A tourist driver convicted of causing the death of a young girl is in the High Court at Dunedin today appealing his sentence.

Jing Cao was sentenced earlier this year to 18 months in prison for dangerous driving causing the death of five year old Ruby Marris.

Cao's lawyer Anne Stevens has told Justice Gendall about a number of other cases, where tourists had caused accidents, but were given lighter sentences.

She also described another accident where a young unlicensed woman drove an unregistered, unwarranted vehicle, at high speeds after consuming drugs and alcohol - killing two of her passengers.

Her sentence had the same starting point as Cao's.

Stevens wants to see the sentence changed to home detention.