Dementia defines a group of symptoms that result in a decline in memory and thinking skills that affect a person’s life. It’s not one disease, but the most common cause is Alzheimer’s disease which accounts for up to 80% of…
Trailer sway is when your trailer starts swinging from side-to-side and is out of control. It can happen to any trailer when you are using a tow ball (i.e. a single pivot point) behind the rear wheels of the towing…
If there’s a problem with your brakes you’ll see a warning light on your dashboard, but there are different warning lights for different problems and different brakes. When you turn on the car’s ignition the computer will go through a…
The average company car endures between $1000-2000 of minor panel damage every three years. It’s a huge cost to a company. Some of that damage won’t be the fault of the driver, but much of it will be – scrapes…
There are 72 classifications of crashes and loss-of-control incidents used by accident investigators and police. Diagrams are used to quickly describe the accident, and these are published with a guide by NZTA for how to code crashes. The motion or…
Load pilots help oversized loads be transported on the roads without causing a danger to other road users. These loads are wider, taller and/or longer than the maximum vehicle dimensions. Our roads have signs, lanes, roundabouts and traffic islands based…
Roads are angled for three reasons: Drainage Safety Terrain Superelevation or banking In an ideal world the road would be higher on the outside of the corner than the inside because this is safer and vehicles can travel around the…
Literacy is a problem for over 40% of New Zealanders, with around 20% experiencing substantial literacy issues. At some point in New Zealand’s history, it was possible to get a New Zealand driver licence simply by taking a quick spin…
Why are so many walkers and cyclists distracted on the road? While we hear about driver distraction being a problem, distraction among other road users is also a huge issue. The main causes of being distracted while walking or cycling…
Driving in the movies is often done by a stunt driver. They will do car chases, action scenes, precision driving and anytime a vehicle is involved in an impact or explosion. Stunt drivers sometimes start out as racing drivers but…
New Zealand has a huge number of roads that wind around our coastline and along rivers in valleys, for example a road like SH25 from Thames to Coromandel which has a large number of places where, if you go off…
Bus lanes are lanes with specific rules about which vehicles can use them. There are four types of bus lane: Bus-only lanes Bus lanes Bus and transit Busways Bus-only lanes Bus-only lanes are part of existing roads but designed only…
Smart motorways use a number of systems working together in real time to manage traffic. While standard motorways simply have a fixed speed limit and lanes, smart motorways have signalling that can control the speed limit based on the current…
You could have car insurance but that doesn’t mean that the insurance company will pay out if you have an accident because there are ways in which you can invalidate it by not understanding the fine print (i.e. the terms…
Theory test When you take the final learner test it is available in a number of other languages as well as English: All New Zealand’s road signs are in English, so it’s important that drivers understand the meaning of these signs otherwise…
A drink walker is a person who is walking home drunk. It’s most commonly seen on Friday and Saturday nights near bars and pubs and with males aged 18-30. Many pedestrian fatalities involve people who are under the influence of…
Driving responsibly is about more than keeping your passengers and other road users safe. Many of the driving techniques that your instructor will advise you to use to stay safe can also save fuel, which reduces the impact of your…
A vehicle recall is when a manufacturer identifies a problem and advises that owners of those vehicles bring them to an authorised service centre to have them repaired. Vehicles are complex things with thousands of moving parts subject to vibration…
At 100km/h you’re travelling almost 28 metres a second. In five seconds you’ve travelled almost 140 metres. The landscape has changed, you’ve been past intersections, other vehicles have changed lanes. Would that be a good time to check your mirrors, every…
A defensive driving course helps drivers become more aware of how to reduce risks while driving. A typical defensive driving course consists of several classroom sessions followed by a practical session in a car with an instructor which must be…
