The graduated drivers' licence has been around for some time now but not all parents are sure on what their child can and can't do on their graduated drivers' licence.
The graduated drivers' licence is divided into three stages: learners; restricted and full.
• You must not drive on your own. You must be accompanied by a supervisor, who must always sit in the front passenger seat beside you. A supervisor is someone who holds a current full New Zealand car driver licence and has held it for at least two years.
• You must display L (learner) plates on the vehicle at all times when you're driving.
• There's no law stopping you from carrying passengers. However, if you do, your supervisor (who must be seated next to you in the vehicle) must agree to this - the supervisor is responsible for everyone in the vehicle and for what happens when you're driving.
• You can drive on your own, but not between 10 pm and 5 am. Between these times you must have a supervisor in the front passenger seat who holds a full New Zealand car licence, and has held this for at least two years.
• If you sat the test in an automatic vehicle, your licence will say that you can only drive automatic vehicles (unless accompanied by a supervisor).
• You must not carry passengers unless you have a supervisor with you. You can carry the following passengers without a supervisor:
o your spouse or person you live with as if you were married or to whom you are joined in civil union
o children who live with you and are under the care of you or your spouse (you or your spouse are their parent or guardian)
o You cannot carry your brother(s)/sister(s)/boyfriend/girlfriend or friends.
You can apply for a full driver licence after 18 months on your restricted licence if you're under 25 years old, or after six months on your restricted licence if you're 25 or older.
If you're under 25 years old and you successfully complete an approved course, you can apply for your full licence after 12 months instead of 18 months. (Please note that you must have had your restricted licence for at least six months before you complete the course.)
If you're 25 or older and you successfully complete an approved course, you can apply for your full licence after three months. Present the course certificate to the driver licensing agent when you apply for your full licence.
More information can be obtained from www.ltsa.govt.nz/factsheets/45.html
Any person who breaches their graduated drivers' licence may be issued an infringement offence notice for the breach. This is a $400 infringement that also incurs 25 demerit points.
Learner and restricted drivers are over represented in crash statistics. A lot of young people, especially males, believe that they are great drivers.
The aim of the graduated driver licence is to enable a new driver to learn to drive and get valuable experience in a safe controlled manner.
Learner drivers do not have to sit a practical driving test and restricted drivers are generally very inexperienced.