The government announced on Sunday it wants to remove the second practical driving test and to reduce the number of eye tests required during the licensing process.
Transport Minister Chris Bishop said the changes would also include a complete alcohol ban for learner and restricted drivers of any age and the number of demerit points to suspend the licences would be halved from 100 to 50.
AA Otago district council chairman Malcolm Budd, of Dunedin, said the changes were welcome.
"There’s too many people actually running around on learner licences, carrying passengers. They’re not complying with the current regulations as far as that’s concerned, and there’s a lot driving that have had their restricted licence for many, many years.
"I think it’ll encourage people to actually follow through and get their full licences."
Mr Budd said these changes had to be part of a broader picture to encourage better driving on New Zealand’s roads.
"A lot of people are learning to drive and not aware of the road rules.
"When it comes to the written component of the licence, a lot of people are just going in there now and having a stab at it, and they miss, so they go back and have another go and continue on until they fluke it and get a pass, but don’t really understand the road rules."
He also supported the zero-alcohol restrictions on learner and restricted licences as "common sense".
Drivers were too frequently breaking the basic rules of driving without thinking much about the consequences, he said.
"Breaking the basic road rules reflects on the culture of driving that we have.
"The Research Foundation actually surveyed 1000 young drivers and 66% of them admitted that they speed when they’re learning to drive and when they’re driving on restricted or learner licences.
"That’s alarming."
Driving instructor Ray Harris welcomed the changes, but said drivers had to be more disciplined.
"You have the people on TV saying this is a dangerous intersection and this is a dangerous stretch of road, right?
"Well, what’s dangerous about it if you take the cars off? Roads aren’t dangerous — we are."
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