Rt Hon Winston Peters

New Zealand First Leader

Member of Parliament for Northland
2 FEBRUARY 2017

NZTA’S Fawning Attitude to Foreign Drivers Nonsensical

NZTA’s bowing and scrapping attitude to foreign drivers in New Zealand is outrageous, says New Zealand First Leader and Northland Member of Parliament, Rt Hon Winston Peters says.

“When we are in the United States, France, Russia, or and elsewhere overseas we have to abide by their road rule. The same should apply here.

“Yet today the NZTA has advised the public to be ‘mindful’ of these incompetent foreign drivers. That’s nonsensical.

“Whose country is this anyway?

“If they are driving too slowly, their competency behind the wheel of a car on our roads has to be questioned immediately.

“We know already that many foreign drivers struggle to handle New Zealand’s winding, narrow rural roads and our state highways where the only protection on many of them is a white strip down the middle of the road.

“Thousands of Chinese tourists have just arrived for the Chinese New Year and instead of ensuring those driving here can handle our roads, the NZTA expects Kiwis to watch out for them.

“Interim statistics from last year showed at least 25 people died in crashes where a foreign driver was at fault.

“New Zealand First is so concerned about this issue we have thrown our support behind the petition organised by Tauranga mother Judy Richards calling for testing of foreign drivers,” Mr Peters says.

Judy Richards’ son, Rhys Middleton, 23, was killed on February 7 last year by a Chinese driver who was deported without serving any sentence.

ENDS

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