The Gen-Z paradox: driving less, crashing more

Kristen Wilson
Jun 26
3 min read

AutoSense backs Street Smart to close the youth driver safety gap

They’re driving less, but crashing more. Globally Gen Z’s licence numbers are down – yet their crash stats keep climbing.

Ride-sharing, environmental concerns, urban living and financial barriers are causing young drivers to delay getting their driving licence. In the US, licence holding among 16-year-olds dropped from around 46 percent in 1983 to just 25 percent in 2022[1]. New Zealand youth make up only 13 percent of licence holders yet account for 30 percent of serious injury crashes and more than 25 percent of road fatalities in 2022[2]. Drivers under the age of 25 were found primarily responsible for over 2,800 crashes on New Zealand roads in 2023 alone, claiming the lives of 75 people and injuring over 2,255[3], including 498 serious injuries.

This gap is what New Zealand driver safety and training provider AutoSense and the team behind national driver training programme, Street Smart are working to close.

Backed by Kiwi motorsport legend Greg ‘Murph’ Murphy, Street Smart is a hands on practical, one-day course for young drivers on their learner, restricted or full licence. Designed to go well beyond the standard licensing system, the programme uses the participant’s own vehicle and features seven hands-on driving activities in a safe and controlled environment. The learning includes emergency braking, crash avoidance, hazard identification and distraction, and peripheral vision awareness, a station sponsored by AutoSense.

Groups rotate through all seven modules under expert instruction while a parent or guardian rides along to help embed safe habits with them as well.

“Young drivers are learning the rules, but not the reactions,” says Murph. “Street Smart puts them in real-life situations with expert instructors – building instincts they’ll rely on for years to come. Having Mum or Dad in the back seat is important as we want to make sure the learning continues after a young driver leaves their Street Smart day.

“The experience adds valuable practical hours and helps build essential skills not typically covered in standard lessons.”

AutoSense CEO Charles Dawson underscores the importance of education for young drivers in New Zealand.“We’re backing this programme because it aligns with our mission at AutoSense to create safer journeys for all road users,” he says. “Street Smart fills a critical gap in New Zealand, especially when you look at the data on Gen Z drivers. Structured, hands-on, experiential training is exactly what’s needed to ensure our youngest drivers are equipped to keep themselves - and others – safe on the road.”

Hayden Dickason, Street Smart Programme Director

Street Smart Programme Director, Hayden Dickason agrees, “You can’t always get real risk exposure just by passing the standard driving test. Being in the car and doing it – learning by doing – with people invested in showing you the right way – that’s what makes the difference.

“Every experienced driver knows that the most capable drivers aren’t born, they’re made – through time on the road and real-world practice. Street Smart is helping to boost young drivers’ competence and awareness, something that is crucial to their lifelong driving journey.”

He says with the support of the Tony Quinn Foundation Road Safety, along with other likeminded partners such as Autosense, the Street Smart programme is able to be offered nationwide, predominantly during school holiday periods.

Upcoming dates for 2025 school holiday periods are below, and the 2026 course dates will be published soon.

Taupō	30 June	1 July	25 & 26 September	3 & 4 December
Hampton Downs	2, 3, 4, 6, 13 July	24 August	22, 23, 24 September	11 October
Cromwell	8 & 9 July	30 September	1 October	11 & 12 December
Invercargill	10 & 11 July	29 September
Christchurch	29 September	8 & 9 December