The CEO of Europcar, Akureyri, states that Asian drivers more frequently have car accidents than other tourists in Iceland, RÚV reports. As a result, Europcar, Akureyri, now provides more information than it used to, especially to Asian drivers, regarding Icelandic driving conditions.
The Icelandic Transport Authority has contacted the Chinese embassy in an effort to work on preventive efforts and education for those who plan a trip to Iceland.
Of all tourists who get injured in traffic accidents in Iceland, Chinese tourists are the most numerous. In 2014, one Chinese tourist was injured in traffic in Iceland, and on average, two Chinese were injured a year between 2001 and 2014. In 2015, however, that number reached 27. Of the 1,324 people who were injured in traffic in Iceland last year, 208 were foreign tourists.
Þórhildur Elín Elínardóttir, who works for the Icelandic Transport Authority, remarked, “Annual accident reports published by the Icelandic Transport Authority, show that the number of Chinese who were injured here in traffic increased suddenly last year. The question is whether driving experience is possibly less [than that of other tourists], especially among people who live in big cities, where the private car is not the method of transportation, and among people who rely on public transportation.”
Steingrímur Birgisson, CEO of Europcar, Akureyri, agrees. The number of Asian tourists in the country is up in recent years, he said, and the residents of big cities aren’t necessarily used to much driving.
