[Kim39]

Just had a thought, and boy that's hard for me! Have read somewhere on this forum, but just for a minute can't remember what it was under and who posted it. Now it doesn't matter as somebody maybe able to answer this.
Teenage drivers: am i right in saying that a 15 year old has the opportunity to learn to drive a car at this age :eek i hope i am wrong, because i know we suffer in the UK from boy racers but surely this is putting more emphasis on the title of "BOY RACER".
Please put me out of my misery as i don't think i can take my 12yr old tugging at me in 3 years asking can she go for a car licence, she can't even drive a car on a PS2.

Kim

[Timbo]

I hate to have to tell you but the answer is YES, you can drive at 15. Having said that, the process involved in gaining a licence is quite lengthy and involves more than just a theory followed by a practical. It was detailed on this forum quite recently so you should find it with a search.
By the way, I believe boy racers are known as "Hoons" in NZ, but have not got the foggiest why.

[Nicola]

Yes in NZ fifteen year olds can get a licence. But I think there are a number of restrictions. They can not drive after a certain hour at night and they are not allowed to carry any passengers.

My eldest will be 15 by the time we get there and it is the main reason that he has agreed to go for.

Scary or what :?

I am hoping that the test is very strict.

[Timbo]

evelynne_r
Valued Member



Joined: 25 Aug 2004
Posts: 128
Location: Wellington
Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2004 7:22 am Post subject:

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Hiya,

I was exactly in the same position as your wife; when I lived in London I couldn't see the point in taking driving lessons. Where I work here in Wellington is out of town, meaning I had to get two busses, which was a pain. Good motivation for taking driving lessons! I have just recently gained my restricted licence, got a car and now drive to work.

Check out the following site for all the info:

http://www.ltsa.govt.nz/licensing/index.html

I was on a work permit when I first started to learn, and it's no problem. Just take the necessary ID to the LTSA agent.

NZ has what they call a graduated driver training system. First you have to sit a multi choice theory test. If you pass that, you get a learner's licence, which allows you to learn to drive on the road with a supervisor, someone who has held a full licence for two years.

After six months, you can sit your first practical driving test. If you pass that, you earn your restricted licence - this allows you to drive on your own, but not between the hours of 10pm and 5am, and you're not allowed to carry passengers. (Family members do not count as passengers.)

Depending on your age, and whether or not you've taken a defensive driving course, between three and 18 months later you can sit your final practical test. If you pass that you get your full licence and can drive at any time and take passengers.

Hope this helps. As I've been through it, feel free to PM me with any more questions.

Good luck

[lynden]

ONE THING WE NOTICED WHEN WE WERE IN NZ LAST YEAR IS THE NUMBER OF BOY RACER CARS ON THE STREETS IN THE EVENING,,THERE IS NOT A VERY GOOD PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM SO ALL THE KIDS DO HAVE CARS AND THEY ALL SEEM TO DRIVE WITH THEIR FRONT FOG LIGHTS ON AT ALL TIMES

[Kim39]

:eek :eek :eek :eek :eek what more can i say. Do you think they will take to GIRL RACERS!!!!!!

"ALL THE KIDS DO HAVE CARS AND THEY ALL SEEM TO DRIVE WITH THEIR FRONT FOG LIGHTS ON AT ALL TIMES"

So i see nothing changes the world over, how do the :booby take to driving with fogs on as it is an offence to actually do this. I know the :booby here don't jump on it, but hearing the :booby are keen over there i was just wondering.

Getting back to 15 yr old drivers anybody bumps into my eldest don't tell her this info............... :laugh ;)

[Carol]

We used to think the same.......15!!! got to be joking!!
However...
yes the process of full licencing is lengthy and strict.....
And when you think about it.....under the UK rules, someone can learn to drive with a few lessons...pass their test and be out on the motorway (where they havent exactly had a HUGE amount of experience if any) within weeks).
Dont know about you but I didnt really fully learn to drive until I was behind the wheel myself gaining experience - which is exactly what this system offers.
Yes - there are hoons loons and even goons!
Dont see many around where we live though........
I suppose it's like everything.......depends where you live.

[veronica]

lyndon, got to take you up on the issue of public transport. Christchurch has a good public transport system and even runs special 'drinkers' buses late/thru the night on a Friday and Saturday night every half hour to help cut down the party driving.
The boy racers are here not because of the lack of transport but because its what they want to do. and the ones doing it aren't neccessarily the youngest ones.

[Diny]

Just to add a small comment onto Veronica's posting. When I was staying with our best man and his wife in Auckland back in April, I was introduced to an old friend of theirs.

She lives down in Taupo but likes to get up to Auckland at least 3 or 4 times a year.

I presumed it was the shopping she visited for, or the the theatres etc.

No - she drove up each time in her souped up V8 so she could go cruising with the hoons.

I'm 41 and this woman looked old enough to be my mum !!!!

Old woman racer !!!

Diny

[925exile]

Now I dont want to sound like a whinging old pom (Im only 36) but I can honestly say that I was shocked at the amount of Boy Racers/Hoons that there are in Chch. Any one that disagree's just has to take a stroll along Sumner front on any given Sunday Afternoon. If I'd paid a seven digit price tag for a nice section of real estate to enjoy in my retirement along the Esplenade then Id probably being running for the Hills every Sunday crying into the latest edition of 'The Realtor' :laugh

[Carol]

Now I dont want to sound like a whinging old pom (Im only 36) but I can honestly say that I was shocked at the amount of Boy Racers/Hoons that there are in Chch. Any one that disagree's just has to take a stroll along Sumner front on any given Sunday Afternoon. If I'd paid a seven digit price tag for a nice section of real estate to enjoy in my retirement along the Esplenade then Id probably being running for the Hills every Sunday crying into the latest edition of 'The Realtor' :laugh



Taupo is TEN times worse!!!!!
:eek :eek :eek

[lynden]

COULD BE WORSE,,,THEY COULD BE ROBBING YOUR HOUSE AND MUGGING OLD LADIES TO GET MONEY FOR DRUGS?????

[Diny]

Lynden

It IS worse in Marton where my inlaws live. They've got a right problem at the moment with the local 'bad lot' who are going around breaking into cars and property to steal cash and things to sell. The drug problems there are remarkable.

It's a town which is largely populated by older, retired folk, some of them are scared stiff due to some recent muggins and burglaries.

It happens everywhere, those who think it doesn't are sadly very mistaken.

Diny

[ruthyroo]

Took me by surprise, the number of boy racers around Rotorua, and by gum do they take their cars seriously! Lots of lovely big exhausts, paint jobs and tinted windows... And yep there are a lot of 15 year old drivers around. Sadly, I think the young driving age may have summat to do with NZs unenviable RTA and death rate, but having said that, a lot of the older drivers, male and female, are shockingly agressive and fast too! They are almost up there with the french and italians on the roads!!

[Pakeha Boy]

If you ain't red linin', you ain't drivin'!

C'mon now, lets give them a break. I was a boy racer in a 1961 PA Vauxhall back in '77.
Put a couple of holes in the muffler to make it sound like a V8, jacked the arse-end up and put a coat of orange paint on the diff! Leopard skin car seat covers and a possum tail on the arial, it looked hot!
I bet I'm not the only old hoon here either. Just remember how much fun we used to have back then. The last thing on these kids minds is getting mangled in a wreck, they're young, know no fear and are immortal, same as what we were.
We'll never be able to legislate against the wild young spirit, the rules don't apply to them.
All we can do now is to guide our sons and daughters into not wanting to jump into a souped-up-tin-can-death-trap in the first place and when/if that fails, then try to impart to them all the experience, training and advice you possibly can.
Show 'em how to control 4 wheel slides and how to get out of a fishtail. Teach them the good old hand-brakie stop and donuts in the car-park.
Maori overdrive down the steepest mountain roads was a cracker an' all!(slip into neutral at the top of a hill and get to the bottom without touching the brakes, if you can!)
Buy them the absolute fastest car you possibly can and beam with pride when its your kid who's the fastest, light to light!! :clap :nice1

Luv to all,
from Mr Responsible Politically Correct Parent of two young hoonlings

[Diny]

If any of you fancy trying the 'Maori Overdrive' don't do what my dear PB did a few years back.

We were coming down some pretty serious mountain road in the south island. As usual PB knocks it into neutral and starts taking bets on how far we would free wheel (without touching the brakes :eek ).

Just to make things a little more exciting, he turned the engine off.

PB didn't realise that when the engine is off and the steering wheel is turned the steering lock kicks in !!!!!!!!!!!!!

So there we were ......... tear-arsing down a mountain side with hairpin bends, car out of control with no power and the steering locked !!!!

My Hero !!!!!

Diny

[Timbo]

What are you moaning about woman, you lived to tell the tale. :laugh

[Pakeha Boy]

yes, that was a bit of an oversight that day. Didn't think the bloody steering'd lock up when I turned the ignition off. Ruined it all. HAD to hit the brakes, rather hard too. :wah

[wayne]

Oh how that brings back memories I used to work for a ford main dealer in Canterbury (UK) and friday after noons were spent delivering customers cars back to them and would usually end up with 2 or more apprentices being ferried to the last drop off.
This particular day I was in a customers car that was a bit tasty an american Ford LTD steve was driving when the apprentice in the front thought it would be great fun to reach over (left hand drive)switch off and grab the keys we were going down a hill to Ashford when he did this the car lost not only its drive but its power steering and power brakes ,steve swung the car round this bend when the steering lock went "click"we all stopped breathing at that moment and looked at each other as the car smashed through a barbed wire fence and became wedged on a low stone wall :( :(
The company lost a customer and and a few apprentices after that little escapade I escaped with my job as I was sitting in the back and couldnt have been involved ,but we were never allowed to drive customers cars again

[veronica]

The same rule applies if you are being towed as one of our kids found out. luckily there was no accident just major panic.

[Diny]

You're joking aren't you ..... PB was over 30 when he tried the above mentioned stunt. :eek

Diny

[Timbo]

Age does not always equal experience when it come s to driving. I saw a story in the NZ herald the other week about a guy who managed to drive into the river in Whakatane (I think).
Nothing too strange about that I hear you say......
He was 92 yrs old and it was an electric shopping scooter that he crashed.
He was none the worse for the ordeal buy the way, thankfully.

[veronica]

Its inexperience generally, not age that causes the crashes, and as most people learn to drive when they are 15/17 then most crashes are going to occur in that age bracket. Generally thats also the age when the only cars they can afford are old beat up ones with unreliable brakes etc.

We have a friend in the UK who was head of 6th form at a large school and at the beginning of every year he had the local police in to give a talk on driving etc. He used to stress that the biggest number of accidents occur when there are more than two people in the car and the 'Friday night' feeling is about. Its up to parents to try and prevent some of this happening by trying to eduate the kids and also being prepared to keep on the 'taxi' runs for danger times, ie. getting up at 2AM to pick them up from clubs and parties etc. At least here the kids do have a limit on driving times and no. of people in the car to start with.