Blue Jackie: Land Transport (Road Safety and Other Matters) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Blue Jackie: Land Transport (Road Safety and Other Matters) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:671;Page:18071] 
Dr JACKIE BLUE (National) 
: 
 I am delighted to speak to the title of the Land Transport (Road Safety and Other Matters) Amendment Bill. I think it is a perfectly well-named bill. It is all about road safety which is what this amendment bill is doing. I was talking at the end of the first reading regarding our alcohol culture; I will pick up from there. We have a youth drinking problem. I know that the law reform bill that is currently before the House will go some way towards addressing that problem. Certainly youth have been targeted. 
I really wanted to take the opportunity to talk about FebFast. At the end of February when FebFast finished we did not have a time to acknowledge it because we had the Christchurch earthquake. It just really was not the right time to do it. News came out today that the people who supported FebFast raised over $100000 which goes towards youth drinking programmes and education. That is absolutely wonderful. I acknowledge Iain Lees-Galloway who led the Labour team for FebFast; I led the National team for FebFast. 
As role models as leaders and as MPs we can do a lot to help change the culture of drinking in this country. There are many ways that we need to look at to deal with this problem not just through legislation. In many respects change comes from the ground up and it is often community-driven. I say: “Well done to everyone who supported FebFast.” I certainly look forward to next year’s FebFast. 
New Zealand has not been doing very well in its road safety statistics. The Minister told us earlier in the evening that we have bad statistics. Our fatality rate is 60 percent worse than the rate in Australia. We are lagging behind and that is really not good enough. Our youth are at risk along with drivers who reoffend—drivers who drink alcohol and are over the limit. But youth particularly are of concern. In my speech on Part 1 I said that 15 to 24-year-olds are overrepresented in the statistics. They represent 14 percent of our population and equate to 16 percent of all licensed drivers yet in 2008 they were involved in around 37 percent of all fatal crashes. Those statistics are quite shocking. That age group was also involved in 38 percent of all serious injury crashes. Those statistics are very very sobering and very concerning. 
That is not satisfactory so we have to focus on youth. This bill does exactly that. It calls for a zero alcohol limit but importantly education is a key part of this legislation. It aims to improve all road safety education that is available and to increase access to it. I am very pleased that the bill allows approved defensive driving courses to be undertaken in the learner-licence phase. I think that everyone from time to time not just youth should take a refresher course. It would suit all members and everyone who drives in New Zealand. It is something that everyone should consider doing from time to time. 
But it is important that the bill proposes to increase the licensing age to 16. Members on this side absolutely support that proposal. It is the right way to go. As I said in my speech on the second reading when I was learning to drive there were 1 million vehicles on the road. Now there are 3 million vehicles on the road. Now it is busier the cars are more powerful and drivers need to have their wits about them particularly in big cities. I am sorry but the brain of a 15-year-old and the brain of a 16-year-old I am sure physiologically might be very similar but I think in maturity they are worlds apart. I think that every year that passes before a driver first embarks on driving the better it is because driving uses a lot of sensory information and coordination. Certainly when the consultation phase of Safer Journeys which is the Government’s road safety policy going forward to 2020 was embarked upon it showed there was clear public support for raising the age of driving to 16. Members on this side stand by that policy and there is no question about that. 
Other shocking data has been released recently and it all adds to support for this amendment bill which is all about road safety.