Wrong way on drivers

INTERNATIONAL tourists are a vital part of our regional economy but they can also be a danger on our roads.

Various strategies have been announced to tackle the issue of foreign visitors driving dangerously on our coastal roads as we have reported crash after crash.

But they do not yet appear to be effectively addressing the problem.

As we reveal today, dashcam footage exists showing a driver on the wrong side of The Esplanade in Torquay travelling directly into oncoming traffic.

Little wonder the Torquay father who recorded it got the shock of his life. It is understood inquiries about the driver of the oncoming vehicle have shown it is registered to a Tullamarine business, fuelling concern this was another international tourist close call.

Fortunately it was a lowspeed encounter and both vehicles were able to come to a stop before a collision occurred.

But as this issue continues to trouble our region, it is not just locals who are at risk.

When tourists are unfamiliar with local road rules they put their own lives at risk as we have seen in multiple horrific collisions in recent months.

As we know, a very common route for Chinese tourists is the fly in to Tullamarine, hiring of a bus or car and the drive west to the Great Ocean Road.

Sometimes, in planning, the vastness of our coast goes unnoticed and so when the tourists hit the ground, they are in a rush to get to their far away destinations. Combined with what is sometimes only a cursory understanding of local road rules and behaviour, this can be deadly.

Events like the recent Chinese New Year are fantastic for our region and a boon for businesses along the Great Ocean Road.

Thousands of tourists were expected at the Twelve Apostles over the weekend amid new year celebrations.

But we don’t want a pall being cast over such events by carnage that can result from our policy settings being not quite right or not being implemented quickly enough.