The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) is set to launch DriveGo, a new mobile application aimed at helping new drivers and coaches on the road.
The announcement follows a report from ACC, which revealed young Kiwi drivers are at a higher risk of having a car accident. The report shows there were 6,613 young drivers aged 16-24 injured on the roads in 2018. Injuries from this age group represent 25% of all claims received for driving-related accidents.
ACC data also shows that young drivers on their restricted licence are more at risk of a serious crash in the first six to 12 months of driving solo than at any other time in their lives. This increased risk is partly due to driving inexperience – for example, driving for the first time in conditions like night time or bad weather.
Additionally, the ACC revealed two of the riskiest situations for young drivers are driving at night and carrying passengers.
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“That’s why the conditions of the restricted licence prohibit driving without a supervisor between 10pm and 5am,” ACC added. “Carrying passengers without a supervisor at any time (with a few exceptions) is also a no-go.”
ACC’s DriveGo app is expected to be released at the end of June. ACC noted any new driver and new driver coaches can also use ACC’s Drive programme created in collaboration with the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA). Drive has plenty of resources for coaches and learner drivers, including information about how to prepare and plan for lessons, and what to teach when.
