International drivers responsible for small number of crashes: expert

A federal MP has called to review the driving requirements for tourists and visa-holders in Australia, however, an expert says international drivers are only responsible for a small percentage of car crashes.

Police cordon off the scene of a car crash that left three people dead in Melbourne's west, Sunday, December 24, 2017.

Police cordon off the scene of a car crash that left three people dead in Melbourne's west, Sunday, December 24, 2017. Source: AAP

Federal MP Sarah Henderson has called for a review of the standards expected of international drivers, saying 20 per cent of crashes on Victoria's famous Great Ocean Road involve them.

However, some road safety experts insist international drivers are responsible for only a small percentage of accidents.

"I'm not just talking about tourists I'm also talking about those on temporary and permanent visas," Ms Henderson said.

"So I do think that a review is required, we do need to ensure that everyone on this road has the appropriate skills." 

The Great Ocean Road is a tourist spot that draws 300,000 international visitors per year. 

Bernard Carlon the executive director of Centre for Road Safety, felt foreign drivers weren't a big factor in Australian road crashes. 

"The International drivers who visit here, hire cars, actually don't figure significantly in our road toll and that hasn't changed over the last few years," he said. 



The calls for a review of driving standards come as Australian police revealed the road toll figures for the latest holiday period. 

New South Wales police kicked off its road safety blitz 'Operation Safe Arrival' on December 15, but the number of lives lost has doubled compared with last year.

During the Christmas holiday period, 28 deaths were recorded in New South Wales.

Eighteen people lost their lives during the same period in Victoria. There were eight road-related deaths in Queensland. Three people died on the roads in South Australia, five in Western Australia and one in the Northern Territory.

Car crashed on tree trunk during night
Police are concerned after the 2017 road toll was higher than previous years. Source: Getty


In 2017 392 people lost their lives on the road in NSW, up from 380 in 2016.

A total of 255 died on the roads in Victoria through 2017, down from 290 in 2016.

There were 248 road deaths in Queensland in 2017 compared to 251 in 2016.  

In Western Australia, 154 died on the roads down from 196 in 2016. In South Australia, 101 people died in 2017, up from 86 in 2016.

Tasmania saw 36 road-related deaths in 2017, and the same number in 2016. 

In the Northern Territory, 31 people died on the roads in 2017, down from 45 the year before.

Six people died on ACT roads in 2017, the same amount as 2016.

Police detectives at the scene of a fatal crash in Northcote
Police detectives at the scene of a fatal crash in Northcote. Source: AAP


NSW Deputy Commissioner for Specialist Support Catherine Burn said lives will continue to be lost if the community doesn't work together and change their attitudes towards road safety.

"Many of those people who died, it was completely avoidable," she said.

Police have said speed, fatigue and alcohol were the three big killers on our roads last year. 

"The faster you're going, the harder you hit and the more likely you will die or you will kill somebody else," Deputy Commissioner Burn said.

Mr Carlon advised, "Stay under the speed limit, and drive to the conditions, and we'd have a massive reduction in the number of families who are affected every day from the number of fatalities and serious injuries on our roads."


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