Moves by the government to cut teenagers from drinking and driving completely, while also raising the driving age to 16, are to be applauded, with the reservation that the driving age could perhaps be taken out a bit further.

Before I am inundated with brick bats and bouquets for such a suggestion, let’s look at our changing world.

The writer, like his peer group across the nation, learned to drive at the streering wheel of the family car, usually on a series of Sunday afternoon drives in the country with the family on board. On deserted country roads, we would practise with steering, gears, clutch, accelerator and brakes, all the while absorbing the information, warnings, suggestions and criticism from parents and siblings.

It was a cautious road to a licence, but I admit I got mine at 15. Fortunately, I haven’t had more than a slight fender-bender since (in a car park — unknown persons dinged me).

But today’s traffic environment is a far cry from the steady and cautious introduction most of us had to driving, and I am becoming more than ever convinced that. yesteryears’ sedate Morris Minor is a far cry from today’s guided road missile.

A recent trip away saw me returning along the northern motorway around the Oteha Valley area. Auckland had actually been in motorway gridlock and it had taken an hour to get from Tip Top Corner through to the bridge, because of a three car nose to tail right on top of the coathanger. Funnily enough, the collision was in the southbound lane, and the massive congestion was caused simply by north-bound rubber-neckers.

That is, until Oteha Valley, when the outside high speed lane slowed dramatically. It was necessary for drivers to cross into the left lane to get past a Japanese import doing a sedate, if slightly wandering, 60kph.

Glancing across as I passed on the inside lane, I saw two very teenage girls staring fixedly ahead, white faced, and in the second I had, I could see the driver’s open mouth indicating total confusion.

It was the perfect picture of someone totally outside their comfort zone, and gave the impression she was there by mistake.

Despite a ton of room behind me in the left lane after I passed, she stayed doggedly in place. At that rate, she, and other road users were going to have a long trip north — even assuming that’s where she intended to be going.

At 100k’s on the motorway, there was not a lot anyone could do to help. I just hope she found an exit, or that a patrol car may have intercepted her to provide help.

Todays highways are simply no place for novices.