Poor Kiwis have the strictest testing yet we let hopeless tourist drive on our roads without a basic practical driving test. We should test everyone who wants to drive on our roads. If a tourist has a full licence from china or wherever they have crap testing then it should not apply here. As far as i am aware they only have to do a simple scratch test which a 10year old could pass with half a days study.
smac,
Nov 28, 7:09am
Before you get caught up in some media frenzy, answer this question: are proportionately (by KM traveled) more accidents caused by drivers on overseas licenses than by drivers with NZ licenses!
If you can't answer that, then any issue is just scaremongering.
m16d,
Nov 28, 7:26am
Its not only the "from china" drivers, its also the ones that are used to driving on the other side of the road.
NZTools,
Nov 28, 7:26am
As a firefighter living near SH1, i get called out to many car accidents. I generally see Kiwi's getting killed/maimed by either their own stupid decisions, or another kiwi's stupid decisions. To date, i have only ever attended one accident involving a tourist, and it wasnt their fault.
In this part of the country at least, your argument dosn't stack up.
Also our drivers license is one of the easiest tests in the world.
purple666,
Nov 28, 7:29am
Any tourist that kills a kiwi due to sub-standard driving should be beaten hard and long and often.
smac,
Nov 28, 7:35am
Why just tourists! Plenty of kiwis kill other kiwis (and tourists) with sub-standard driving.
dave653,
Nov 28, 7:35am
Dad rounded a corner on the way to Kai Iwi Lakes to find a camper van on HIS side of the road. Muddy gruts anyone!
purple666,
Nov 28, 7:38am
You have to start somewhere.
gofer0007,
Nov 28, 9:58am
Correction, NZ has "ok" testing.Europe has the stricktest testing and at the end of a full 12 month summer and winter test one is properly qualified to drive.IN NZ there is no snow and summer testing which leaves the drives thinking they are good drivers when every week it is prooven they are not.The level of driving and road rage in NZ is shocking and a survey done in 2010 showed that 32 out of 50 drivers tested to EU standards failed. The left and right hand drive issue is all over the world and the same happens in the US with right hand drivers but at a much higher rate than in NZ.
Ratio of "left hand driver" visitors who have accidents to physical visitors is about 1 in 7000.Not bad at all considering we Kiwis are killing each other at a rate that is shocking.
the-lada-dude,
Nov 28, 10:01am
i agree, every dick head tourist is a potential threat to us kiwis, heaps are ignorant, arrogant swine, that have no idea of our road conditions and rules.
theram1,
Nov 28, 10:18am
Don't blame overseas driver, kiwi's are pretty good at been bad drivers, Like the mad cow following me yesterday, so close there was less than a rollie paper in it, I couldn't go any faster because of car in front. All that i could do was increase my gap to give us both a chance to stop in the event of an emergency. Silly cow, I smiled and waved at the next intersection, at least she might find a drunk person to cheer her up. Alcohol makes nearly everone attractive.
carolyn57,
Nov 28, 10:31am
You may recall a crash involving an Asian lady 2 months ago outside the oamaru racecourse if you responded to that call. I saw her stop on the middle of the road and blindly attempted a U-turn if front of a truck and was collected, If she was tested correctly she never would have been allowed behind the wheel and wouldnt have nearly been killed. We tighten the rules on our youth to help save others so the same should be done to tourist. As for drink drivers and those sort of related accidents its another issue. Good on you for helping being a fire fighter you are a real life hero. I see a 20year old Chinese has been charged with the death of the 2 motorcyclist and lets hope the lady survives, maybe my testing idea could have saved them.
harry353,
Nov 28, 10:39am
Kiwis are prolific travellers and probably do the same thing in other countries. It's not easy driving on the opposite side of the road and if we stop them then we may also be stopped from driving while we are overseas. No easy solution.
carolyn57,
Nov 28, 10:46am
Numbers dont save lives, 2 motorcyclist are dead and a lady nearly died after being collected by a 20 year old Chinese lady and she is being charged. The driving age has been lifted to 16 and test are tougher to help combat our issues. Why dont we fix the tourist issue. It is killing people every year does not matter how many i can give you the names of people killed by tourist poor driving skills, and if it had happened to someone you knew you would want this issue addressed.
poppajn,
Nov 28, 10:46am
And the very next week that truck driver (a friend) had a fatal crash at Katiki when a motorcylist pulled out to past a car and went under the truck going in the oppisite direction.
carolyn57,
Nov 28, 10:55am
A simple practical test could help tho. In some countries you can get a full licence by simply paying money. At least we have completed a real driving test. And if people who wanted to drive in other countries knew they would have to do a real test they wouldn'tattempt it if they cant really drive. Its really that simple if its going to save a few lives.
lazzo,
Nov 28, 10:57am
Couldn't agree more. It's not tourists who are the menace on the roads, Anyone who agrees with OP should look in their own backyard.
carolyn57,
Nov 28, 11:01am
Poor man hope he is ok what a horrible run hes had.
harry353,
Nov 28, 11:03am
Most people will pass the test and it will have no effect on the accident rate. The problem is that driving on the right or left is so entrenched in the drivers brain that it is very easy to make a mistake and drive onto the wrong side of the road. Doing a test wont stop that from happening.
carolyn57,
Nov 28, 11:36am
You just summed it up for me. the better the testing the better the drivers who hold a licence. The Poms were the best campervan drivers during the rugby world cup must have been their harsh testing. I dont see why we would test these people but what about the countries that have crap testing, they should have to do a test
carolyn57,
Nov 28, 11:40am
Tourist are a big problem if you want to start a thread on kiwi drivers go ahead theres a heap to talk about. This thread is about our tourist issue thanks
carolyn57,
Nov 28, 11:43am
Easiest it the world! you old timer when did you sit yours
smac,
Nov 28, 11:43am
Well I'd beg to differ.this thread is about whatever it ends up being about. What you're saying is "only post here if you agree with me".
Anywho, back to the original topic then: have you got an answer to my question!
lazzo,
Nov 28, 11:43am
Correct. It is about YOUR tourist issue. Some of us just disagree with your stance and simply point out that many or most of the issues on NZ roads are created by. You guessed it KIWI'S!
theram1,
Nov 28, 11:45am
carolyn57 wrote: You just summed it up for me. the better the testing the better the drivers who hold a licence. The Poms were the best campervan drivers during the rugby world cup must have been their harsh testing. I dont see why we would test these people but what about the countries that have crap testing, they should have to do a test[/quote
The pom that hoped off the plane and into a camper van and killed someone at Karapiro during The Lions tour wasn't the best.
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