Huge support for driving petition

The petition had only been up and running for 48 hours, but in that time it received almost 2000 signatures.

It's a petition calling for a law change so visitors to the country who stay longer than three months and want to drive a motor vehicle here, be required to sit a full New Zealand driver's licence test.


Rhys' Middleton's parents Mike Middleton and Judy Richards. Photo: John Cowpland.

At the moment a visitor doesn't have to sit a test until 12 months after arriving.

'That's wrong, it's unfair and it's dangerous” says Tauranga's Judy Richards who has launched the petition.

Her son Rhys Middleton was killed when a car driven by a Chinese national, 27-year-old Jieling Xiao collided with his motorbike just north of Napier at Waitangi weekend.

She was jailed for 17 months but this was reduced on appeal to nine months home detention and 150 hours community. But before she could begin her sentence she was issued a deportation order and she left the country.

Judy Richard says she was 'gutted” about the news but because of the law she was expecting it.

'If she had a conscience she would have stayed and done her time. She had even written us saying she was happy to do any punishment given her.”

In the meantime there has been support from all the world for Judy's petition:”Doha, the United Kingdom and the USA. Comments from everywhere saying what a good idea.”

There was also online support here in New Zealand. 'A young man's life was needlessly lost because of an inexperienced foreign driver and a family grieves” said one poster. 'It's high time there is a law change to protect our citizens on the road.”

'Disgusting outcome” said another. 'What's up with our justice system.”

When the summary of facts was read to the court it was learned Xiao had never driven faster than 50 km/h and had 'practise driven” only the day before the accident. Her friend had also warned her against driving. And she personally endorsed the idea of a driving test for visitors.

In a letter to Judy Richards Xiao said 'if people like me had passed local driving tests, the chance to cause an accident would have been much lower.”

'So that makes the 12 months stand down a nonsense especially when New Zealanders themselves have to go through a complex process before they are allowed to drive on our roads” says Judy.

'Xiao needed to show us she was sorry, serve eight months and then go. This has been git wrenching.”

The family intends keeping the petition for a law change open for a month or more. 'The more signatures the more chance of a change.

For more information on the petition go to https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/foreign-drivers-to-sit-new-zealand-drivers-licence

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5 comments

Deportation

Posted on 27-08-2016 10:44 | By Denny G

How is it possible for a person to get deported when they have a court ordered sentence to complete. Is this another case of one govt department not talking to the other ?


Really ?

Posted on 27-08-2016 11:54 | By mutley

Will 3 months be any better than 12 when many (Asian) tourists are only here for a matter of days or weeks at the most ? How long had Xiao been in the country ? Is this petition a knee jerk reaction to a tragedy which the proposed solution would not have fixed ?


Drivers

Posted on 27-08-2016 17:44 | By Starling

I trust that the petition is for all overseas tourists and not only targeting one ethnic group. What about all the unliscenced NZ drivers.


Different Views

Posted on 28-08-2016 08:34 | By Jitter

I can fully understand the frustration and anger felt by the Middleton's. Xiao should have been made to serve her origional sentence before deportation. From another point of view, at least the NZ taxpayer is not having to pay to support her whilst she completes her sentence. From another view, I understand she will probably receive some form of punishment when she returns to China as the government over there does not like any of their citizens giving China a bad name.However what is the NZ legal system coming to when a high court judge can over turn a sentence given by a District Court for such a serious offence(no matter where the convicted person is from).


Pot calling kettle black

Posted on 29-08-2016 18:22 | By maildrop

Kiwis are shocking drivers. Completely disregard speed limits, wearing restraints, texting, drugged, drunk, general lack of skill and attentiveness. Stats prove it. Says it all when they focus on a foreign group, who may or my not be similarly poorly skilled. Insular, backward, narrow minded.


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