Only In New Zealand: The Right Turn Rule.

March 19, 2009 by
Filed under: Life in New Zealand, Only in New Zealand 

This is a piece of the New Zealand Road Code that baffles just about everyone, whether they visit the country, migrate here, or were born and learned to drive here. It is a feat of warped thinking of epic proportions. According to the New Zealand Automobile Association (AA), this single rule is thought to be the cause of about 2500 crashes a year.

Which is not that surprising since no-one I’ve met actually understands why this rule exists, and pretty much everyone thinks its silly.

So – what is the rule?

Well, imagine you are driving down a main road (on the Left Hand Side just in case you are European or American). Now: let’s just say you want to turn left into a side street. Normally – you would have right of way, and you would turn in and anyone else would have to wait their turn.

But in New Zealand, if someone was coming towards you on the other side of the road, and they also want to turn into that side street (making a Right Hand Turn); they have right of way.

You need to stop in the middle of the road, let them turn in front of you – and then you can turn left.

right-turn-rule

Unless there are cars behind you: in which case they can move round you as you turn, and the car coming towards you wanting to turn right in front of you should let those cars go before they turn.

The result is usually confusion all round, where everyone at the junction does this sort of stop-start manoeuvre while they try to guess if anyone involved understands the rule or not. As most people seem not to understand – do you risk turning / not turning in case they do / don’t understand what they are supposed to do? And that is assuming that you understand the rule in the first place.

Historically – this rule was introduced in 1977, based on a rule in Victoria, Australia, to help cope with trams. Apparently no one noticed the lack of trams in New Zealand. (Except in Christchurch, which has a Tram travelling round the city centre). Victoria dissolved the rule in 1993 – and noticed a significant decline in accidents. New Zealand still refuses to do so, despite pressure from many sources, including the AA, the Ministry of Transport and the Land Transport Agency.

The mind boggles at the stupidity of keeping a rule that causes such utter confusion and mayhem. Apparently the reason for not changing back is that it would be too hard for “the people” to understand. Sheesh.

Whether you are just travelling to visit New Zealand, or intend to move here – take extra care on the roads when you want to turn left into a side road, and remember when you want to right – if the oncoming traffic stops – it’s because you are supposed to cross in front of them. More Info and pictures can be found at AA Directions

Related posts:

  1. The Right Turn Rule dies in 2012 :)
  2. Right to Roam does not exist in New Zealand.
  3. Moving to the city: not as easy as it sounds.
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Comments

One Comment on Only In New Zealand: The Right Turn Rule.

  1. Myrtone on Wed, 18th Nov 2009 10:25 pm

    2. “This is a piece of the New Zealand Road Code that baffles just about everyone, whether they visit the country, migrate here, or were born and learned to drive here.”

    I can see why it would be a problem for migrants, etc. But why would the local who grew up and learned to drive there have such a problem with it, is it just too complex from them to understand, period?

    “Historically – this rule was introduced in 1977, based on a rule in Victoria, Australia, to help cope with trams. Apparently no one noticed the lack of trams in New Zealand.”

    Could it be that under New Zealand conditions a small delay for the left turning vehicle can avoid a larger delay for right turning vehicles and those blocked behind them.

    “Well, imagine you are driving down a main road (on the Left Hand Side just in case you are European or American). Now: let’s just say you want to turn left into a side street. Normally – you would have right of way, and you would turn in and anyone else would have to wait their turn.”

    Similarly, on mainland Europe and in North America, the default rule is yield oncoming traffic when navigating a left turn. But in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA there is a similar driving custom called a Pittsburgh left. This is where where straight through or right turning traffic does not take precedence over the first left turning vehicle. Instead, the they pause on a green light before preceding and give explicit permission, by either waving in the direction of the turn or flashing their headlights, in which case, although this practice has no basis in their traffic laws, the left turner has no one to yield. Think of it this way, although failing to yield oncoming traffic when navigating a left turn is an offense in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, if some does not take precedence, you have no one to yield. Yet this practice is often claimed to be “illegal.”

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