Why attend a defensive driving course
Whether you’re on your learner or restricted licence, you can reduce the time it takes to get your full licence by six months when you complete an NZTA approved AA Defensive Driving Course. This means you could apply for your full licence as early as 17½ years old.
The AA Defensive Driving Course will give you the skills, knowledge and confidence to be a smarter and safer driver. You’ll learn important defensive driving skills, such as assessing and identifying hazards, so you can reduce the risk of being in a crash.
The course takes 9 hours to complete and includes:
- 4 classroom sessions
- 1 in-car session
- Access to the online driver training system
AA Defensive Driving Course locations
| City/town | Suburb | Street address |
|---|---|---|
| North Shore | Albany | 61 Constellation Drive, Albany - Building 2, AA Traveller office |
| Glenfield | Glenfield College, 60 Kaipatiki Road, Glenfield | |
| Northcote | 5 Akoranga Drive, Northcote | |
| Central Auckland | Mt Roskill | 6A Carr Road, Mt Roskill |
| Penrose/Ellerslie | 419 Great South Road, Penrose | |
| Parnell | Jubilee Building, 545 Parnell Road, Parnell | |
| Mount Albert | UNITEC, 139 Carrington Road, Mount Albert | |
| East Auckland | Howick | Uxbridge Arts & Culture, 35 Uxbridge road, Howick |
| Pakuranga | 13 Reeves Road, Pakuranga | |
| South Auckland | Manukau | 640 Great South Road, Manukau |
| West Auckland | Massey | 14 Westgate Drive, Massey |
| Kelston | Kelston Boys High School, Archibald Road, Kelston | |
| Whangarei | Whangarei | 17 Keyte Street, Kensington |
| Christchurch | Sydenham | Cnr Brougham Street and Buchan Street |
| Hamilton | Hamilton | The Boulevard - Next to atrium off Ward Street, Hamilton |
| Hamilton City | Waikato Settlement Centre (Waikato Migrant Resource Centre), 46G Boundary Road, Claudelands | |
| Rotorua | Rotorua | 1121 Eruera Street, Rotorua |
| Lower Hutt | Lower Hutt | Norfolk Street, Belmont |
| New Plymouth | New Plymouth | 83 Liardet Street, New Plymouth |
| Whanganui | Whanganui | New Zealand Red Cross, 110 Guyton Street, Whanganui |
| Wellington | Porirua | Awarua Street, Eldson, Porirua |
| Wellington Central | 39 Web Street, Mt Cook, Wellington | |
| Johnsonville | 3 Frankmoore Avenue, Johnsonville, Wellington | |
| Karori | Karori Community Centre, 7 Beauchamp Street, Karori | |
| Kapiti Coast | Kapiti Sports, Turn & Pavillion, 10 Scaife Drive, Paraparaumu | |
| Thorndon | St Mary's College, Guildford Terrace, Thorndon |
Who can attend
Learner licence holders
Doing the course while you have your learner licence will help you pass your restricted licence test. It includes a one hour in-car session which develops your driving skills. People who have attended a defensive driving course are more likely to pass their restricted test on their first try. You’ll be able to attend a defensive driving course once you’ve had your learner licence and some driving experience.
If you complete a DDC while on your learner or restricted licence, it will mean you reduce the time you're required to spend on your restricted licence by 6 months.
Restricted licence holders
People who have attended a defensive driving course are 10% more likely to pass their full licence test on the first try. It also reduces the time you’ll spend on your restricted licence by 6 months. If you're over 25, the time on your restricted licence is reduced from 6 months to 3 months.
Full licence holders
Even full licence holders benefit from completing the AA Defensive Driving Course. If you're a police recruit, a court referral, completing a Police Diversion programme or want to refresh your driving knowledge and skill base, you’ve come to the right place. The AA Defensive Driving Course is designed specifically for you.
What it includes
4 classroom sessions
We use a state of the art online learning system that shows real-life driving situations filmed on New Zealand roads during the theory sessions. The course has informative DVDs and discusses various scenarios, observations and hazards to improve understanding
1 in-car session
This helps identify any bad habits you may have picked up and provides you with the skills and abilities to address them before you take your practical driving test. The instructor will take you through a practice full licence test and give you advice on how to pass comfortably.
If you finish all the coursework and the practical drive within 60 days after the last classroom session, you’ll get your certificate at the end.
Online learning
When you attend an AA Defensive Driving Course you get full access to this state of the art programme that you can use from your home computer.
It focuses on driving skills, such as visual search and situation awareness that are directly linked to crash risk. eDrive shows real-life driving situations filmed on NZ roads with you right in the driver’s seat.
