Injured driver launches crusade
A Waipapakauri Ramp man who, along with his wife and another adult passenger, was injured in a two-car crash near his home on West Coast Road last month has launched a personal crusade to change the ease with which tourists can drive in New Zealand.
“We don’t want our suffering to mean nothing. We want the talk to stop and action to begin,” Peter Birchall said.
“There is no vetting at all. If I understand rightly, the rental vehicle companies are not regulated. In fact anyone, by paying money, can apply and get a restricted service licence (RSL). Why do we let this happen?” he asked in an email addressed to every one of the country’s MPs.
The other driver involved in the April 13 crash, a Chinese national who has been charged with three counts of careless driving causing injury, had hired a campervan to tour the South Island before he left home, Mr Birchall said.
He arrived in Auckland on April 12, and had a couple of days to spare before heading south, so hired a car to drive to Cape Reinga, “which resulted in us almost being killed when we hit him head-on”.
“If I had the funds I would see meetings happening nationwide with all companies in the rental industry to hear their thoughts on the matter. Next I would talk to people like ProGuides, the professional guide association, of which I am a member.
“In just three months this summer I drove with tourists more than 25,000km around New Zealand. People like me can tell you stories of many close encounters with tourists.”
Many groups would have ideas to contribute, he added, all of which would need to be considered to come up with some positive ideas.
“We will never stop accidents like this, but we can reduce them,” he said.
“Why not install speed restrictors in all rental vehicles to say 110km? All buses I hired this summer had them fitted. So why not put them in rental vehicles?
“One bus I hired this summer had a clever system that had big brother beeping me each time I even went 1km above the limit in speed-controlled areas. Perhaps there is a similar system that could beep if we were on the wrong side of the road.
“Some people think all tourists vehicles should have a sticker in the window. Personally I see no merit in that, but maybe a think tank would.”
He also asked why West Coast Road, used by large numbers of tourists, did not have the prominent arrows he saw elsewhere, particularly in the South Island, while it was up to the government to compel rental companies to work in unison via legislation.
“Many, many years ago we had Avis, Hertz, Budget and a couple of other rental companies. Now I would guess we have more than 100, and we make it so easy to obtain a RSL licence. Why?
“Why can’t we install in rentals a warning device like there is for seat belts, but a reminder to drive on the left? Legislate the rental vehicle industry. We did it to adventure activity providers. Now let’s address the rental industry.”
Several Chinese rental car companies had asked him how they could help, while major Chinese internet site SkyKiwi was keenly interested in the issue.
“SkyKiwi, on my suggestion, is looking at bringing all Chinese tour operators, including rental companies, together to lay ideas on the table. We need all other parties to do the same,” Mr Birchall said.