Crash victim calls for keep-left stickers on all rentals

Transport authorities say they are working hard to minimise the risk of overseas tourists switching to the wrong side of New Zealand roads and causing crashes.

The victim of one such accident told the Nelson Coroner's Court this week she wanted compulsory "keep-left" stickers on dashboards of all rental vehicles after her experience.

Sheree Friend of Blenheim was left with lasting injuries after a crash last November northeast of Nelson which left her partner, Kylie Beard, fatally injured.

American tourist Jess Merril Fronckowiak admitted careless driving causing injury after his campervan struck the couple's car on the wrong side of the road.

He said he had done a U-turn and unwittingly stayed on the side of the road familiar to American drivers.

Fronckowiak, who appeared in court soon after the crash, was ordered to pay $10,000 in reparation to Mr Beard, who later died from his injuries in hospital.

Land Transport New Zealand spokesman Andy Knackstedt said the authority provided free "keep left" stickers to all rental vehicle companies but the choice to use them was up to each firm.

"Most are pretty keen on having those stickers ... They want to protect their customers and be seen to be looking out for their customers.

"Of the crashes involving tourists and overseas drivers, one of the more common scenarios is a failure to keep left.

"There is a limit to what you can do. Yes, it's a good thing to have those stickers in a vehicle and that's why we give them away for free, but having the sticker in a vehicle in no way guarantees a person won't drift to the other side of the road."

Rental Vehicle Association spokesman John Collyns said rental companies differed in how they briefed overseas clients who were fresh off a plane, but they generally discouraged them from driving straight away.

"But at the end of the day they are the customer and they do what they want to do."

Mr Collyns said keep-left stickers were stuck to speedometers in nearly all the rental cars he had seen, and there were also pamphlets with information on road rules.

Police said the campervan Fronckowiak was driving did not have keep-left stickers.

- NZPA