The driver licence age has been increased from 15 to 16 and the blood alcohol limit for drivers under 20 has been brought down to zero under a bill passed by Parliament today.
Transport Minister Steven Joyce said the bill, which passed on a unanimous vote, was the most significant road safety legislation since the Land Transport Act was passed in 1998.
The driver licence age will change on August 1 this year and the zero limit will come in around the same time -- 90 days after the bill has been signed by the Governor-General, which is likely next week.
A series of other changes to strengthen drink driving laws and increase penalties for serious offences will be imposed over the next 12 months, including strengthening the restricted licence test.
"Sadly, and despite the best efforts of law makers, enforcement staff, engineers and others in the community, road crashes still have a very significant impact in New Zealand," Mr Joyce said during the third reading debate on the Land Transport (Road Safety and Other Matters) Amendment Bill.
"These are important and vital steps in enabling us to reduce the number of young drivers killed on our roads."
Labour supported most provisions in the bill but said the Government should have reduced the overall blood alcohol limit from the current 0.8 to 0.5 (80mg and 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood).
"That is the major difference we have with the Government," said MP Darien Fenton.
"It is hard to understand why the Government has ignored the overwhelming will of the New Zealand public and those of experts who wanted to see this matter resolved in this bill."
The Government wants research carried out over the next two years before making a decision on reducing the overall blood alcohol limit.
The provisions in the bill are:
• raising the minimum driving age from 15 to 16 on August 1 this year;
• providing for the NZ Transport Agency to strengthen the restricted licence test;
• allowing police to take alcohol readings for research purposes from all drivers involved in fatal or serious injury crashes;
• lowering the drink drive limit for drivers under 20 from the current 0.03 to zero;
• repeat drink drive offenders will be subject to a zero limit for three years after they get their licence back;
• allow courts the option to require repeat or serious drink drive offenders to use alcohol interlocks, after a mandated 90-day disqualification. Interlocks must be used for at least 12 months; and
• doubling the maximum sentence for dangerous driving causing death from five years to 10 years.
