National's Waitaki MP is taking a step back from earlier comments that not enough is being done to address foreign driver crashes.

Recent NZTA figures show tourist drivers were responsible for a quarter of crashes in the South Island between 2009 and 2013.

Concerns have flared again this month after several fatalities and near misses involving overseas drivers.

While Jacqui Dean earlier called for more to be done, but is now backing John Key's claim the numbers are proportionate.

"There is a concentration of fatal accidents, because we are a tourist destination there are more tourist drivers on our Otago roads, and our road conditions are very challenging."

However Labour's calling out the Prime Minister using fuzzy numbers to justify a lack of action over foreign drivers.

Transport spokesman Phil Twyford says John Key's claims the number of tourists crashing are proportionate are back of the envelope calculations.

"His own officials have conceded at the Select Committee that the government does not have the data to back up that statement, and I just think it's been a rather cavalier attempt by the Prime Minister to minimise this issue."

Phil Twyford says the silence from Government has been deafening.

"There's such a high level of public concern about these deaths on the road it's past time they put this data out and come out with a package of measures that the public can have confidence in."