Eyesight requirements for driving in New Zealand
In order to have a driver’s licence you must also pass an eyesight test. You can either do this at the testing station or you can go to an optometrist and get a certificate that is valid for up to…
Advice Resources
Is it essential to have a driving licence in New Zealand?
You used to be able to get a driver’s licence on your 15th birthday just by sending away for it. Now, though, the number of people is gradually falling for these reasons: It’s much more difficult: the graduated driver licence process…
Is it worth getting the cheapest driving instructor?
Are cheap driving lessons really going to save you money? Are budget driving lessons the best value in the end? It’s important that you use a qualified driving instructor, but prices vary. A qualified driving instructor has an I endorsement…
Tyre pressures in cold weather
Temperature changes affect the pressure of the air in your tyres, and it’s not your tyres that support your vehicle, it’s the air within the tyres. Four factors change tyre pressure: the ambient temperature (i.e. the air temperature outside the tyre),…
High visibility equipment for motorbike safety
With a smaller size and profile, motorcyclists and cyclists are much less visible than cars and heavy vehicles, especially in low light and at night. Equipment designed to improve visibility is readily available, though, even if the bike itself is…
School zone traffic rules and penalties (fines and demerit points)
40kph variable speed limits are becoming more common around schools since they were first introduced in 2000. Busy roads that run past schools are considered dangerous for children who are easily distracted. A vehicle travelling at 40kph produces significantly less…
Motorway on-ramp design for effective merging
Merging into fast-flowing traffic on a motorway is something a huge number of people seem to have great difficulty with. They try to merge at 60kph when the traffic is doing 100kph, holding people up and causing a danger. When…
Instrument panel design
The low cost of screens is revolutionising the design of vehicle instrument panels in cars and trucks. It’s also becoming necessary for all the information related to the car to be displayed in an interface with multiple layers rather than…
New Zealand police vehicle markings and livery
New Zealand police vehicles including cars, utes, motorbikes and vans, use either yellow and blue Battenberg markings or standard unmarked factory colours. There are still some remnant orange and blue vehicles but these are being phased out. Cars have the…
NCEA credits for car driver licence
Information for teachers and parents It’s possible to get up to eight NCEA credits for passing driver licence tests. It can be recognised as prior learning by an education organisation holding consent to assess, and lists on their Record of…
Will we always need traffic lights?
One quarter of all accidents and a third of all fatal accidents occur at intersections. The accidents themselves cause loss of life, and the resulting traffic problems cause loss of productivity and an increase in traffic pollution. Traffic lights are…
Notices ordering a vehicle off the road (pink sticker, green sticker and yellow sticker)
Police can order your vehicle off the road if they suspect it’s not roadworthy or it’s unsafe by issuing a green or pink sticker. If a vehicle has been abandoned on the motorway then a yellow sticker indicates to other…
Ramp metering and ramp signalling: why are there traffic lights on motorway on-ramps?
When traffic lights are installed on motorway on-ramps this is for ramp metering or ramp signalling. It’s used to control the rate at which traffic can enter a motorway by holding traffic back at a set of lights on the…
Motorcycle stability control explained
Two wheels are obviously much less stable than four wheels yet stability control has been available on cars since 1992. KTM was the first to introduce Bosch’s MSC (Motorcycle Stability Control) to a bike in 2013. The processing that a motorbike…
What is gap selection and how can you improve your skills?
Gap selection occurs when the driver looks at approaching traffic and decides that there’s enough space to complete a manoeuvre or action. For example, chooses to turn, overtake, make a u-turn or change lanes into a gap in the traffic, or…
When will I get my learner licence?
You can take your learner licence test as young as your sixteenth birthday. Will I get my learner licence immediately after the test? If you pass the test you will be given a temporary learner licence which is valid for…
Types of trucks, trailers and loads
Trucks are heavy vehicles that carry goods on New Zealand’s roads. If you’re looking for a career in trucking, these are the types of trucks you could be driving. And remember to check out our guide to getting a job…
Getting a job as a truck driver
There is a huge shortage of truck drivers in New Zealand, particularly class 5 drivers, so now is a good time to get into this industry. First you will need a heavy vehicle licence. You can practice the heavy vehicle…
Tips for driving and riding in the dark
With longer nights you’re more likely to be driving in the dark, and it’s more likely to be colder. These tips will help keep you safe. Keep your windows clean (or your helmet visor), especially if driving west in the…
How to report bad driving
If you spot someone driving particularly poorly on the road you can dial *555 to report them (note the * before the number). Don’t dial 111 unless it’s an emergency. *555 goes to a police call centre but it will…
Vehicle and workplace training
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