The debate over foreign drivers and testing

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MikeB4
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#1246250 25-Feb-2015 11:28

joker97: It's lose - lose.

Maybe warning of heavy penalty at rental car sign ups, big warnings in rental cars itself, electronically limit the speed or loud squeals when speeding. But need to emphasise keeping to the lane. And better signage.

There is already signs a big arrows in most rental cars

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

surfisup1000

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#1246255 25-Feb-2015 11:36

tdgeek: When I go to the US, I get an International licence, its cheap,

And completely unnecessary as a kiwi license is acceptable under reciprocal agreements.

Why do you bother?

Dratsab

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#1246263 25-Feb-2015 11:44

timmmay: There's been a lot of news in the media around foreign drivers being involved with fatal accidents this week. Apparently they make up 5% of all fatal accidents, though I haven't seen anywhere what percentage of drivers they are. I suspect they're over-represented, but I don't know by how much.

I'd suggest we need to be doing a lot more about the other 95%.

Batman

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#1246269 25-Feb-2015 11:50

i wonder how many people have driven in other parts of the world. in many countries, because there are virtually no rules, everyone is on the look out to minimise their own death rate, as maniacs rule the roads.

the other point is i read in the comments everybody racistly bashing chinese drivers. yes they are terrible, but there are other drivers who are as bad, including some locals.

tdgeek

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#1246277 25-Feb-2015 12:04

surfisup1000:
tdgeek: When I go to the US, I get an International licence, its cheap,

And completely unnecessary as a kiwi license is acceptable under reciprocal agreements.

Why do you bother?

Wasn't aware, never checked, on the basis of different give way rules and different red light rules

UKNZ

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#1246286 25-Feb-2015 12:17

This debate assumes that local drivers are good drivers, whereas more enforcement of good practices with the locals would improve safety massively. Many people, for example, don't seem to even realise that on a multi-lane road you're supposed to keep left unless overtaking.

The design of the roads also doesn't help much in many cases. Using the same example - the signs which say 'slow vehicles use left lane' will lead many people to think 'I'm not going slowly' and therefore not use it. It would be more accurate to say 'use it unless you want to overtake'.

If people did this it would reduce the need for dangerous undertaking. Just an example, but one of many.

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timmmay

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#1246303 25-Feb-2015 12:26

Dratsab:
timmmay: There's been a lot of news in the media around foreign drivers being involved with fatal accidents this week. Apparently they make up 5% of all fatal accidents, though I haven't seen anywhere what percentage of drivers they are. I suspect they're over-represented, but I don't know by how much.

I'd suggest we need to be doing a lot more about the other 95%.

Agreed - as I mentioned further down my post.

scuwp

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#1246318 25-Feb-2015 12:35

Ah the one-sided media hype stirs up the nation yet again. As already mentioned, there is no balanced risk assessment (at least not made public), and NZ'ers probably have much more to fear from their own kind.

As already mentioned testing is pointless. It's the instinctive subconscious reactions honed from (x) amount of years driving elsewhere that is the issue. That isn't going to be overcome in a 14 day holiday tour around NZ or a 10 minute instructional video. Although stupidity (i.e. failing to stop for a stop sign) appears to know no borders.

Awareness will go some way and is probably our best bet for now.

What people also tend to forget is a little thing called the law that allows foreign drivers the ability to drive here, with reciprocal rights of course. If we withdraw as one of the signatory countries and change the law, then you can certainly expect more, if not complete restrictions for NZ'ers travelling overseas to be able to drive there on a NZ licence. In other words be careful what you ask for...

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

old3eyes

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#1246320 25-Feb-2015 12:39

Let's just switch to driving on the right and then all the tourist will feel at home. The locals would all have to learn to drive again which may be a good thing and then all we have to do is watch out for the Ozzy and pom drivers..

Regards,

Old3eyes

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#1246324 25-Feb-2015 12:44

tdgeek:
surfisup1000:
tdgeek: When I go to the US, I get an International licence, its cheap,

And completely unnecessary as a kiwi license is acceptable under reciprocal agreements.

Why do you bother?

Wasn't aware, never checked, on the basis of different give way rules and different red light rules

I don't quite get your rationale here.
So you go to the AA and buy an international driving permit (and it's a permit not a licence, and really is just a translation of licence information into various other languages) and all of a sudden you have full awareness of another country's road-rules?

Sometimes I use big words I don't always fully understand in an effort to make myself sound more photosynthesis.

frankv

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#1246338 25-Feb-2015 12:58

floydbloke:
So you go to the AA and buy an international driving permit (and it's a permit not a licence, and really is just a translation of licence information into various other languages) ...

It's not even a permit, because you are already permitted to drive in other countries if you have a NZ license.

It's just a money-making scam by the AA.

When I went overseas the first time I bought one of those. I went to a hire a rental car and handed the thing over. They didn't want to know... "Sir, please show me your *real* NZ drivers license".

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surfisup1000

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#1246340 25-Feb-2015 12:59

joker97:
the other point is i read in the comments everybody racistly bashing chinese drivers. yes they are terrible, but there are other drivers who are as bad, including some locals.

Who was specifically being racist?

Batman

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#1246355 25-Feb-2015 13:12

In articles in stuff and nzherald ...

MikeB4

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#1246363 25-Feb-2015 13:15

Dratsab:
timmmay: There's been a lot of news in the media around foreign drivers being involved with fatal accidents this week. Apparently they make up 5% of all fatal accidents, though I haven't seen anywhere what percentage of drivers they are. I suspect they're over-represented, but I don't know by how much.

I'd suggest we need to be doing a lot more about the other 95%.

The figure of 5% (that figure seems to vary greatly from article to article) of accidents does not indicate a problem or lack of problem, a more indicative figure would be what percentage of visitor drivers are involved in accidents and what kind of accidents.

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

NzBeagle

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#1246365 25-Feb-2015 13:16

frankv:
floydbloke:
So you go to the AA and buy an international driving permit (and it's a permit not a licence, and really is just a translation of licence information into various other languages) ...

It's not even a permit, because you are already permitted to drive in other countries if you have a NZ license.

It's just a money-making scam by the AA.

When I went overseas the first time I bought one of those. I went to a hire a rental car and handed the thing over. They didn't want to know... "Sir, please show me your *real* NZ drivers license".

I was under the impression it was different country to country. Where we have agreements we can use the NZ Licence, and others require an international licence.

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