming areas such as Gore, which will be affected by the change.
In Gore, you don't have the transport systems city youth have. Therefore, we would be more reliant on our parents for transport.
The Government should use other solutions to combat the problem.
One option is to change the limits of alcohol to zero for all drivers. This is because alcohol alters your senses so they may not be as sharp as they would if you haven't had a drink.
Another solution could be to force every driver to do a defensive driving test.
This would give drivers the skills needed to avoid a crash and could save lives. So if they are so life-saving, why can't they be compulsory?
In Australia and the United Kingdom, all restricted licence holders have to wear R plates like the learner drivers.
This will make people more aware of drivers who are still learning.
I think that we should make all learning drivers have their learner licence for a longer period of time.
This will give them longer to gain experience before they go out by themselves.
When drivers are on the road and they are overconfident in their abilities, they may underestimate the driving conditions, and it is their lack of experience in a situation that can create accidents.
By Eleanor Davie
Year 11, Gore High School
