Editorial: We all must be careful on roads

We shouldn't wait for tragedy to spur change.

Every time there's a spate of incidents, usually involving tragedy, the search for answers leads to calls for action, often for new or tougher laws.

In this latest case, overseas tourists driving in New Zealand were involved in fatal crashes over the long weekend.

Cue calls to tighten laws around tourists driving on our roads.

But there's always an issue with kneejerk responses like this.

They always come with the assumption that the law as it stands is inadequate.

If our laws are inadequate, we shouldn't wait for tragedy to spur change.

When asked if the laws need to be beefed up, the Prime Minister said no and pointed out that crashes involving tourists are in proportion with tourist numbers.

The sad fact is there are too many shocking Kiwi drivers, let alone foreign drivers. The sad fact is there are too many road deaths full stop.

Yes, something needs to be done, but if you look you'll see a lot of things are being done.

Rental car companies, police and even airlines are making an effort to tackle the issue of tourists taking to our unfamiliar roads.

As a major tourist destination Rotorua, perhaps more than most, has a part to play. Not only our many tourist businesses but each and every motorist - we all just need to show that extra bit of patience to those not used to our roads.