Dog and Lemon Guide Statement

Tourist who caused fatal accident had passed ‘useless’ driving assessment

The latest accident caused by a tourist driver suggests the tourism industry’s voluntary driver assessment is useless, says the car review website dogandlemon.com.

The company which rented the car involved in the crash was following a recently adopted code of practice, developed within the tourism industry.

Under the industry’s Code of Practice, which is voluntary, tourists are given a list of questions such as: ‘I feel well prepared to drive in NZ Yes/No.’

Dogandlemon.com editor Clive Matthew-Wilson asks:

“Does anyone seriously expect tourists to say they’re not safe to be behind the wheel of a rented car? Of course not. Even assuming that the driver understood the meaning of the questions, he clearly thought he was safe to be behind the wheel of a car.”

“The end result of the tourism industry’s code of practice is another dead New Zealander.”

“If the government is serious about preventing these tragedies, it needs to require tourist drivers to first prove they’re safe to be behind the wheel of a car.”

“We keep on seeing the same accidents again and again: tired drivers, confusion over what the road markings mean, a lack of barriers to stop vehicles colliding.”

“We should be stopping tired and confused drivers getting behind the wheels of cars. Our roads should have rumble strips to warn motorists when they’re doing something stupid. Our major roads need median barriers to stop head-on collisions like this one.”

“If the road where the latest fatality occurred had been fitted with a centre median barrier, that accident would probably not have occurred.”

“By refusing to take effective action to end tourist accidents, the government is effectively saying that tourist industry profits are more important than the lives of ordinary New Zealanders.”

ENDS

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