Colin, I predicted a while back, after the GST thing turned to custard for them, that they would be trolling through the cabinet papers looking for things to bring forward to announce to divert attention. This road safety stuff is just the latest example.

Colin What I find the most interesting is that there is still no push towards making a driving license really hard to get, like in Europe, particularly Germany. You'd pay $1500 or so, do 30 compulsory lessons or more, many tests, but at the end of it, boy, you can drive when you pass! Also, over there it's a real event to get your license. Here it's, ah well, ho hum so what. In fact, anyone who fails a license test here needs their head examined for missing bits. They might as well give them away. I guess we don't have the industry yet to do all the testing, but they could move towards it at least. So on the whole package, too conservative, sorry Joyce! As for your suggestion to have faster speeds on selected part of the grid, I say Colin for President.

What about contracting out traffic control to the private sector. Get the police back onto 100% serious crime patrol.

This is the National government. John Key and his National Party colleagues were elected to protect and defend our most basic liberties from the big-government bullies on the left.

*cough*

Surely they would never clutch at ANY excuse to impose new laws and regulations to further restrict our few remaining freedoms...

Ya have to laugh don't ya! this lot are so nanny state beyond belief. Wern't we all promised less meddling with petty rules, less bureaucracy, less nosing in our personal affairs an so on, and what have we got? we got a smiley nanny who has to fiddle with everything. What about some real jobs for the young ones eh.

Fred, the govt can't/won't provide jobs for the young or anybody for that matter. It is beyond them. They have worked out a cunning plan though. By raising all this populist poll driven infotainment dross sideshows attention will be diverted from the real issues facing the country. You know, to name a few, promissed wage parity with Aus, higher OECD ranking, brighter future!....laughable isn't it.

Labour lite the party of responsibility, the party that said no to the nanny state, the party that would see us the equal of australia the party of less govt - oh how we laugh at the less govt involvement in growing the economy and more govt involvment in all other aspects of our life. As I have said - some will say time and time again - but then like a good song it just gets better - so here goes, Labour lite have no ideas and merely maintain the status quo. Now watch all the labour lite lovers defend their nanny state pals it's comical. And Cully's sidekick and sheelagh will be demanding Colin only writes what they want him to - do you think they are hoping for a cabinet posting?

"Figures I got from Joyce's office yesterday"

See Colin? Right there. That's where that whole independent journalism thing goes out the window.

Funny thing is you didn't even blink.

Give way rules: they don't need changing, just better education and encouraging people to actually use those things called indicators.

Driving age: meh, too soft. should be at least 17, possibly 18. and 1 year learner period and mandatory driving lessons from a qualified instructor.

Drinking limit: i was shocked to discover from the other Espiner how much you really can drink before hitting the drink drive limit, as neither the police, NZTA, or ALAC provide the alcohol consumption guides that used to exist.

Colin: good point about the graduated speeds, though i fear this will never happen as evidenced by the new digital speed signs on the wellington motorway. it appears that the new signs merely enable the traffic nazis to lower the speed limit from 100, first down to 80kmh and then down to 60kmh(on a MOTORWAY!!!!!) for no apparent reason other than the daily rush hour and the excuse of "queues ahead". this is something which is proved very unpopular in Britain and is basically those sneeky socialist public servants trying to control us!

what really should be happening is raising the speed limit during rush hour to smooth the traffic flow.

SAVE OUR MOTORWAYS!

As a parent of an 11 year old, I'm relieved the driving age is being increased, but think 17 would be better. Yes I was driving at 15, but cars were slower and the roads not as busy in those days. I'm worried about the give way to the left law, but I suppose I'll get used to it...I hope so anyway. It's good to see National actually doing something this year, but it feels like they're just fiddling, not doing anything major or contentious.