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Thread: New road rules

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    Manks is offline Serial procrastinator and general busybody
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    Default New road rules

    So the public awareness campaign is starting for the "new" road rules changing on 25 March. At least NZ will then be in line with everywhere else - but I suspect there will be quite a few accidents while people get used to the changes http://www.nzta.govt.nz/traffic/arou...user-rule.html

    I have to say though, I didn't even know about the old/current t-junction rule and I have rarely, if ever, seen it applied in Wellington. And if it has been applied, I just thought it was the other driver being nice! Annoying really as I pull out of a t-junction every day and this never happens.

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    The lack of knowledge re NZ road code shows again how dangerous it is that the necessity has been removed for everyone to sit the theory test; and it might be necessary to introduce some condensed version for tourists etc.

    Re drastic changes to traffic rules there are quite a few countries where they changed from driving on the one side to driving on the other!

    BTW: Originally the change was to happen to the start of our financial year, yes 1. April...

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    Quote Originally Posted by ralf-nz View Post
    The lack of knowledge re NZ road code shows again how dangerous it is that the necessity has been removed for everyone to sit the theory test; and it might be necessary to introduce some condensed version for tourists etc.
    To be honest, I doubt any given NZer would have any more clue about the road code than tourists. I had to laugh reading the bit where it says that the rule about having to come to a 'stop' at a stop sign remains the same. I can't recall when I have last seen someone actually come to a stop if they thought there was no car to stop for...

    Maybe we should present this as an idea for a TV game show: the clincher could be either 'name that street sign,' 'can you find the indicator,' or 'what is that emtpy far left lane on the motorway for?'

    Daniela

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    Might there be a difference between regions?!

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    Quote Originally Posted by ralf-nz View Post
    Might there be a difference between regions?!
    I'm sure it is, you don't have motorways down there, do you?

    That aside, I don't know. I drive quite a bit around the NI, and find it pretty dire no matter where. I have not been to the South Island.

    Daniela

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    I must say IT'S ABOUT TIME!!!

    The logic is clear - it makes complete sense that the car closest around the corner at an intersection should have the right away because the opposing vehicle has a longer distance to travel.

    Less confusion = less accidents. If it's widely adopted overseas, then NZ shouldn't be the one trying to re-invent the wheel (among many things the country tries to do). The onus shouldn't be the tourist overseas having to learn road code that is so different to elsewhere in the world. Otherwise you would have no tourists coming.

    NZ is a small country and these type of changes should be welcomed - it's only a mega problem with big countries and high population. Coming from Canada, it wasn't too long ago that Canada was like the UK where the vehicles were RHD. A radical change in the early 60s forced the change over to match the US. The end result, less confusion, less accidents.

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    Quote Originally Posted by dharder View Post
    I'm sure it is, you don't have motorways down there, do you?

    That aside, I don't know. I drive quite a bit around the NI, and find it pretty dire no matter where. I have not been to the South Island.

    Daniela
    Rest assured, we do have motorways! And we can 'really' drive on them - not just stop and go!as I experienced on N/I...

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    Quote Originally Posted by dharder View Post
    To be honest, I doubt any given NZer would have any more clue about the road code than tourists. I had to laugh reading the bit where it says that the rule about having to come to a 'stop' at a stop sign remains the same. I can't recall when I have last seen someone actually come to a stop if they thought there was no car to stop for...


    Daniela
    When I lived in NZ on SI I was actually pulled over for not stopping at a stop sign. I was on a small country road, I had slowed right down and there were no other cars or any traffic I could see. I pulled out real slow and before I knew it a police bike was puling me over and gave me a real stern ticking off for not stopping. I was the second one he had pulled over that day!!! He must have been hiding in the bushes.

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    Quote Originally Posted by nickydwuk View Post
    I was the second one he had pulled over that day!!! He must have been hiding in the bushes.
    That is one major difference here I find, the police are very sneaky about hiding, and even the mobile speed camera vans are completely nondescript old bangers that you might think have just broken down on the side of the road. It is a very different approach to the UK where any attempts from the Police to obscure themselves from motorists was regarded as entrapment. This led to the laws that made all speed cameras clearly visible and the police had to announce where they would be putting mobile speed traps.

    I am glad about the law change though. It makes sense. But I saw the t-junction law ignored again this morning on my way to work so that one won't be causing any accidents in the near future!

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    Quote Originally Posted by nickydwuk View Post
    When I lived in NZ on SI I was actually pulled over for not stopping at a stop sign.
    OH got a ticket for not stopping at roundabout though there was no car in sight on other sides of the road. Apparently, the cop explained her step by step guide to drive at the roundabout

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