Overseas drivers clocking mammoth speeds
Police are extremely concerned about an increase in visiting overseas drivers being clocked at excessively high speeds locally, some from certain nationalities even trying to bargain down the steep instant $630 fine.
Two visiting drivers, one an Indian visitor from Australia and the other a visitor from India, were each slapped with the $630 fine and had their licences suspended after clocking in at 149km/hr and 148km/hr just south of Garston on Saturday.
Acting Road Policing Manager Senior Sergeant Bruce Martin says it’s a pattern emerging all over Central Otago with a Chinese visitor allegedly clocking in at a whopping 168km/hr near Ranfurly last week. He was arrested and charged with dangerous driving, had his licence suspended for 28 days, as is standard, and has been bailed to appear in the Alexandra District Court. The man, who had three passengers in the vehicle, offered no real explanation for his excessive speed, Martin says.
Ranfurly Police then stopped an overseas driver on Tuesday (1 Oct) who’d been clocked allegedly driving at 142km/hr, while Martin says he stopped another Chinese national yesterday (2 October) who was allegedly speeding at 112km/hr in pouring rain, at Wedderburn, near Ranfurly.
Many of these drivers give no excuse at all and often look at Police blankly when asked if they know the speed limit in the area, he says. “Depending on which country they’re from they will try and use the barter system with officers to get the price of the fine down and we have to explain that ‘No, it’s a set fee’, Martin says.
Police then contact rental car companies which then usually cancel the contract leaving the offending drivers up for the cost of recovery.
Martin’s sent officers to Omarama to slow traffic approaching the Lindis Pass return having issued 20 or 30 tickets a day, some up around the 140km/hr mark, copping an automatic licence suspension.
“We encounter a lot of single vehicle accidents involving international drivers where the vehicles have ended up in a paddock,” he says.
Police were alerted about a near miss head on collision on the Crown Range in pouring rain yesterday (2 Oct). A witness phoned Police after the driver crossed the centreline and was driving on the wrong side of the road, narrowly missing a vehicle approaching head on. It took officers 8kms to stop the international driver from China, despite being in a marked patrol car with lights flashing. The driver had kept increasing his speed as Police approached, until eventually the patrol car was able to get up alongside him and point to the side of the road, Martin says.
Police stop plenty of bad Kiwi drivers too, reaching speeds in the 120s, 130s and 140s, and many drivers from the same nationalities as those caught recently are excellent, careful drivers,” Martin says.
Some of the tourists are just unaware of NZ road rules and are used to driving in slow, heavy traffic loads on jammed motorways. However, the onus is on them to familiarise themselves with NZ rules, he says. “That person narrowly avoided causing a head on collision then drove through Cardrona township at around 80km/hr.”
An off-duty Queenstown officer on alert also avoided being hit on Tuesday by a carload of international visitors when the driver pulled out onto the State Highway at Arrow Junction without looking.
Police are urging drivers to be extra vigilant with increasing tourist numbers anticipated and more international drivers on our roads, Martin says.
Sergeant Tracy Haggart says Police have noticed the increase in international drivers locally and this will only continue heading into the Christmas holiday period. “We want to remind all drivers and road users to take care on the roads at all times,” she says. “Do not be complacent. Be aware of all road users and drive defensively.”
Police will be targeting alcohol too with “some horrendous numbers being blown” by drink drivers, Martin says. A 30-year-old driver stopped in Cromwell at the weekend allegedly blew 1334mcgs. His licence was automatically suspended, and he will appear in the Alexandra District Court.
In the lead up to the pre-Christmas season Martin’s urging people to plan a safe option, either a sober driver or an alternative method to get home. “No one wants a tragedy.”
