Foss welcomes agreement for rental vehicle code

Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss is welcoming a move by the rental vehicle industry to establish a Code of Best Practice to educate visiting drivers and improve safety for all road users. 

About 25 rental vehicle companies met in Auckland yesterday to discuss concerns about the safety of visiting drivers.  The group unanimously agreed to develop the Code as a matter of urgency.

“Any action or commitment to improve the safety of our roads is a step in the right direction,” Mr Foss says.

“This Code builds on a large amount of work already underway, including the multi-agency Visiting Drivers Signature Project.  Earlier this month, I announced the Project will be extended to the West Coast and a number of safety measures in Otago and Southland will be fast-tracked.

"There is no silver bullet here.  However, when combined, a number of seemingly small actions build to create a safer system for all road users, including the increasing number of overseas visitors choosing to explore our country by car.”

A small working group is drawing up the Code, which is likely to include:

• Increased screening of driver experience
• More pre-arrival information about New Zealand driving conditions
• More information sharing between rental operators

“No matter what the cause, every crash on our roads where someone is killed or badly injured is a tragedy.  I welcome any initiative that helps ensure visiting drivers have all the necessary tools and information to have a safe and enjoyable time on our roads.

“I have already raised the Code with officials at the Ministry of Transport and have asked them to consider how we can assist its development and implementation,” Mr Foss says.