Call to increase foreign driver safety focus in South

The scene of the fatal crash. Photo: Mark Price/ Otago Daily Times

The deaths of three foreign tourists near Luggate should act as a catalyst for an increased safety focus at known danger areas on Southern roads, a Coroner has recommended.

Otago-Southland Coroner David Crerar's recommendation came in a report released today into the deaths of Wing Fai Chan, 62, also known as Allan, his wife, Kwai Tei Chong, known as Connie, 62, and Yin Wan Ng, known as Priscilla, 57.

The hired minivan Mr Chan was driving was hit by a truck after he failed to give way at an intersection at the bottom of the Luggate hill on November 6 last year.

Mr Chan and two of the passengers in the van died. Another passenger, Dominic Cheung, was injured and flown to Dunedin Hospital by helicopter.

The van's four occupants were Chinese nationals from Hong Kong.

Mr Crerar found that the fault in the crash lay with Mr Chan and the driver of the truck could have done nothing to prevent the collision.

He noted that foreign drivers were involved in more fatal crashes in Otago/Southland and the West Coast than the national average.

The New Zealand Transport Association had instituted a Visiting Drivers Safety programme, but Mr Crerar recommended more be done in the high-risk regions.

"I defer to the expertise and experience of the NZTA engineers but suggest that greater resource be directed at the sites of greatest danger."

It was disturbing that witnesses had reported seeing Mr Chan passing on yellow no-passing lines before the fatal crash, he said.

"This action would be taken as indicative of a lack of appreciation of the significance of a yellow no-passing line, and this aspect should be part of the suite of the education measures being undertaken by NZTA in respect of overseas driver training."

Mr Crerar also recommended that statistics on road crashes per 1000 kilometres travelled by New Zealand drivers and by overseas drivers be collected.

A record 310,000 Chinese tourists arrived in New Zealand last year, many of whom opted to self drive.