Young Farmer president, from Te Puke, Richard Fowler says raising the driving age as part of proposed road safety law changes would be pointless.

Many rural organisations like Federated Farmers have attacked the proposal to raise the legal driving age from 15 to 17, stating it would affect farming families which have limited travel options.
Raising the driving age is among sixty ideas being considered by government as a way to improve road safety.
Richard, now 28, lives in Paengaroa and says he started driving when he was 15 and had to travel 25km to attend Te Puke High School.
'One of the things in the country is that you get a lot of driving experience before you get a licence.
If someone gets driving experience at the age of 15, then they are more than capable,” says Richard.
He is strongly supportive of reforms to improve road safety but believes vigorous training for young drivers would be more effective.
'When I've come across young drivers, it's incredible the lack of knowledge they have of the vehicle.
They need to learn basic handling skills so it becomes second nature,” says Richard.