The terms of reference for the review of Army driver training will include legislative compliance, safety, and driver progression rates, and the review will also compare the Army driver training programme to national and international driver training methods. The Chief of Army, Major General Jerry Mateparae, directed the review after the recent fatal Unimog accident near Cromwell. Colonel Kevin Burnett, who commands the Army Training Group, is leading the review. He said while the Army had taken a lot of time to develop its current training regime it was important to investigate whether there was any commonality between recent vehicle accidents, and whether changes to the Army’s driver training regime needed to be made to ensure it met standards. The Army-wide review is expected to take at least a month to complete.
As a precaution the New Zealand Army has increased the ratio of supervisors to students during Unimog-specific driver training.
Prior to this modification a student driver received initial driver training at a ratio of one driving instructor per two students until they gained their heavy transport licence (Class 2). The ratio then changed to one driving instructor supervising up to five students as the students gained further experience on the vehicle.