Facebook Group Set Up In Memory Of Mia Pusch

A Facebook page has been established to remember Mia Pusch, the brilliant, vivacious young German cyclist who tragically died too soon whilst on a cycling holiday in New Zealand. The page may be found here.

Her mother Gesa has responded to the many heartfelt messages of support left on the wall and we'd like to add our own condolences to both Gesa and Marcus who must be utterly heartbroken.

One message left by Leo Van Lin summed up the problem with cycling in New Zealand:

"Coming from the Netherlands to New Zealand I gave up biking 15 years ago. After two rides and as many crashes I gave up. Too dangerous.
In this country you need a fence around your pool, a belt while you drive, but there is NO protection at all for cyclists. And sadly overseas visitors don't know this enough.
Time for a... wide spread discussion and actions. Let Mia be the last (unnecessary) victim of our cruel roads.
I miss the protection that all bike riders and pedestrians have in the Netherlands. Since the 80's any accident involving a car and a slower road user automatically puts the blame on the automobilist. No exception, no doubt. You drive a car, you are responsible for your and other people's safety!!
Sad, unnecessary, and not the first one. How long, how long............
Time for action. Let her death not be in vain !"

If some good is to come out of all this let her death NOT be in vain, we're hoping the government will act swiftly to increase the safety of all road users, especially cyclists. Support the RideStrong 1.5m to Survive NZ Safe Cycling Strategies 2020 petition here - link

Within the Facebook page is a link to another site (link to a Google translation) also memorializing Mia and in which more information has been given surrounding her death and time in New Zealand.

In it her father has revealed that Mia had been dreaming about doing an overseas cycling trip since high school and that the family had rejected her top choice Africa as a possible destination believing it to be too risky. Instead they opted for New Zealand believing it to have the least risk. We do not know why  they believed it to be safer or if they knew that some countries have warned their citizens about the dangers.

The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office has recently updated its travel advice for New Zealand, to include mention of the recent accidents of British visitors, many more countries may decide to do the same in light of the many incidents involving Spanish, German, French, Chinese, Japanese and other tourists. Here is what the BF&C office have said:

Crime

Pickpocketing and other street crime occur in major urban areas.  Reports of thefts from unattended vehicles, especially hire cars/camper vans in major tourist areas (e.g. the Coromandel peninsula, Rotorua and Queenstown) are on the increase.  There has also been an increase in the number of thefts from hotel/motel rooms in some tourist areas.

Do not leave possessions in unattended vehicles even if out of sight in a locked boot.  Do not leave valuables in hotel/motel rooms, but use safe boxes when available.  Keep passports, travellers' cheques, credit cards etc separate.

For more general information see our Victims of Crime Abroad page.

Local travel

There have been a number of tragic accidents involving British visitors; these also include extreme sporting accidents. If you intend to participate in extreme sports you should check that the company is well established in the industry and your insurance covers you. If you intend visiting remote areas, you should check with local tourist authorities for advice before setting out. You should ensure that you register your details with a Visitor Information Centre or family or friends. Weather conditions can quickly become treacherous in some areas and you should keep yourself informed of regional weather forecasts.

Road travel

Whilst road conditions are generally good in New Zealand, it takes a little while to get used to local driving conditions.

In 2007 there were 366 road deaths in New Zealand (source: DfT).  This equates to 8.6 road deaths per 100,000 of population and compares to the UK average of 4.3 road deaths per 100,000 of population in 2008.

You are advised to read a copy of the Road Code (the official guide to traffic rules and traffic safety) before driving.  Particular attention should be given to the section covering the right of way rules, which are different from other countries.  UK driving licences are valid for use for a maximum of 12 months.

Motor insurance is not a legal requirement in New Zealand.  Therefore, even though the UK has a reciprocal Healthcare Agreement with New Zealand, private accident insurance is recommended.  This is because New Zealand law has removed the right of accident victims to sue a third party in the event of an accident.  Instead the Accident Compensation Commission (ACC) helps pay for your care if you are injured as the result of an accident.  However, the ACC only covers the cost of treatment in New Zealand and delayed travel or loss of income in a third country is not covered."

More countries should be doing the same, they are doing their citizens a grave disservice by not doing so.


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UK Families Form Group To Push For Tougher Extreme Sport Standards In New Zealand

The families of three British people killed in Adventure Sport activities in New Zealand have formed an support and pressure group to push for better regulation of the industry and have called for all operators to be licensed. See ABC News report of a RadioNZ broadcast

The families of Emily Jordan, Sarah Bond  and Tom Sewell (the latter two both died in quad bike accidents, Sarah on Te Anga Farm, Waitomo and Tom in a fruit orchard in Katikati. Click on their names for their individual stories) have called for an high quality extreme sport licensing system to be established in New Zealand, in an effort to improve safety standards and to regulate novel sports before they are allowed to set-up, much the same as what happens in Great Britain. The group has yet to give itself a name.

When Tom Sewell died a NZPA report stated

"The on-farm handling of quad bikes has been an issue raised by accident investigators and insurers. Bikes have been getting bigger and more powerful. Training of riders has also been an issue."

Emily's father Chris Jordan wrote to PM John Key calling for a review of the industry calling its safety regulation "third world" after his daughter died in a river boarding activity and called the fine given to the company that took her out "an insult". Mad Dog Riverboarding, one of many companies to be tried during 2009, pleaded guilty but the fine was not enough to put them out of business - not only are they still trading and but amazingly  they've also recently applied to expand their operations.

Mr. Jordan wrote in his letter to Mr Key hat he had spent 16 months investigating the way that extreme sports firms are regulated in New Zealand and was “appalled” at what he had found.
He said "It is vital that more young people do not die in this way. It is a tragic, unnecessary waste and they leave many grieving people behind for whom life is forever changed. This situation is damaging New Zealand’s reputation worldwide.”

Review already delayed
His letter prompted a review of the industry, which has already been pushed back by two months (See blog post 'Adventure tourism review extended') in order  "to give operators sufficient time to engage more fully with the review" suggesting a lack of buy-in amongst those in industry who see no reason to participate. The report is supposed to be sent to Minister of Labour Kate Wilkinson for her consideration by May, 31 next year, just two weeks after Emily's birthday, what a fitting tribute for her if standards are improved and a licensing scheme is established.

We think that this nonchalance on behalf of the operators is probably what's caused the parents to form their pressure group: to ensure that the initial impetus is maintained and the review is not allowed to wither and die before it's even properly started.


The group has our full support, something must be done to improve safety standards in New Zealand  before any more people are killed or seriously injured. Three outcomes we'd like to see from the report are:

• Better protection of employees and the public through by more comprehensive and well managed risk control strategies, bench marked against international standards. These procedures should  be reviewed regularly to ensure they're effective.

• Less reliance on ACC to pick up the tab and more muscle exerted by insurance companies on higher risk activities.
  

• Heavier penalties for operators who fail to manage risks properly, including closing down operators who are considered to be unsafe and imposing manslaughter charges where applicable. Revenue raised through fines and licensing should be returned to the industry to further improve safety standards.

We also echo the families' call for a licensing system to be established in New Zealand and feel sure that there is a wealth of information and support in the UK which NZ could draw upon in establishing its own, high quality and world class scheme.

See also NZ guiding industry failing to manage risks properly


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Brazilian Man, Anderson Luiz Dos Santo, Killed In Queenstown - Updated

The carnage on New Zealand's roads continues with the tragic loss of yet another life. A Brazilian man living in Queenstown since 2005 was killed yesterday in a head-on collision approximately 100 metres from Shotover Bridge. He was later named as Anderson Luiz Dos Santos, age 32. Our thoughts are with his family and friends for their awful loss.

View larger map, the accident happened on the bend in the road
There have been scores of serious crashes already this year with at least 13 people killed, at least three of them on two wheeled vehicles and at least one pedestrian. The death toll is already higher the whole of January 2009.  January's carnage includes

• American journalist, Deborah Howell, who died when struck by a car near Blenheim - link 
• German cyclist Maria Pusch who was killed in Bulls, Manawatu - link 
• Diane Wilton-Jones killed at Maungatapu Bridge near Tauranga - link
• John William Baker, 64 died after his car hit a tree on SH 2 between Napier and Awatoto  link 
• A serious crash south of Auckland that trapped a woman - link
• A police officer who was injured when dragged beneath a stolen police car in Christchurch - link
•  Leith Allan Thomas Hay was badly injured and later died in a head-on crash on State Highway 10 near Kerikeri - link 
• A woman seriously injured when a truck and car collided on SH 57 near  Ihakara, about 8km north of Levin - link 
• Two people seriously injured on a notorious piece of road Marine Parade, West of Auckland - link 
• Two people killed in separate incidents involving a car and a motorcycle. One on Kopaki Road west of Benneydale and the other died on Main Road, Tairua in the Coromandel- link

Update
An appeal has been set-up to assist with the cost of returning Mr. Santo's body to Brazil, but plans to accept donations from the general public have yet to be finalised. see details here.

For other posts about dangerous roads and driving conditions in NZ please see posts tagged Dangerous Roads

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