Police minister Rene Hidding denies need for T-plates for tourist drivers in Tasmania

POLICE Minister Rene Hidding continues to refuse to introduce T-plates for motoring tourists despite the death of seven visitors on Tasmanian roads over the past 12 months.

John Northfield and David Price from Ballina support the notion of T-Plates for Tourist drivers. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

POLICE Minister Rene Hidding continues to refuse to introduce T-plates for motoring tourists despite the death of seven visitors on Tasmanian roads over the past 12 months.

A Queensland driving instructor has called for national laws to enforce T-plates to lower the road toll but the idea would never be introduced in Tasmania, said Mr Hidding.

Mr Hidding believes there is no case for the introduction of T-plates on hire vehicles and said no other state was “seriously considering such a move”.

“The number of accidents involving tourists in Tasmania is relatively low and we aim to keep it that way.”

Seven of the 38 people killed on Tasmanian roads in 2016 were tourists. Six of the seven deaths occurred in rural regions.

Mr Hidding said T-plates had no clear benefits and were a discriminatory action against interstate and international drivers that would deter tourists from coming to Tasmania.

“And if they were to, it would discourage them from leaving the cities.”

The high rate of road accidents in New Zealand involving drivers from other countries prompted a similar campaign for tourist drivers to have T-plates and sit a driving test.

RACT chief executive Harvey Lennon says the idea had merit.

“I think we should be open minded about anything that improves road safety for tourists and other motorists,” Mr Lennon said

VIP Driving School manager Robin Eccles said tourists would feel “demeaned” by putting it on their cars but there were advantages.

“If you saw tourists stop to take photos in the middle of the road and you saw the sign you would slow down,” he said.

Mr Eccles, who has been a driving instructor for 43 years, said a T-plate would make people drive more safely but would not reduce the road toll.

“It might reduce road rage.”

He said tourists arriving could be offered the option of a T-plate and some drivers might be “a bit more courteous” when they realised a tourist was in front of them.

Ballina tourists John Northfield and David Price said some international tourists could benefit from T-plates and also older tourists. But they disagreed that all tourist drivers should be made to display the signage.

“It would help if you had the leeway of having an option to display the sign,” Mr Northfield said.

Road Safety Advisory Council research found international and interstate tourists were involved in 131, about 10 per cent, of the 1249 serious casualty crashes on Tasmanian roads between 2010 and 2014.