Clive Matthew-Wilson, editor of the car review website dogandlemon.com, today said poor signage at intersections was at the heart of many tourist crashes.
"It's clear that tourists are often unaware that there is a 'Stop' sign, so they just drive straight through, often with fatal consequences," he said.
He also called on the Government to "urgently install horizontal rumble strips, to alert drivers that a compulsory stop intersection is looming".
"Multiple studies have shown these strips are highly effective at slowing vehicles and alerting drivers that a major intersection is just ahead," he said.
Mr Matthew-Wilson branded the Government's response to concerns around tourist drivers as a "slow and largely ineffective".
"With increasing numbers of foreign tourists taking to the roads, accidents at intersections such as this are likely to increase," he said.
"The Canterbury Plains, with its network of long, straight roads, is appealing to tourist drivers. While they're busy enjoying the scenery and uncluttered roads, drivers are not anticipating 'Stop' signs. The fact that they may be required to stop, or give way at an intersection doesn't enter their thinking.
"Government and local authorities need to take immediate action so that drivers are aware of an intersection in sufficient time for them to slow and stop."
As well as the potential risks posed by poor signage, he said international reports of fatal crashes involving overseas drivers "must surely damage our reputation as a safe tourist destination".
The national road toll stood at 51 this morning, from 45 fatal crashes, up from 38 at the same time last year, and 43 respectively in 2013.
A Ministry of Transport spokeswoman said the Government's road safety strategy to 2020 - dubbed Safer Journeys - was focussed on making all aspects of the road system safe, with the Visiting Drivers Signature Project falling under that strategy.
"Specific initiatives being carried out as part of the project include working with the tourism industry to develop better ways of providing information about New Zealand driving conditions to visitors (including developing user-friendly websites, accurate travel time information, and guidelines for tourism and rental vehicle operators), better signage on key tourist routes, and improvements to roads and roadsides - including increased use of directional arrows, audio-tactile markings (rumble strips) and safer lay-bys," she said.
It was difficult to quantify the money invested in work to reduce tourist crashes as that work also improves safety for New Zealand drivers, she said, and was not earmarked as 'tourist safety'.
"But the investment is significant, and the benefits are real."
She cited a $3.6 million roundabout project at the intersection of State Highway 3 and State Highway 37 near the Waitomo Caves, which has become a crash hotspot in recent years as increasing numbers of tourists flock to the natural attraction.
The construction of a roundabout at the intersection "takes a safe system approach by providing new infrastructure and a lower speed limit, responding to the difficulties which tourists have had with this intersection".
"This is one example, and there are many others, including the installation of roadside rumble strips, improved signage, new lay-bys and rest stops."
Foreign driver crashes:
* Feb 17 - American citizens Warren Lee, 53, and Aesoon Lee, 52, who were visiting from Hong Kong, and their daughter Julia Lee, 20, who was due to start university in Auckland, die in a collision with a truck north of Tokoroa, Waikato.
* Feb 18 - Chinese man Ying-Hua Zhou, 29, dies when his rental car collides with a stock truck and trailer unit loaded with lambs on SH1 south of Greta Valley, Canterbury.
* Feb 18 - Taiwanese tourist Fu-Hwa Ju, 66, dies in a two-vehicle crash at an intersection in Templeton, Canterbury. He was on holiday with his family and was wearing a seat belt in the back seat.
* Saturday - Oamaru girl Ruby Jay Marris, 5, dies in a head-on collision involving a foreign driver in Otago on Saturday. A Chinese tourist with interim name suppression is facing charges of dangerous driving causing death and four charges of dangerous driving causing injury.
* Saturday - A car driven by Chinese tourist Qian Li, 34, crosses the centre line and collides with another vehicle, injuring Ms Li's passenger and two British tourists in the other vehicle. She later admits three charges of careless driving causing injury.
* Monday - Stephanie Anne Ellis, 54, dies in a two-car crash in Springston, Canterbury. A 26-year-old German man will appear in court tomorrow charged with careless use of a vehicle causing death.
* Tuesday - American tourist Griffin Lee, 17, dies in hospital a week after his family was killed in a crash near Tokoroa.
