ProDriver Training Christchurch Ltd

26/04/2026

25/04/2026

Police will be doing everything we can to prevent tragedy on the roads by breath testing drivers. But we need you to make the right choice – drive sober 🚨

17/04/2026

Always use all of a merge lane to merge. Merge lanes taper to smoothly guide you into the flow of traffic.

Using all the merge lane gives you time match the speed of people travelling on the road and find a safe gap to merge into.

The end of the merge lane is also a predictable point to enter the road, so everyone around you knows to make room for you to merge. Merging early makes you unpredictable and may force people on the main road to brake suddenly to make room for you – that sudden braking causes traffic to build up.

When you're merging, always signal for at least three seconds, use all the merge lane, and pick a safe gap to merge into.

Merge like a zip – this is where a vehicle from the merge lane enters the road, a vehicle on the main road continues on, another vehicle from the merge lane enters, and so on.

If you're on the main road, leave a gap so people have room to merge.

16/04/2026

We’re making changes to the warrant of fitness system. On 1 November 2026, these things will change:

• people who buy a new car will need to get their next WoF when the car is 4 years old (it’s currently when the car is 3 years old)
• people with cars between 4–14 years old* will need a WoF every 2 years (it’s currently yearly)
• people with motorcycles registered before 1 January 2000 will need a WoF every year (it’s currently every 6 months).

For a long time we’ve had very frequent vehicle inspections compared to countries overseas. Modern vehicles are significantly safer and more reliable. It’s safer to have less frequent inspections, and this’ll save you time and money.

Cars over 14 years old, and motorcycles registered before 1 January 2000, will move to an annual WoF (up from every 6 months for some vehicles).

If your car has Automatic Emergency Braking or Lane Keep Assist, WoF inspections will now check for warning lights (or malfunction indicators) for these systems.

It’s still your responsibility to maintain your vehicle to the WoF standard between inspections. To reinforce this we’re increasing fines if your vehicle isn’t compliant. From 1 November:

• If you’re driving a vehicle with a WoF that’s expired by more than 2 months, you may be fined $350 (up from $200).
• If you’re driving a vehicle with a wheel or tyre that wouldn’t pass an inspection, you may be fined $350 (up from $150) and up to $1000 (the maximum court-ordered fine).

We’ve made these change following us consulting you for feedback about this towards the end of 2025. Thanks to everyone who shared their feedback with us – we received over 5000 formal submissions, and overall people supported these changes.

Our website has more information about the changes, including a summary and analysis of your feedback to us about these changes: https://www.nzta.govt.nz/changes-to-light-vehicle-inspections

* We’ll be introducing the change for cars between 4–14 years old in phases. From 1 November 2026, cars first registered on or after 1 November 2019 become eligible for WoFs every 2 years. From 1 November 2027, cars first registered from 1 November 2013 to 31 October 2019 become eligible.

13/04/2026

We’re adding a new security feature to driver licences by embossing the driver’s date of birth over their photo.

We’ll be doing this to all driver licences we issue from 13 April 2026 onwards.

You don’t need to do anything with your existing, flat driver licence – it’s still valid until it expires, even without your date of birth being embossed on it.

This is a new security feature our licence manufacturer can do for us. It doesn’t cost us anything to add to our manufacturing process so it’s a no-brainer for us.

The embossing provides a secondary verification of the driver's date of birth which is already printed beside the photo.

The embossing isn’t easily replicated, which is a great way for us to reduce the opportunity for fraud. It also means the photo on a card can’t easily be modified, and it provides an extra verification of the driver’s date of birth.

This won’t affect the Government’s plan to introduce digital driver licences. Even when digital licences are available, you’ll still have the option to get a physical card.

18/03/2026

SH1 CHERTSEY, CANTERBURY – RESURFACING - UPDATE TUE 7 APR

Due to wet weather, this work has been pushed back a night.

Overnight closures will now be in place near Chertsey Line Rd from Wednesday 8 to Friday 10 April, 9pm to 5:30am each night.
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UPDATE MON 23 MAR

Due to unforeseen circumstances, these works have been RESCHEDULED. Overnight closures will now be in place near Chertsey Line Rd 9pm to 5:30am each night between Tuesday 7 and Thursday 9 April.
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Plan ahead for overnight CLOSURES near Chertsey Line Rd from Sunday 22 to Tuesday 24 March, 9pm-6am each night, for resurfacing works.

Northbound traffic detour via Mitcham Rd, Thompsons Track, Railway Tce East and Elizabeth St.

Southbound traffic detour via Elizabeth St, Railway Tce East, Thompsons Track and Somerton Rd.

Allow for an additional 10 minutes for your journey when using the detours.

These works are dependent on various factors and may be rescheduled, and an update will be provided in the comment section below. ^EH

16/03/2026

UPDATE 22 March - This work has been postponed. Expect a further update when new dates have been confirmed.

16 March - 🚗🚙 NZTA is advising of more work on SH1 and SH77 in the coming weeks, including night work that will close the Chertsey rail crossing later this month.

On Sunday 22 March through to Tuesday 24 March, State Highway 1/Rakaia Highway is expected to close at nights at the Chertsey rail crossing for roadworks. A detour will be in place (see map) via Somerton Road and Thompsons Track, with midnight openings of SH1 for over-dimension vehicles and permitted freight. The work will happen each night between 9pm and 5.30am - the detour will add at least seven minutes to your travel time.

On SH77/Methven Highway, power undergrounding work is underway through until Friday 27 March 2026, which means road users will be required to stop on demand and slow down for a 30km/h temporary speed restriction. At Methven itself, resealing on SH77/Main Street, near Dolma Street, on Thursday 19 March is expected to mean road users having to stop on demand for part of the day.

13/02/2026

We will be hosting another popular Safer Plates event. This is due to a spike in number plate thefts currently happening. Spread the word so we can get your plates changed over. The Patrol Committee will be at the Mitre 10 / Woolworths car park in Hornby, on the corner of Main South Road and Chappie Place, Saturday 14th March 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM. The cost to get your plates screws changed is $5 for both front and back. We look forward to seeing you.

12/01/2026

19/12/2025

Today I visited a yard in Auckland where 14 fire trucks were being prepared for deployment.

These trucks will strengthen Fire and Emergency’s frontline capability across New Zealand and with training underway in the next few days.

More are coming, and I’ll continue to hold Fire and Emergency to account for their fleet improvements.
To all firefighters, thank you for your service in 2025, especially those working through Christmas. I hope you find downtime with family over the next few weeks as we head into 2026.

Fire and Emergency NZ

13/12/2025