N.Z. drivers get L of a surprise

Press, 16 September 1976, Page 21

N.Z. drivers get L of a surprise

London correspondent

In spite of having passed the New Zealand driving test 10 years ago and covering about 100,000 miles since. I can now use my new car only with L-plates, and with a qualified British driver sitting alongside. 1 have joined the 50 per cent of applicants who fail the British driving test at the first attempt. Most New Zealanders working in Britain are surprised to learn that their New Zealand licences entitle them to only three months driving in the United Kingdom. To continue driving after the three months is up, they must pass the British test. People from overseas who qualify as visitors can use an international driving permit issued in their own countries, renewable after 12 months. But residents must pass the test. Half an hour with an English examiner in London traffic soon shows why so many fail the test — nerves. Automationlike, he smiled only once — at the end of the test when I asked if he was aware how nervous he made drivers who were taking the test. He himself had been

through many tests, he said, so he knew what it

was like. The law as it relates to driving licences and residents from overseas is hopelessly confused. Scotland Yard could give me no help, and even my local police station had to consult a legal expert before coming up with an opinion.

One New Zealand friend now living in Britain permantly said she had used her New Zealand licence for 12 months and then sat the test. A car-hire firm specialising in rentals to people from overseas said the period covered by the New Zealand licence was six months. The police opted for three. ‘Nobody really knows terribly much about this? admitted an Automobile Association spokesman ‘and there is a great deal of confusion.’ All sorts of anomalies exist in the law, and tn some cases it is quite legal for people to use their New Zealand licence for another three months after returning from a trip to the Continent — even a day-trip. Failing the test is almost as expensive as passing it. Four lessons from a driving school to learn the local habits will cost you $23.50, The fee for the test is $11.50, And the licence, if you pass, is $8.50.