Tourist tags go national

Steering wheel tags with simple road-safety tips for visiting drivers are being rolled out nationwide after a successful trial. Developed by the Rental Vehicle Association (RVA) and tourism and transport safety agencies as part of the government’s visiting drivers’ signature road-safety project, they aim to get vital information to tourists when needed. Almost 20,000 of the removable tags, which are similar to luggage labels, were trialled by Queenstown-based rental operators between August and October. About 70 per cent of visiting drivers found them to be helpful, so the Tourism Industry Association NZ and RVA will be extending the scheme across the country. Project chairman Jim Harland says the tags explain New Zealand’s road-safety basics in ways tourists can easily relate to and complement existing resources for these road users. “It’s also great to see the information on the tags being used by others keen to do their bit to keep visiting drivers safe,” he adds. “Similar messages feature in AA Traveller magazine, the Tourism Industry Association NZ’s and RVA’s guidelines for rental operators, Queenstown hotels and motels, and the back of buses in the town.” Other initiatives to keep visiting drivers safer on our roads are either, or about to, get under way. Barry Kidd, the RVA’s chief executive, says his association has amended its standard form agreements so it’s easier for rental vehicle operators to immediately cancel them if the hirer’s driving poses a danger to themselves or others. The RVA is also looking at ways of making it easier to alert other operators about dangerous drivers who try to hire vehicles from them. The visiting driver project is part of the signature programme – a key action under the government’s Safer Journeys road-safety strategy.