John MacDonald: Since when were we the world's best drivers?

Since when have we been so deluded in this country to think that we are the best drivers in the world? 

Because that’s what it looks like, with this idea of banning overseas visitors from driving on the Milford Road. Otherwise known as State Highway 94 - which runs from Te Anau to Milford.  

What’s happening, is the Department of Conservation wants an assessment of Milford Sound transport options done as part of a masterplan for the area's future. 

The masterplan’s been put together by the Milford Opportunities Project. Which is a collaboration between Ngāi Tahu, the Department of Conservation, Southland District Council, the Ministry of Transport, Waka Kotahi, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and Environment Southland. So it’s not a tinpot outfit. 

You might remember some of the other ideas it’s come up with to manage visitor numbers at Milford. Such as getting rid of the airstrip at Milford, banning planes (helicopters only) and not letting cruise ships go into Milford Sound anymore.  

Another one of its ideas is this proposal to ban foreign drivers. 

Basically, they’re saying that people from overseas aren't experienced enough to use the Te Anau - Milford Road. So they’ve put up this idea of letting New Zealanders drive there and making foreigners use a park-and-ride service. 

But if we’re going to do that, what about all the other tricky bits of road in New Zealand? For example, what about all the roads up to our ski fields? If someone shouldn’t be driving on the Milford Road then they probably shouldn’t be driving up on them, should they? 

That’s why I think banning foreigners from driving on the Milford Road would be nuts. 

But the Milford Opportunities Project is saying that it’s hearing from all sorts of people that foreign drivers are a problem there. 

They say the Milford Road, according to Waka Kotahi, is the third most dodgy road in New Zealand in terms of personal risk with all sorts of hazards that people from overseas just aren’t aware of. 

And they reckon they’re hearing from drivers, tourist operators and other people down that way who are concerned about the number of drivers who are unprepared for the conditions and who are putting themselves and others at risk. 

But exactly the same thing could be said about us when we go overseas, couldn’t it? 

Just because we’ve driven during rush hour in Christchurch, we think we’re ready to drive anywhere. 

Screaming around the Arc de triomphe, in Paris? “No problem mate - you should see the traffic I have to deal with down by the Bridge of Remembrance back home in Cha-cha." 

The Autobahn in Germany? Easy! “I drive Rolleston to Christchurch and back everyday! Everyday mate!” No worries.

But when the boot’s on the other foot, suddenly we have roads like nowhere else in the world over here and “you blimmin’ foreigners have got no idea”. No idea. “So just park that rental car over there and get in the queue for the bus with all the other amateur-hour drivers from Timbuktu.” 

Another thing too, is how do these people who think foreign drivers are a problem actually know they're foreign drivers? Is it because they’re driving rental cars? Kiwis drive rental cars too. 

Maybe down Milford way it’s still 1973 - not 2023 - and the old foreign-drivers-no-survivors gag still gets a few laughs.    

An online poll about this, that I saw earlier by the wa