Asian tourist drivers prompt complaints
Asian tourists driving rental vehicles continue to raise alarm in South Canterbury.
A Geraldine tow service has three smashed up vehicles in its yard, a Twizel counterpart has had six damaged vehicles since Christmas, and Tekapo police describe some ‘‘appalling’’ driving from both tourists and New Zealanders.
Geraldine Salvage’s Peter Barnett has in his yard three cars written off by tourists in the last month.
‘‘They were all rentals driven by Asians, [the accidents] happening within 15 kilometres of Geraldine. One happened last night [Sunday], another 11⁄ weeks ago and the other three to four weeks ago.’’
Two of the accidents were GPSrelated, he said.
‘‘They have blindly followed the GPS. One ended up sideways in a ditch and the other upside down in a ditch. The other car hit a power pole.
‘‘They get off the plane and that is what happens.’’
Twizel Auto Services owner Nigel Wills said he had seen half a dozen cars crashed by tourists since Christmas.
‘‘One tourist was a fatality and the others were non-injury. Crossing the centre line is easily the most common. Another [mistake] is through inattention, they wander to the left, hit the gravel, overcompensate and go across to the other side of the road and crash.
‘‘Dare I say it, most of the time they are of Asian descent.’’
State Highway 80 to Aoraki/Mt Cook was the most dangerous road in New Zealand, he said.
‘‘It is nothing for people to be on the wrong side of the road. They are taken by the scenery and end up on the wrong side of the road.’’
Campervans were also an issue, he said. ‘‘They [tourists] fly into Christchurch and then get these 41⁄ tonne weapons and head into the Mackenzie. I can’t get into a 41⁄ tonne truck without a heavy trade licence.’’
Tekapo police senior constable Brent Swanson said crossing the centre line was a major issue for overseas drivers, with Burkes Pass being a trouble spot.
‘‘We do get some very bad driving, some appalling driving complaints come through.’’
He estimated he received between six and 12 complaints a week.
‘‘Hugging the centre line is a problem, as there is no room for error. Dangerous overtaking is also an issue. We can forbid them to drive, or issue infringement notices which we normally do. If the driving is at the worst end we contact the rental car companies and they terminate the contract.
‘‘We also deal with pretty appalling New Zealand drivers in the long weekends and school holidays.’’
Geraldine 9-year-old Sean Roberts has launched a petition to prevent tourists driving on New Zealand roads without sitting a test. His father Grant Roberts was killed in November 2012 when an overseas driver crossed the centre line.