Adventurer

to kiwiprincess
it is against the natural order of things and specifically
*you never quite know for sure what is happening.
*On numerous occasions someone has stopped for me to turn in earlier as I have the right of way but the traffic behind them has continued around them to carry straight on. This means very easy for accident to occur with often nobody to entirely blaim. Unfortunately this can occur as the car in front does not block the one behind properly.
*This has also happened to me when I have stopped and cars go round me.
* A lot of single lane roads are quite wide.
*Basically I think although it has some advantages in a few situations it is unnecessary and I would suspect that many accidents have been caused.
Kiwi's, especially those who have been driving for many years may have a different opinion and I would be happy to hear them and why.

Kiwiprincess

Oh ok I had wondered if it was that, or related to that somehow (the traffic behind).

Thanks! I suppose I should get my licence. 12 years is a bit long to have a learners for...

lardyl

Worst aspect I can tell is if you approach an unregulated junction - no road markings and no "give way / stop" signs to turn right - this could be a car park, a track or even a normal road ...*I think* there is one of these at the bottom of our road.... Anyway *the* rule indicates (to me and I might be wrong on that)

----> the person turning right into the side road (as it often appears to be - eg car park) has to give way to the person coming out of the side road if they too are turning right.

Sometimes this makes sense, eg if the side road is too narrow for both vehicles *but* how do *both* drivers know if the junction is controlled ??

This means that both drivers have to check if there is a giveway sign or road markings......and then apply the rule accordingly. This is CRAZY!! Just make the major road obviously the one with priority.......

Last thing I want ot have to do is make another decision based on very limited information.

Somewhat analagous to the "turning left off a busy road accross another guy turning right into the same side-road" scenario - just more decisions to make based on information that I don't really need/want to gather - I want to be concentrating on what the other guy is doing or the child about to cross the side road rather than debating "is the guy following me going to stop the right turner??"......or does that guy know why I am slowing down? .... or should I just cut into the corner so I can let the guy behind come past and stop the other person who's turning right (as most Kiwis seem to do and makes the most sense!!)......

I suppose that the US has something equally illogical (to us Pomms anyway) that you see sometimes - the cross-roads with four STOP signs and no obvious priority, come on someone with US experience tell us what to do if everyone arrives at once and all want to go straight over??? Of course you have to stop, but what then.......let the Hummer go first I suppose

luvwelly

It's a totally crazy dangerous rule and Kiwis I know who have driven in UK all agree. There is a junction near my house and every one seems to have equal priority and no one seems to know who has right of way and everyone proceeds with various degrees of caution in 4 directions.

The solution for this is surely to put priorities on ALL roads - a dab of white paint here/there or as Lardyl says make the major road the one with priority as in UK (rarely not clear which this is and Give Way signage can be used where it is hard to tell.)

Still there is some hope on driving safety - mobile phone and texting while driving about to be outlawed in NZ - about time too - going to reduce the road death figures by 20 or so per year not to mention injuries but the NZ police spokesman saying they are concerned it will damage their relationship with motorists...hello...you are THE POLICE!!!!!

simon-nall

Sound like good news hate test!
But may be a good idea to do the theory anyway (could this jeopardize nz licence transfer if failed this test)
As a new-to-bee immigrant how do you get an nz driving licence do you go to the plod station and what’s the cost