Driving tests "diabolical"?

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#1035648 2-May-2014 18:36

Athlonite:
Oh and the 1984 driving test was around the block 1 set of lights 1 stop sign and 1 give-way no hill start no parallel park and no reversing passed with flying colours and was also given my motorbike license at the same time :)

Explains heaps of Kiwi drivers ;P

Edit: Here's my NZ one...

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#1035649 2-May-2014 18:42

Exactly my thoughts!

PhantomNVD

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#1035662 2-May-2014 19:22

blakamin:
Athlonite:
Oh and the 1984 driving test was around the block 1 set of lights 1 stop sign and 1 give-way no hill start no parallel park and no reversing passed with flying colours and was also given my motorbike license at the same time :)

Explains heaps of Kiwi drivers ;P

Edit: Here's my NZ one...

And that's probably why I need to redo my 'full' test when going for a P endorsement... Really stumped me why a driver of 25 years experience (no crashes - ergo 'fit and proper person' check) needed to redo a practical driving assessment.

Now I have to try (relearn) all the stupid 'habits' they say you need to use to drive 'safely'.

Seriously though, identifying potential dangers is so automatic, I'm currently playing 'driver test' as a game with my 5 year old on the way to school each day, where we each get points for identifying 'qualifying' "dangers".

blakamin

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#1035665 2-May-2014 19:32

PhantomNVD:
blakamin:
Athlonite:
Oh and the 1984 driving test was around the block 1 set of lights 1 stop sign and 1 give-way no hill start no parallel park and no reversing passed with flying colours and was also given my motorbike license at the same time :)

Explains heaps of Kiwi drivers ;P

Edit: Here's my NZ one...

And that's probably why I need to redo my 'full' test when going for a P endorsement... Really stumped me why a driver of 25 years experience (no crashes - ergo 'fit and proper person' check) needed to redo a practical driving assessment.

Now I have to try (relearn) all the stupid 'habits' they say you need to use to drive 'safely'.

Seriously though, identifying potential dangers is so automatic, I'm currently playing 'driver test' as a game with my 5 year old on the way to school each day, where we each get points for identifying 'qualifying' "dangers".

It's actually amazing how often they change things you think you know... you can imagine the amount of tests I went through to get all those licences... the only courses that weren't all practical were d,f,r,t,w but they had practical elements as well. All the licences I sat without doing some crappy course, because that way I knew I could do it properly and, more importantly, safely.
It's always fun getting pulled over in a truck with a blue licence, they think they've got a gold mine until they see the line at the bottom and realise it's only a bike learners (even though I used to ride a ducati) :)

AKLWestie

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#1035712 2-May-2014 21:17

mikerussellnz: On the subject of driving tests, my wife needs to convert her international license to NZ.

This requires her to do both theory and practical tests.

We have contacted AA about it, but they say that she cannot do the theory and practical test on the same day.

They say you need to wait 2 weeks, I can't find any reference anywhere about that.

This is a problem for us because after passing the theory test, she is no longer allowed to drive with here international license and the NZ license has a "supervisor condition" I can't supervise as I don't have a NZ full license for 2 years.

I don't understand why both tests can't be done the same day, or at least the international license remain valid until then.

Anybody have any experience with that?

What is the issuing country of your wife's driving license?

According to the DL5 form from NZTA http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/application-conversion-overseas-licence-dl5/docs/dl5.pdf.

"You must pass the appropriate New Zealand theory test unless you are
applying for a car or motorcycle licence and you have a driver licence
issued in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France,
Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Norway,
Portugal, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the
Netherlands, the United Kingdom or the United States of America."

"You must also pass the appropriate New Zealand driving test(s), unless
you have held for at least 2 years a driver licence issued in Australia,
Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom or the United
States of America.
If you have a driver licence issued in Hong Kong or South Korea and have
held your licence for at least 2 years, you will not need to sit a practical
test when applying for a car or motorcycle licence. If you are applying for
a heavy vehicle (truck) licence a practical test will be required."

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#1035742 2-May-2014 22:03

Australia has a wider range of accepted countries. My in laws converted to Australian full licence for a fee then used that to get full NZ licence.

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solaybro

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#1035751 2-May-2014 22:30

I have been sitting on my learners for years and never gone for my restricted, seeing all these stories scare me.

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#1035756 2-May-2014 22:38

never fear.

1) get professional lessons on passing
2) mount a hidden camera
3) just do it
4) pass!

vexxxboy

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#1035759 2-May-2014 22:40

solaybro: I have been sitting on my learners for years and never gone for my restricted, seeing all these stories scare me.

i thought there was a time limit on how long you could stay on the learners licence before you had to go for your restricted ?

Common sense is not as common as you think.

solaybro

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#1035762 2-May-2014 22:44

vexxxboy:
solaybro: I have been sitting on my learners for years and never gone for my restricted, seeing all these stories scare me.

i thought there was a time limit on how long you could stay on the learners licence before you had to go for your restricted ?

Yeah I need to look into that. I have been on it for over 3 years I think.

Kyanar

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#1035781 2-May-2014 23:01

solaybro:
vexxxboy:
solaybro: I have been sitting on my learners for years and never gone for my restricted, seeing all these stories scare me.

i thought there was a time limit on how long you could stay on the learners licence before you had to go for your restricted ?

Yeah I need to look into that. I have been on it for over 3 years I think.

There isn't a time limit... yet. The NZTA is looking to enforce a 5 year time limit per stage though.

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Athlonite

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#1035800 3-May-2014 00:06

5 yrs is far to long to many bad habits will have set in by then and sure enough you'll fail because of it learners to restricted should be no more than 1 year restricted to full 2 years max fail to do so means back to learners and start again with all the associated costs + defensive driving course

Athlonite

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#1035801 3-May-2014 00:08

blakamin:
Athlonite:
Oh and the 1984 driving test was around the block 1 set of lights 1 stop sign and 1 give-way no hill start no parallel park and no reversing passed with flying colours and was also given my motorbike license at the same time :)

Explains heaps of Kiwi drivers ;P

Edit: Here's my NZ one...

shezz a few more and you'll have the full alphabet LOL I just have bike car and forklift all full ofcourse

lucky015

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#1035811 3-May-2014 01:31

I've had my learners for 6 years now, Only been driving for just over 1 year, Ive sat the restricted test once, Failed for nearly being sideswiped coming round a blind corner by an old Jag coming off a steep downhill slope at twice the speed limit.

For now I have decided I cant be bothered throwing more money at them just to be failed for something that far out of my own control.

In hindsight I should have simply pulled over to the side of the road straight after and told her to get out of my car after how obnoxiously she reacted to that.

Work mate got failed on his restricted test for getting hit by a cyclist while waiting at traffic where he had not been moving for at least 2 minutes.

Bung

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#1035819 3-May-2014 05:06

lucky015: In hindsight I should have simply pulled over to the side of the road straight after and told her to get out of my car after how obnoxiously she reacted to that.

That is the problem with long term limited licences, the holders "forget" limits like needing another driver in the car.

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