TOURIST DIES: Taiwanese tourist Fu-Hwa Ju, 66, died after the car he was in collided with another in Templeton last week.

Foreign drivers have been responsible for one in every 12 fatal crashes in the South Island during the past decade.

Figures from the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) were released yesterday amid calls for greater safety measures after a spate of fatal crashes and arrests for careless driving involving tourists this year. Between 2005 and 2014, foreign licence holders were at fault or partly at fault in 85.3 per cent of all crashes they were involved in on New Zealand roads, and in the South Island that figure climbed to 87.5 per cent. Associate transport minister Craig Foss said yesterday that he had asked officials to fast-track work to implement more rumble strips, signage and improve lay-bys and hasten a research programme into visiting drivers, launched last April.

"It is not a question of money at the moment at all. Safety is our number one priority . . . we already have programmes in place," he said.

JOHN KIRK-ANDERSON / Fairfax NZ FATAL DROP: Israeli tourist Liora Keren, 61, was killed when the van she was a a passenger in went over a cliff in north Canterbury, veering off State Highway 1 in Greta Valley.

"What I'm saying is can we do those earlier, deeper widely more effectively."

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* After girl's death, 5000 sign petition for testing of foreign drivers

* Editorial: More testing not the answer for foreigners on difficult roads

In the latest case of careless driving involving a tourist, a 36-year-old Chinese man was charged with dangerous driving after crossing the centre line and forcing two oncoming drivers to take evasive action near Queenstown. Another Chinese driver, aged 42, was fined and had his rental contract cancelled after he drove the wrong way around two roundabouts in Frankton on Tuesday.

Supplied DEATH SCENE: The fatal accident on Goulds Rd and Leeston Rd where Stephanie Ellis, 54, was killed when a German tourist allegedly drove through a stop sign on Monday.

A "blacklist" pilot project to stop tourist drivers whose rental contracts are cancelled from re-hiring has been given the go ahead in Queenstown.

The Rental Vehicle Association endorsed the "shared information network", involving 20 rental firms in the resort town, which would ensure people who had vehicles taken off them could not "go down the road and rent another", chief executive Barry Kidd said.

"After three or so months we will review it, see what's working and make an assessment. We're doing as much as we can," he said.

South Island police say they have noted a spike in traffic complaints in recent weeks, particularly during Chinese New Year, which brought thousands of extra visitors to the country.

China's vice-consul-general to the embassy in Christchurch, Li Xin, said road safety was an ongoing issue and the embassy "pays close attention" to all serious crashes involving its citizens.

The embassy had been supporting a Chinese man charged with dangerous driving causing death after a crash that killed five-year-old Ruby Marris near Moeraki on Saturday, and wanted to "express our condolences to the families".

Li said most Chinese tourists were "qualified" drivers. "It's understandable that some local Kiwis feel very angry about such dangerous driving, but we want to do everything we can to improve the driving behaviour."

New Zealand Chinese Association national president Gerald Wong said more needed to be done to improve the driving behaviour of all tourists, not just those from China.

"I would like to see some form of pre-testing before they rent a car or drive on New Zealand roads," he said. "I think overseas roads by and large are of a much better standard. The standard in New Zealand is far too lax."

Ten-year-old Sean Roberts' petition for foreign drivers to take a test before driving in New Zealand had yesterday gained 5000 signatures since Ruby's death. It has more than 35,000 in total.

It was frustrating people were dying due to reckless driving by foreigners more than two years since his father was killed by a Chinese national who had been in the country for only a few days, he said.

"Crashes are happening all the time now, sometimes even lots on the same day. It's a question that needs an answer."

Automobile Association spokesman Mike Noon said it would be impractical to test many of the 2.8 million visitors to New Zealand every year.

National road policing manager Assistant Commissioner Dave Cliff said New Zealand needed safer cars, safer roads and better behaviour from drivers.

"No-one should be killed or seriously injured on our roads. They're all preventable and there's lots more we could be doing to prevent it."