Automobile Association against tourist driving test

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The Automobile Association has advised against a driving test for tourists at the border, saying small changes to highways in tourist hotspots would be far more effective.

The AA made a submission at Parliament today on a 31,250-signature petition calling for tourists to be required to sit a practical test before driving in New Zealand.

The petition was created by two South Canterbury boys Sean and Cody Roberts after their father Grant was killed by a foreign driver.

AA motoring affairs spokesman Mike Noon told a Parliamentary committee that tourists were not over-represented in fatal crash statistics, and a driving test would not cut the rate of crashes caused by foreigners.

He said 2.9 per cent of drivers involved in fatal crashes and 3.9 per cent of motorists involved in serious crashes in 2013 were driving on an overseas licence.

The rate of fatal crashes involving foreign drivers appeared to be steady despite growth in tourism numbers.

"So the real point I want to make is the vast majority of visitors drive safely while they're in New Zealand," Mr Noon said.

The AA noted that the data had some limitations because it did not take into account the distances that tourists travelled while they were here.

Policy and research manager Simon Douglas said a practical or theory test at the border was not pragmatic and would not make a difference.

He said transport officials should instead focus on making changes to roads which had a large amount of tourism traffic, such as State Highway 94 near Milford Sound.

New Zealand Transport Agency data showed that crashes involving visiting drivers often came after the motorists crossed the centre line or failed to keep left, or slid on the gravel shoulder of a highway.

Mr Douglas said these risks could be minimised by increasing the use of rumble strips (raised bumps on the side of the road), directional arrows on each side of the road, and median barriers.

He said these were low-cost, practical, measures which could be implemented immediately.

The AA made several further recommendations. The organisation believed electronic stability control should gradually be made compulsory in rental car fleets, and tourists should be advised to rent the safest car they can afford.