Motor-Drivers’ Licences

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 71, 17 December 1937, Page 13

Motor-Drivers’ Licences

Sir, —Passing comment on a letter appearing in your issue of December 10, I agree with your correspondent that such technical questions have no relation as to the ability of the applicant for a driver's licence, and furthermore are not provided for in the traffic regulations issued by the Transport Department, New Zealand, May, 1937.

It is therefore fair to assume that as these regulations are issued by the controlling authority, the ridiculous questions now asked have been introduced by the local traffic authorities.

The publication mentioned above covers all that is necessary for the guidance of the car driver, so as to ensure .the safety of the public and him or herself, and nothing outside of what is set out in the regulations should be submitted to the applicant for a driver’s licence. I am advised that the local traffic department issue a secret questionnaire, copies of which cannot be obtained by the public; further, the forms of the question-' are altered every 14 days.

Criticisms of Governments or local bodies to be of any value should be of t constructive character, and I wish to submit to the consideration o£ the loci! authorities that they take upon themselves the duty of educathing the motorist by submitting sensible questions of a non-technical kind, dealing only with the operation of the car and regard for the safety of the public. AVhat.good purpose can possibly be achieved by a secret questionnaire that traverses matters quite outside those demanded by the regulations?

Would it not be more sensible for the local traffic authorities to issue an open questionnaire to every applicant for a driver’s licence made up in the form o£ question and answer as per following example :— Question: Parking, fire-plugs. Answer: No car must he parked within six feet of any fire-plug. Lighting.—Question: AVhat are the morning and evening.hours? Answer: Any period of time between 30 minutes after sunset and 30 minutes before sunrise. And so on, covering all the essential questions. Such a plan would be jilhih common sense. After all, an applicant does no more than apply for a driver’s licence, but it would appear on the technical questions introduced by the local traffic department that what is really required is an automobile A grade engineer's certificate. A common-sense interpretation of the regulations will avoid trouble and friction between the motorist'and traffic officials. Nothing savouring of the method of third degree procedure should be introduced. This is quite irregular and not in conformity with what is set put in the regulations.—l am, etc., AUTOMOBILE. Wellington, December 13.