( CNN ) Vigilante motorists in New Zealand have taken to snatching the car keys of foreign drivers amid rising concern over dangerous driving by tourists . New Zealand media have reported five cases this year of locals forcibly taking the keys of foreign motorists after witnessing driving that concerned them . All the incidents -- which have been condemned by authorities -- took place in the South Island , which draws tourists from around the world for its rugged scenery , including lakes and mountains featured in director Peter Jackson 's `` Lord of the Rings '' films . The incidents occurred amid heightened public concern over tourist driving standards , with eight people killed in crashes involving foreign drivers in the space of a fortnight last month . Among the dead were a family of four from Hong Kong who were killed when their car crossed the center line and collided with a logging truck . The key snatchings have even prompted Prime Minister John Key to weigh in on the issue , advising that `` people taking the law into their own hands is not sensible . '' New Zealand Police Assistant Commissioner of Road Policing Dave Cliff said the confiscations existed in a legal gray area , as there was no explicit statute dealing with the issue . Although there might be exceptional circumstances where taking someone 's keys could be legally justified , such as preventing drunken driving , he said , `` in the vast majority of cases , it wo n't be . '' `` That extends to physically assaulting or abusing someone in response to their driving , which is simply not acceptable , and anyone found doing so should expect to face the consequences , '' he said . Diesel mechanic Robert Penman of Dunedin made headlines last month after he took the keys of a Chinese couple who had stopped their car on a narrow single-lane road to take pictures , causing a backlog of vehicles behind them . `` I was coming into town with my wife and son and came around the corner , and there was a car stopped in the middle of the road , '' he told CNN affiliate TVNZ . He called police and took their keys as `` a safety thing , you know , timeframe for police to get there , '' he said . The New Zealand Transport Agency later revealed that Penman was driving on an expired license himself . Penman told local media it was not the first time he had taken a tourist 's car keys . Only 6 % of crashes in New Zealand involve foreign drivers , according to the latest figures provided by the Ministry of Transport . But in some remote regions of the South Island particularly popular with tourists for their scenery -- such as the Mackenzie , Southland , Queenstown-Lakes and Kaikoura districts -- foreign drivers are involved in about a quarter of all crashes . In Westland District , on the South Island 's rugged West Coast , foreign drivers are involved in 37 % of road crashes resulting in death or injury . Tony Kokshoorn , mayor of the neighboring Grey District , said tourist driving behavior was a major problem in the region and attributed the issue to tourists from countries that drive on the right . New Zealanders drive on the left . `` There 's a huge number of tourists coming through to these destinations because of the scenery , but the scenery is a problem , '' he said . `` There 's so many beautiful sights to see that they 're not concentrating on their driving . Once they lose their concentration , they tend to fall into old habits and drive on the right . Even for 20 seconds , it can cause damage . '' A Ministry of Transport spokesperson said that while this was a factor , figures showed that Australian and British drivers were involved in the most crashes overall , `` so unfamiliarity with which side of the road to drive on is not the only factor . '' Kokshoorn said that he had seen three cases of tourists driving on the wrong side of the road recently but that the vigilante approach -- which had seen a visitor to his town punched in the face as he was stripped of his keys last month -- was `` disgraceful . '' He said the best approach was better education on local driving conditions for foreign drivers , particularly at the rental companies where they picked up their vehicles . Anyone with a foreign drivers license or permit is able to drive in New Zealand for up to a year . Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss said the government recognized that `` many people are concerned with poor driving behavior on challenging roads in and around popular tourist destinations '' and had established a project in response . The measures include improvements to roading , such as `` keep left '' signage and no-passing markings on the extensive stretches of single-lane highway , and educational resources targeted at visiting drivers , including many targeting the growing Chinese market . Kokshoorn said it was important to `` strike the right balance '' in getting the message to foreign drivers to take care on the unfamiliar roads . `` We value tourism and the dollars it brings to New Zealand , especially to our region here . We do n't want to put tourists off , but we want them to be safe in our country , '' he said . `` You cross that center line , and anything 's possible . '' CNN 's David Molko contributed to this report .
many tourists have lost their car being snatched by tourists this year . The crashes have taken place amid rising concern over tourist driving safety . In popular Westland , 37 % of serious crashes have involved foreign drivers .