[H & Rick]

We were just wondering what it is like to drive in NZ.. :uhoh

Are there any little road rules that we need to know about before we get behind the wheel?

Also been looking at a few maps and can't see any roundabouts...is this right?

Any advice would be welcome.... :cool:

[willsken]

Well I only did it for 3 weeks in a campervan and I didn't find it difficult at all. The one little rule we found out about is that if a car is stopped waiting to turn right, and you are oncoming, you have to stop and let it go across! (Now I have also been told that the Nzers take no notice of this driving rule???? Don’t know if that’s true or not!)

Goodness, do you know I really can’t remember if they had roundabouts or not!!

I’m off for a swim around my bowl!! :o

[Jax]

Well I only did it for 3 weeks in a campervan and I didn't find it difficult at all. The one little rule we found out about is that if a car is stopped waiting to turn right, and you are oncoming, you have to stop and let it go across! (Now I have also been told that the Nzers take no notice of this driving rule???? Don’t know if that’s true or not!)

Goodness, do you know I really can’t remember if they had roundabouts or not!!

I’m off for a swim around my bowl!! :o

Thats not quite true - the rule is cars travelling straight or turning right have right of way - In your example, you would only give way if you were also turning left into that rd.

Yes there are roundabouts, again give way to your right (& and car already on the roundabout)

[willsken]

Thanks Jax - I read that wrong! I drove this way over there to! Bet I had a few swear words shouted at me - bl**dy tourists!!! :o

[jess]

They don't seem to ignore that rule here. When I'm turning right and someone else is turning left onto a road, if there is no oncoming traffic going straight that would keep me from going, the left turning driver has waited for me to go every time.

At first I thought it was inane, because if you're going left, you have to look backwards over your shoulder to see if anyone behind you is going straight. If they are, you can go, because the right turner won't be able to go, but if there is no one behind you going straight, you give way to the right turner. Seems like a lot of trouble. But someone here pointed out that with just a little extra space in the middle of a fast two lane highway, it's a lot safer to have the left turner waiting at the side of the road than the right turner waiting in the middle of the road.

I think I just gave myself a brain cloud trying to write that out. :roll


Lots of roundabouts.

[Smiler]

They don't seem to ignore that rule here. When I'm turning right and someone else is turning left onto a road, if there is no oncoming traffic going straight that would keep me from going, the left turning driver has waited for me to go every time.

At first I thought it was inane, because if you're going left, you have to look backwards over your shoulder to see if anyone behind you is going straight. If they are, you can go, because the right turner won't be able to go, but if there is no one behind you going straight, you give way to the right turner. Seems like a lot of trouble. But someone here pointed out that with just a little extra space in the middle of a fast two lane highway, it's a lot safer to have the left turner waiting at the side of the road than the right turner waiting in the middle of the road.

I think I just gave myself a brain cloud trying to write that out.


Lots of roundabouts.

I must have my head in the same cloud :laugh:laugh

The rule that seems to change every day i'm on the road is the give way to the right, when turning left from amain road into a side road.

I patiently stop in loadsa time if I have a car coming from my right ie I'm turning left into a side road.

Often if I'm the car coming from the right, they don't stop. :eek: Stoopid rule if you ask me.

Normal roundabaouts and the normal rule applies, everyone for himself. :laugh

[gotourvisa]

My wife nearly caused an accident with this one, we were turning off a busy road and I reminded her the car facing us turning right had right of way so she slowed down to give him right of way, everything OK so far, but the cars behind us decided that we should not slow down to much and nearly drove into the back of us. Apparantly our fault for not checking the mirror and seing cars behind us and 'working out whether the car turning right would go in front of us or not'? When we stopped a driver did a U turn to come and 'explain the law' to us. We thought here we go road rage but no he was very nice and did agree it was a stupid law. How can you forsee wether the driver is going to go or not. You cant see into his mind.
That was part 1.
Part two. On dual carriagways in Auckland which they call motorways they quite happily overtake on the inside all though it is illegal.
Part three. The traffic lights are slighlty different when going from green to red it stops on amber for longer than the UK so when we see amber we always slow down, here they seem to put their foot down with the result the guy three behind you expects everybody in front of you to 'go for it'
Rant over! :confused:

[KerryS]

On dual carriagways in Auckland which they call motorways they quite happily overtake on the inside all though it is illegal.


It isn't illegal to overtake on the inside on a motorway. The roadcode states:
You can pass on the left when: "there are two or more lanes on your side of the centre line, and you are able to pass safely by using the left-hand lane."

So, although it may appear to be a dual carriageway, if the road is designated as a motorway, it is perfectly feasible for it to have only two lanes and for someone to legally overtake in the left-hand lane.

I personally think that allowing people to retain their licence for a year is too long. They drive about criticising bad driving when they don't actually know the rules or how to apply them.

[stvvnnttn]

I've been to NZ twice.I can tell you driving a motorhome(with standard shift) on the left side while being jet lagged is pure HELL.After afew days it's cool though.I love NZ ,its so different from here ,Cal. USA

[Smiler]

On dual carriagways in Auckland which they call motorways they quite happily overtake on the inside all though it is illegal.


It is illegal in the UK to undertake (except in slow moving traffic) and has been since, well the wheel was invented I think.

It's is a dangerous manoeuvre, but not illegal here in NZ. IMHO it should be.

"I personally think that allowing people to retain their licence for a year is too long. They drive about criticising bad driving when they don't actually know the rules or how to apply them."

People criticise driving wherever they are in the world. They also complain about the traffic too. :D Answering some questions on a computer screen doesn't make you a better NZ driver either, just that you managed to pass the test, whenever you take it.

[Bergita]

Oh dear. I had so hoped driving in NZ was a LOT more civilized than here. From reading this thread, I'm beginning to have my doubts... At any rate, it should at least be a little bit more civilized. Yesterday on the way to work, we had a guy speeding past us in the emergency lane, lights flashing, for no apparent reason other than we were all going to slowly for him.... And then he saw a few metres ahead of him was a car stopped in the emergency lane (this time for a real emergency) and forced his way back into traffic at speed and generally caused chaos all around him. Yet another thrilling and death-defying journey. :D

[Avalon]

I know this doesnt answer the question - but it saves starting a new thread - so I hope you dont mind: but:

Today driving home there was a big 4WD in front of us on SH2. Weaving all over the place from the ahrd shoulder to the left hand lane. As we passed - the woman driving was drinking a bottle of beer :eek: :eek: :eek:

Im afraid i phoned the police.

[jubjub]

I know this doesnt answer the question - but it saves starting a new thread - so I hope you dont mind: but:

Today driving home there was a big 4WD in front of us on SH2. Weaving all over the place from the ahrd shoulder to the left hand lane. As we passed - the woman driving was drinking a bottle of beer :eek:

Im afraid i phoned the police.

:no :exit some people are sooooo stupid, hope they caught her...
Although they do say not to drink and drive cos you might spill it:cheers

I have to say that apart from the odd total loon on the road, I have done significantly less swearing at other drivers since I got here (but maybe cos thats I have little ears in the car now...) The madness of the drivers and what they do is worse IMHO, compared to Glasgow, but the cases are less... so guess it balances out..

[Diny]

(Now I have also been told that the Nzers take no notice of this driving rule???? Don’t know if that’s true or not!)



The turning right rule IS applied over here, it takes a few driving days to get use to it but it soon becomes 2nd nature. Once put into practice it's nowhere near as complicated as the written instructions imply.

Drivers over here are no better than anywhere else, just a lot less cars so the overall impression is good.

Diny

[ruthyroo]

Have a read through the Road Code - it spells out a lot of the odd wee rules, especially for turning.

I find the junctions in the centre city to be a flippin pain. Pedestrians are given the green light to cross at the same time as cars turning left or right at the junction. So if you are sitting at a crossroad / junction waiting to turn left, and the light turns to green, first you have to wait for all the pedestrians to cross, then you have to judge whether the car opposite you turning right can go (dependent on whether there are any cars coming straight across from behind you)... then there might just be enough time for you to turn left before the light goes red! I think the set up leaves far too much to the judgement of the driver having to be aware of everything that is going on around them, and predicting how other road users will behave. To much room for human error.

Another good one is 'open' junctions... I nearly came a cropper on one. I was on the 'main' road driving through a burb, and I wanted to turn right into what I perceived to be a side road. There was a car sitting in the side road wanting to turn right into the 'main' road. I tought that I had right of way and was able to turn off first BUT to my shock the other car came straight out and we only just avoided a collision. Turns out that becuase there were no markings on the road (usually there are double white lines marking the junction but not on this one), the 'give way to the right' rules kicked in, and I should have given way to the driver coming from my right. My fault - I shouldn't have assumed that I was on the 'main' road - and should have noticed the road markings.

In general, I find kiwis to be pretty rubbish drivers, but I think it's a case of different realities. It's normal here to drive really close to the car in front, to drive fast on rural roads, to overtake on blind-ish corners. I perceive it to be pretty agressive driving - but maybe its not intended to be. I have met far more petrolheads here in NZ than I ever knew in UK, it seems to be a bit of a national pastime, and frankly how can people expect the kids to drive safely when their parents drive so badly?

[colindp]

I hate the turning right rule, I still haven't got used to it after a year here (perhaps I just not as good a driver as I thought).
Any road up I was talking to a Police officer a few weeks ago and even he agreed yes it is a stupid law which not only confuses new migrants and tourists but even well established Kiwi drivers....So I asked why keep the stupid law then?????????

[jess]

colindp -

I don't mind the yield to the right when turning so much myself, but it looks like the Automobile Association agrees with you and is asking the govt. to change the rule...

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3741637a11,00.html

[colindp]

I'm all in support of the change, I also agree with the earlier comments of this thread the business of allowing peds to cross when vehicles are waiting to turn is a complete pain. I have lost count of the number of times I nearly reduced the population of Dunedin by mowing down innocent peds on crossings!!

[Howie]

...Another good one is 'open' junctions... I nearly came a cropper on one. I was on the 'main' road driving through a burb, and I wanted to turn right into what I perceived to be a side road. There was a car sitting in the side road wanting to turn right into the 'main' road. I tought that I had right of way and was able to turn off first BUT to my shock the other car came straight out and we only just avoided a collision. Turns out that becuase there were no markings on the road (usually there are double white lines marking the junction but not on this one), the 'give way to the right' rules kicked in, and I should have given way to the driver coming from my right. My fault - I shouldn't have assumed that I was on the 'main' road - and should have noticed the road markings.

...

It gets even worse than that. Driveways are considered to be intersections, so if you're turning right into the supermarket from a four lane road, the person turning right from the supermarket to the main road has the right of way unless they have a yield sign. For large parking lots they'll usually have a yield sign, but not for smaller businesses.

Also, when the power goes out, the give-way to the right rules apply at traffic lights. Try that at a major intersection. Everyone has to give way to everyone else, so the most aggressive gets the right of way. In Canada and the US, a dead traffic light becomes a "four way stop." Whoever gets there first has right of way, and if there's a tie then the person on the right gets it. The right of way rules here only work for a small intersection with limited traffic. What happens in the UK when the power goes out?

Chris

[Jules]

This isnt about driving but I thought I would tell you anyway :o .

We were in our local petrol station filling up and a big 4WD pulled in on the next pump, my OH went into pay and I was looking around minding my own business, as you do, and I saw the passenger in the 4WD lighting up a cigarette!!!!!! I could not believe my eyes, OH came back and I said "drive"!!!!! that person has just lit a cigarette :eek:

Jules

[thomas family]

Hi

Give way to traffic turning right into a junction (if you're trying to turn left into same junction)is the most important, seen a few near collisions. :confused:

There are plenty of roundabouts, undertaking is allowed on motorways, driving is aggressive, no one flashes their lights to let you in, you just need to push in like everyone else. Don't park in a street facing the wrong way a few people I know have been booked.

Once you get used to it, you'll be fine!

Sue :)