UPDATED 5PM: Winston Peters wants to reduce Maori offending numbers, by introducing driver licensing in high schools.

Speaking to media after his keynote speech at the New Zealand First conference in Dunedin, the party leader said giving teenagers a driving qualification will help them avoid the common first offence of driving without a licence.

Peters said among their election campaign policies is introducing driver training as part of the high school curriculum, likening it to a subject like health studies.

"We're going to make licensing, which is 60 percent entry level crime for a lot of offenders, and mainly Maori, a core subject at secondary school."

Peters, a former teacher, said young people often haven't been given skills to pass the written test.

He said it will also give students an incentive to learn more traditional subjects, like English.

"If you learn enough of this, then you can get a license. Therefore, many people whose pathway is not academia they need to know why I should bother to learn this subject. And the answer is staring you in the face: Because if you don't, you'll never be able to legally drive on our roads."

Peters said volunteers could be brought in to train up students to drive.

He also wants to fast-track 1800 police officers into the force.

He said with a licence, young people can better contribute to the economy.