Stricter car hiring policies called for after near misses

Rotorua police road policing manager Keenan said it was important tourists entering the country had some education about New Zealand road rules. Photo / APN

Rotorua car rental companies are being reminded about taking care with who they rent their vehicles to following a close call in Queenstown involving an international driver.

Rotorua police road policing manager Senior Sergeant Brendon Keenan said that as a tourist town, Rotorua's population swelled by about 10,000 people at times and many of those were hiring vehicles.

"There have been recent cases in Rotorua where tourists driving vehicles have been on the wrong side of the road and they were lucky it didn't result in injury, but that doesn't mean it couldn't have."

Mr Keenan said it was important tourists entering the country had some education about New Zealand road rules and stricter car hire policies would help this.

"Rental companies will always be a business but from a road policing view, they should be responsible for ensuring drivers are competent before they get behind the wheel," Mr Keenan said.

Indian holidaymaker Vinod Deviprasad Singh, 48, appeared in the Queenstown District Court for dangerous driving this week after he was taken off the road by police after he crossed the centre line four times, claiming he didn't know what it was there for.

No one was injured. Nobody was injured, but this is not the first time a tourist driver had hit headlines for dangerous driving and not knowing New Zealand road rules.

The Rotorua Daily Post spoke to several car rental companies, most of which had the same requirements for hiring a vehicle as the rest of the nation.

Pegasus Rental Cars branch manager Nicola Colley said there was no way of knowing whether a tourist had previous driving convictions.

"It's at our own discretion whether we hire out a vehicle to someone we think may not be familiar with our road rules," she said.

"We do give out a brochure to every driver outlining the basic road rules, a map to the area and some key tips on how to be a safe driver but whether they read it is up to them."

Ms Colley said it was very easy to get an international drivers' licence and for countries that had relaxed road rules, it might allow inadequate drivers to hire cars without question.

"At the moment, you can just pay to get an international licence, so maybe a test for countries that do not have enforced road rules will provide some assurance."

What do you think?
Email editor@dailypost.co.nz or write to PO Box 1442, Rotorua or text OP (message) to 021 242 4558