Local driver licensing service exceeds expectations

12 December, 2012

Local driver licensing service exceeds expectations

Local driver licensing service iHow has helped over 328 people pass their learner licences and they’re only halfway through the year. It’s a figure that far exceeds similar services around New Zealand and something iHow tutors puts down to a hands-on approach to teaching.

Now its seventh year, the iHow caravan is funded by the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) as an initiative working with at risk drivers to get unlicensed drivers off the road and guide them through the licensing process.

Horizons Regional Council manages the distribution of NZTA funds and lends an administrative hand courtesy of road safety coordinator Alane Nilsen.

“Without iHow a lot of these drivers would be on our roads unlicensed. The whole aim is to get these people legal and aware of the road rules to make our roads a safer place,” Ms Nilsen says.

“iHow helps people that speak English as a second language, have difficulty reading or writing or do not have the confidence to sit their test again after failing numerous times.

“iHow currently averages 15 passes a week and the pass rate for the service as a whole is 99%,” Ms Nilsen says.

iHow coordinator Suzanne Carpenter says when the service first started the target was 100 licensed drivers a year.

“We’re now well above that with 638 drivers passing their learner licences with the help of iHow in 2011. Considering that we have now passed the 300 mark and we aren’t even halfway yet it is reasonable to assume we will top this again.

“Each year our numbers climb higher and higher,” Ms Carpenter says.

Suzanne says the secret to iHow’s success is in the hands-on teaching method.

“Because the tutors use kinaesthetic, interactive methods, they are more effective for those who struggle with the written word,” Ms Carpenter says.

The process consists of 2-3 hours of teaching in the caravan, on-road revision during the drive to a testing facility and the support of an iHow volunteer who sits with person while they complete their test.

“It’s the only place you can come to and do it all in one day and we are so confident of our teaching methods that we will pay the resit fee if they fail,” Ms Carpenter says.

The iHow caravan is based at Highbury Shopping Centre and a year ago it also began operating in Milson.

It’s catchment continues to increase in response to demand with iHow services now offered in Levin, Foxton, Shannon and Sanson, with a trickle of people coming from Dannevirke and Woodville.

As well as learner licensing iHow offers restricted and full licence advice, fines advice, assistance with truck licences and motorcycle licences and can arrange the ordering of birth certificates.

ENDS

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