New Zealand wants Chinese tourists to stop crashing on its roads

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand – A fatal car crash involving a Chinese citizen in Southland has resulted in action being taken to stop Chinese drivers crashing on New Zealand roads.

The Chinese consulate will produce a skills and tips pamphlet for Chinese citizens to read when they pick up rental cars in Christchurch and tourist hot spots, including Queenstown.

People’s Republic of China vice consulate-general in Christchurch Xin Li, who was in Queenstown yesterday, said the brochures would be written in Chinese and circulated at rental car kiosks and airports in time for the Chinese peak travel season of October to February.

Many Chinese were “extremely unfamiliar” with driving styles and conditions in New Zealand and needed the extra guidance to stay safe.

It was hoped the pamphlets would help curb accidents resulting in serious injuries or deaths, Mr Li said.

“The give way rules, intersection rules and always keeping left are things that many Chinese drivers are not completely aware of. Most intersections are controlled by traffic lights in China, so there are some big differences,” he said.

“Many Chinese drivers also do not have a good estimation of how long a drive might take. They will just look it up on a GPS and use that for their estimation, when the drive may take a lot longer. Also, they are unaware of different road conditions. When locals are travelling fast, and following close behind them, the brochure will tell them to pull over and let them pass.”

Li Xin met Queenstown Lakes District Council councillor Lex Perkins yesterday and would meet with Queenstown police this morning – and he hoped for co-operation from both organisations in helping to make the brochures widely available.

More than 210,000 Chinese travelled to New Zealand in the year to March 2013. About 60 to 70 per cent came to the South Island, Mr Li estimated.

Among those that came south, Queenstown was probably “a must” so it was important to include the resort’s council and police in the plan for distributing traffic brochures.

Cr Perkins endorsed the idea, saying any move that bolstered road safety was a move forward.

The vice-consul’s pro-active safety stance was sparked by a crash involving Chinese nationals on December 29 on State Highway 94 between Te Anau and Mossburn. A 56-year-old Chinese woman visiting her New Zealand-based daughter was killed in the three-car crash, and two male relatives were taken to hospital.