It's not particularly practical to have multiple signs in languages/colours of other countries. One often sees plenty of signage anyway here and there and it could get very confusing. Also - just for the benefit of people who drive 'normally' on the right hand side would you have the signage on the right hand side of the road or the left ? It all gets quite confusing.
A cool down period of 24 hours AT LEAST after arrival in Nz is a MUST and a simple road test prior to driving in another MUST. Also an ammendment to any existing law(s) to state that anyone driving on the wrong side of the road or weaving over the center line/passing on blind corners etc will immediately lose the keys & their liscense for the duration of their stay. Also passengers in said vehicle will NOT be handed the keys. YOu have to wonder about the plain outright stupidity of these people, hell if I was a passenger in a car where the driver kept wandering over the center line and or passing on blind corners with oncoming traffic having to swerve out of the way - well lets just say that driver wouldn't be driving too long !
nice_lady,
Dec 7, 1:43am
Scary. And yeah I was assuming that a passenger might notice and care about other road users having to swerve out of their way - but as you say this sort of thing seems relatively normal to them perhaps ?
socram,
Dec 7, 3:38am
Firstly, colour recognition has proven to be the fastest method of identification and your eye will get attuned very quickly for searching for a colour and ignoring the others. Try driving down any crowded industrial area where there are 100's of signs and if you know the place you want has a yellow logo, you can spot that way before reading building numbers.
As for a 24 hour stand down, and a driving test. Just as long as you are expected to be treated the same way when you travel. Who is going to carry out the test? How long? How much will it cost?
I prefer to not drive on the right these days when travelling, but I wouldn't be too pleased if self employed and travelling on business, I had to spend 24 unpaid hours if doing business in NZ.
Sorry, totally impractical and a shot gun approach, given that the majority of tourists do not get themselves or locals killed. We are talking about a small percentage who need to be targeted, be that their origins, age, etc, but one of the biggest problems is still their inability to read English and driving licences that may well be suspect.
The other option is of course that most rental vehicles, as in the UK for example, should be manual gearbox, as even a 10 year old could drive an automatic!
I stood behind a couple in the UK who said they'd booked an automatic but the car hire place apologised and said that they didn't have any! Not sure how that panned out, but it got me thinking. Maybe kiwis who are opting for automatics only, when taking a test, will also come unstuck when driving overseas?
philltauranga,
Dec 7, 5:38am
The stand down period should be based on the lenth of flight time. surely. Visitors direct from a few days stay in Australia, on a 3 hr flight to here, well probably not required, aye. They could get priority on the airport/rental firms testing facilitys. Others who have taken 10hr flights, maybe 12 hr stand down. Long haul, connecting flights 24 hr stand down. maybe? Could have several places where driving skill tests are conducted. Could have test facilities in all the NZ embassies, so people who wish to visit can pre test in the weeks they are planning and booking their stay. Prehaps a comparison chart for the signs from their country of origin, to ours. so they know what our existing signs mean! Then test them on it.
Im sure there are simple soloutions, its an idea people who are worried they will fail could pick holes in all day, but I think a level playing feid for drivers licences is required. Here, we have younger generations of kiwis having done the graduated licence, older generations, having easily obtained one prior to that system being introduced, with no skill retest, only a knowledge, multi choice test. Mixing with immigrants and tourists from all over the world with varying degrees of driving standards, and VERY differnt standards required to get a licence. Its not a level field, with licences here!
flack88,
Dec 7, 5:56am
Just seen one trying to make a right turn,she put hazards on,and held traffic up,drivers started tooting so she just cut oncoming traffic off,awesome summers here.
ema1,
Dec 7, 7:33am
Very good reason why I prefer to keep off the roads as much as possible this time of the year, the extreme sun seems to make drivers lose their cool and common sense way more than usual, that includes far to many that are prepared to take un necessary risks due to being "air heads" or plain impatient/unobservant behind the wheel. Going by some of the overseas tourists atrocious driving I've seen over the years I often wonder just how much overall driving experience they actually have. NZders in lots of cases aren't a hell of a lot better, I'd suggest some got their licenses out of Corn Flake packets.
socram,
Dec 7, 10:46am
The distance travelled isn't much of a guide. Flying Business Class with a lie down bed is a different ball game from flying 24 hours economy class - plus the wake time beforehand of several hours.
In an ideal world, we'd all be great drivers, but we are not. Reporting errant drivers before they cause a problem is still the best bet, but a recent report stating that it was 2 hours after a *555 call before the police arrived, doesn't give you much confidence.
Maybe the airports need all rental companies to be based at the same place and to get a car out would mean a fast track exit for those holding a licence for driving on the left, and a tortuous maze with various challenges and signs for others, under CCTV observation!
Having driven on the right, in a left hand drive vehicle, then taken that same vehicle on a ferry to a drive on the left country, along unlit country roads, late at night, I know only too well that you need your wits about you.
Maybe all rentals should carry a large label, back and front when driven by someone from a drive on the right country? Problem there is that the local ferals would be targeting them for their cash and possessions.
But yes, more onus needs to be put on the rental companies, as ultimately, they are the ones letting incompetent driver's loose. I'm just not sure how many would actually do anything. I can see Chinese owned Rental Car companies short circuiting the system very quickly, because quite frankly, I don't see them as being honourable and caring for anything other than the dollar.
Given the number of fake licences, even if people were tested before heading here, which sounds great in theory, would you trust them to fail people?
philltauranga,
Dec 7, 12:07pm
#113 Which is why people would need to be tested by reputable places like the NZ embassies for people overseas, and places like the AA or VTNZ, maybe a whole new Gov. department? including a seperate licence section at the airport, like customs. I think we need to level the playing field somehow, testing every one? is that the only "PC" way to do it? Instead of "reporting" errant drivers, we could "filter" them out, before they cause a problem. Something should be done to make it fair, there is a large variation in the test people have to do to get a licence that can be used here.
reb53,
Dec 7, 12:32pm
Basically, no. And how would we test the hundreds of thousands of tourists that come here ? It'd be a logistical nightmare. Why would it be so difficult to say to countries, " if you want your citizens to be able to drive here, then we need instant access to your driver license database". So the number on the license can be keyed in, and assuming it's legit, and not a bought yesterday fake, then a picture, along with information that is the same as on their passport, would pop up on the screen. The ideal would also be to say that the prospective driver needs to have held a license for "X" years but I suspect that would breach various conventions that we've signed up to.
socram,
Dec 7, 1:26pm
What worries me the most is that whatever sanctions NZ applies to overseas drivers, the backlash on Kiwis renting cars overseas could be considerable - not that many of us would want to drive in China or India! But many Kiwis do drive in the USA and mainland Europe.
There was a time when you needed an 'International Driver's Licence'.
What many may not know is that if driving on a UK licence and renting in the UK, you now have to apply for and get a printed clearance from the UK's DVLA, no more than two weeks before the hire. This is to prove whether or not you are legit and it also gives an update on any penalty points.
craigsmith,
Dec 7, 2:18pm
It's not US and European licenses we need to refuse to recognize in NZ, is it.
socram,
Dec 7, 2:39pm
LOL. Why not come out and just say it!
With 30% of all fatalities last year attributed to not wearing seat belts, I think we have plenty of problems at home.
Neither Labour nor National nor the current government, will now stand up and apply any form of sanctions or restrictions in certain areas - and we all know it, no matter how strong the case.
reb53,
Dec 7, 3:04pm
Correct.
I would have absolutely no problem at all if, when I visited another country, they had access to our licensed driver database and looked me up to ensure I really had a license, and hadn't bought a dodgy one before I left on my travels.
woody1946,
Dec 7, 3:11pm
Of the 30% not wearing seatbelts, I wonder how many were responsible for killing another person ? I say don't worry about those who die because of not wearing a seatbelt. Its one way of eliminating the stupid in society
craigsmith,
Dec 7, 3:13pm
We live in a democracy. Both Labour and National do what they know they can get away with. Don't blame politics when it's the culture at fault.
bill-robinson,
Dec 8, 2:23am
no matter which way you slice it kiwis are the worst drivers on nz roads. statisically that is, also factually. so to reduce road deaths concentrate on the greatest number of users. it is that simple if you want.
peja,
Dec 8, 3:52pm
I'm OK with that. I dont want our idiot drivers killing overseas citizens on their roads any more than I want overseas idiot drivers killing our own people here
bill-robinson,
Dec 9, 12:39am
do not go on a self drive touring holiday in europe then.
socram,
Dec 9, 3:35am
You might be OK with that, as presumably you are not travelling overseas regularly on business, let alone as a tourist?
Funny that Kiwi's must lift their game when travelling overseas, as we rarely hear of them coming to grief, or maybe only competent Kiwis drive overseas?
That suggests even more, that those arriving here wandering all over the road - which is not the norm in any country - must either be on fake licences, or may never have driven out on the open road before.
bill-robinson,
Dec 9, 3:52am
or the vehicle needs mechanical work done, wheel alignment, for one
reb53,
Dec 9, 4:27am
Yep, all those rental cars not being maintained properly.
esky-tastic,
Dec 9, 4:59am
In China it's the norm to 'wander all over the road' - they all expect it and drive accordingly.
But of course it doesn't work so well in NZ as Kiwis aren't used to the 'wandering all over the road' driving style.
bill-robinson,
Dec 9, 5:38am
here,with a kiwi cornflake packet license, you have a right to use any part of the road whenever you want, including the bit i am on
mechnificent,
Dec 9, 7:54am
Haven't read the whole thread because it's a stupid idea.
Are we going to stop all tourists, from any country ? Or just get up the noses of some by looking racial ? Are we going to stop business people that come here and need to drive ?
Are we going to accept that we shouldn't be able to drive in other countries too ?
I agree there is a problem with bad drivers, locals as well as visitors, but a blanket ban on foreigners isn't going to cure it. It will just be bad for the countries reputation and economy.
supernova2,
Dec 9, 8:21am
Yes !
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