A New Zealand car review website is demanding the government apply tougher new standards to car rental companies.
Editor of dogandlemon.com Clive Mattew-Wilson, has spoken up after three Asian women were recently involved in a serious head-on-collision in the Coromandel.
The women, who had just flown into New Zealand that day, were here on holiday when their rental van crossed the centre line into the path of an oncoming vehicle.
The road safety campaigner says it is far too easy for tired drivers to rent cars, and believes that some of the blame should fall on the rental companies themselves.
We can expect them to make mistakes but we have to know they're a foreign driver, Clive Matthew-Wilson says. (Source: Other)
“The law should state that the rental company must take all reasonable steps to ensure that any person hiring a vehicle is capable of operating it safely. If not, the company hiring the vehicle could face prosecution.”
Matthew-Wilson has even pushed for foreign drivers to adhere to a 24 hour rest period before being able to rent a vehicle.
“Driving tired is as dangerous as driving drunk. Drunk people would not be allowed to rent a car. Why should tired drivers be allowed to rent a car?”
He has also urged the government to speed up the installation of median barriers on the country's high risk roads.
“Many of the worst accidents involve head-on collisions that would not have occurred on a properly built road. Many of New Zealand’s roads are like a staircase without a handrail: you make a mistake, you’re going to get hurt.”
In a report he wrote on tourist accidents, Matthew-Wilson suggests that all drivers, including New Zealanders, should sit a computerised awareness test before being allowed to rent a car.
SHARE ME