Tourist on our roads

[James Deuce]

Nah, they'd phase it in with motorcyclists changing over first.

[Ocean1]

We're supposed to drive on the left?

[PuppetMaster]

Nah, they'd phase it in with motorcyclists changing over first.

Im sure you already spend 50% of the time on the right hand side anyway Jim

[Finn]

I think Kiwi's on our roads are killing more people than the odd tourist. Couple the inbred kiwi brain (incapable of two thoughts at the same time) with third world roads and it's a recipe for disaster. Tourists (especially from Europe) always struggle with our goat tracks.

[Lucy]

Lots of our tourists are from Australia, Britain and Japan (ie, they already drive on the left). I think what others have said about fatigue and large vehicles is more apt.

I knew a German couple who had a campervan holiday here and they said if they knew what our roads were like they would have just rented a car and stayed in motels. They kept left by the way, and had no crashes.

I've driven in RHD countries and kept to the right, and not crashed.

One problem, especially down south, is the lack of traffic to follow, it's easier in towns to drive on the unfamiliar side of the road as you just follow everyone else.

We need to push "NZ as a motocyclists heaven" to tourists, and get them to ride bikes and motel or camp, instead of driving these big vans that are unnecessary and difficult on our lovely windy bike heaven roads.

[vifferman]

I think Kiwi's on our roads are killing more people than the odd tourist. Couple the inbred kiwi brain (incapable of two thoughts at the same time) with third world roads and it's a recipe for disaster. Tourists (especially from Europe) always struggle with our goat tracks.

Agreed, Finn.

According to The Harold this morning, the Austrian tourist got the left-had wheels of the campervan off the side of the road in the gravelly-grassy bit, and drifted onto the wrong side of the road when trying to recover control. I'd imagine this had little to do with her being a furriner, and more to do with coping with driving a bigger vehicle than she was used to, on a road that wasn't the best. We have tards here that are familiar wth both their vehicle and the road they're on, yet still manage to crash.

I am beginning to really HATE driving - there are way too many eejits on the road that don't give driving the attention it deserves, have very poor skills, and really don't give a shit. I think the 'roadside executions' idea is an admirable one.

[duckonin]

An accident happened, sadley it was a tourist who has farked up her holiday big time, she has a life sentence to endure...But it could easily of been a NZ national driving, now most of these are out of control all of the time whilst driving any where, and not many keep to the left either, crossing the centre line is a common habit of dick wit drivers, a sad day for all...People fark up every day doing something or another..

[Ocean1]

Lots of our tourists are from Australia, Britain and Japan (ie, they already drive on the left). I knew a German couple who had a campervan holiday here and they said if they knew what our roads were like they would have just rented a car and stayed in motels.

Ohyez, I've heard idjits ask questions about "popping down to Wanaka for the day", (from Auckland). In spite of the wee graphics on the map showing scale thay've got no fucken idea how big the place is, might be driven by the perception of a politicaly small country, but still...

The roads are also very different from Aus, Brit and Jap ones, narrow and un-straight, (thankyougod) and they're not used to it. Don't know if it's still true but Avis used to run free busses for their Japanese clients out to Milford and back. The carnage on the gravel was just huge, most of them had never driven on anything other than motorways and they expected to be able to drive on gravle at similar speeds.

[Rosie]

Lots of our tourists are from Australia, Britain and Japan (ie, they already drive on the left). I think what others have said about fatigue and large vehicles is more apt.

I can't believe the size of campervans that one is allowed to drive on a car licence. Some of the übercampers look like they are built on the same chassis as our work truck. I needed to get a new licence to drive the work truck (and have to log the hours I am driving and working), but put a little house on the back, instead of a tray, and you can drive it on a car licence. :spudwhat:

[sunhuntin]

SNIPPY SNIP

We need to push "NZ as a motocyclists heaven" to tourists, and get them to ride bikes and motel or camp, instead of driving these big vans that are unnecessary and difficult on our lovely windy bike heaven roads.

yeh, and then watch our acc levies really climb. we already have farm bikes [ie, not road registered] lumped in with us, never mind having tourists lumped in as well. it would get the point that we wouldnt be able to afford to register, and then thered be only tourists on the road.

i get what you are saying though, and if there was a way to guarantee our acc levies wouldnt climb, its a great solution. no better way to see the south island than by bike... wondering why the sky is getting so blue and then come around a corner and find the ocean right there next to you.

[Dave-]

I KNOW!

LETS LOBBY TO THE GOVNMENT WITH A BIG PROTEST RIDE AND HAVE CAMERVANS FITTED WITH PLASTIC TUBING!

you cant always do something swantiger, I'd love to see you telling helen that we should ultimatly axe tourism...

[Finn]

you cant always do something swantiger, I'd love to see you telling helen that we should ultimatly axe tourism...

She would think you said "tax tourism" and would be onto it straight away.

[Dave-]

heh...

nah I just think we ought to take some of the blame ourselves, even if we're not at fault we chose to ride a motorcycle.

we cant just go around banning things or making them 'safer' every time someone dies on a motorcycle.

[Deano]

yeh, and then watch our acc levies really climb.

ACC is only accessible to NZer's isn't it ?

Surely tourists need travel/medical insurance ?

[jrandom]

ACC is only accessible to NZer's isn't it ?

ACC provides cover for "all New Zealand citizens, residents and temporary visitors to New Zealand".