The Driver Licensing AmendmentRule 2006

The Driver Licensing AmendmentRule 2006 also includes several minor changes which willbenefit the general driving population. These changes aredetailed in the separate Q&Adocument.Questions and Answers for the DriverLicensing Amendment Rule 2006 What is Rosetta Stone software the legal basis forRules?The Land Transport Act 1998 allows for theMinister of Transport to make Land Transport Rules. Rulesare drafted in plain English and go through an extensiveconsultation process with interested groups and the public.This is to ensure ease of understanding and compliance.Rules are generally prepared by Land Transport NZ undercontract to the Ministry of Transport and, like regulations,have the power of law.What is the purpose of the DriverLicensing Amendment Rule?The purpose of the rule is togive effect to many of the recommendations of the 2001independent Review of the Cost and Management of DriverLicensing Regime. The key emphasis of the review was to makethe driver licensing system more responsive to peoplesneeds, allow greater flexibility in addressing commercialdriver shortages and reduce compliance cost. The DriverLicesning Amendment Rule (DLAR) also proposed administrativechanges designed to remove existing ambiguities or toprovide better alignment with other provisions in the DriverLicensing Rule. New provisions have also been developed toaddress concerns raised through the consultationprocess.The DLAR contains amendments which can affect alldrivers. The majority relate to older drivers, novicedrivers, commercial drivers, and overseas drivers. The DLARdoes not include proposed changes to remove the mandatoryon-road driving test for drivers aged 80 and over who Rosetta Stone Spain Spanish arerenewing their driver licence. Those changes are currentlyin the process of consultation under another amendment, butdoes include some interim improvements to the older driverlicensing regime There are some revisions to thelicensing requirements of commercial drivers, to assist theheavy vehicle industry address its shortage of truck and busdrivers.Amendments that relate to overseas drivers areaimed at:- improving the safety of overseas drivers-assisting the Police to enforce driver licensing law-improving the integrity of the driver licensing system bytightening the identification requirements for driversconverting to a New Zealand driver licence- clarifyingthe length of time an overseas licence can be used to drivein New ZealandPhases for implementation whatshappening when?Most of the changes come into effect on 1June 2006. These include: - Removal of the automaticonly condition to allow older drivers who take their testin an automatic vehicle to drive both an automatic and amanual vehicle (unless that condition was imposed formedical reasons). - A clarification that an overseasdriver licence is valid for use in New Zealand for multiplecontinuous periods of up to 12 months (previously there wassome confusion over whether visitors have to convert to aNew Zealand licence if visiting New Zealand more than 12months after their first visit). - Revised maximumvehicle weight limits by licence class which will allowheavier vehicles to be driven on a Class 1, 2 and 4 licence.- A range of provisions tightening the requirements foroverseas drivers to convert to a New Zealand licence. -An extension of the time in which older drivers can renewtheir licence from 60 days to six months before the licenceexpires. An improved restricted licence test will beintroduced on 1 July 2006 which better targets risk factorsfacing novice drivers. Has there been any consultation onthese changes to driver licensing rules? The DriverLicensing Amendment Rule 91001/2 underwent consultation withindustry groups, interested government departments andagencies and the public. The yellow (public consultation)draft of the Rule was released in June 2002 publicised inmetropolitan and regional daily newspapers, the New ZealandGazette and in the national Maori publication Te KarereNational News. The draft Rule was also made available on theLand Transport NZ website. Changes affecting alldriversIf your driver licence has been expired for morethan five years (previously 12 months) you can re-qualify bypassing theory and practical tests only of the highestlicence Rosetta Stone English class being sought. To renew a licence that hasbeen expired for more than five years, an applicant mustpass the theory and practical tests for the highest class oflicence previously held. Holders of a motorcycle licencewill need to requalify that class of licence separately.Why change?Currently drivers are required to passthese tests if their licence has expired for more than 12months.