It's started already

[Mental Trousers]

Three times in the last two days I've had people turning right giving way to me, turning left. The change in the road rules is still over a month away (March 25th) but it seems some people have decided now is better than trying to remember exactly when they're meant to.

http://www.nzta.govt.nz/traffic/around-nz/road-user-rule.html

[Drew]

I'd put it down to retards not knowing how the current law works mate, giving them credit for getting their heads around the change this early, is asking to loose your no claims bonus.

[Mental Trousers]

I'd put it down to retards not knowing how the current law works mate, giving them credit for getting their heads around the change this early, is asking to loose your no claims bonus.

The only thing I'm betting on is they're all retards. Funnily enough, I'm still alive after riding bikes on the road for 25 years so treating everyone else on the road like they're morons seems to work.

[GingerMidget]

That's pretty much the trick. Assume all brain activity stopped long ago, and most of the time you're safe(r)

[mashman]

aaaaaaan unfortunately there will be those, probably a shitload more, people (like me) that won't have a clue when it started and will be dodging people for weeks before clicking that it has started.

[Captain_Salty]

i was at the lights waiting behind a right turning car today. Light turned green and car just turned infront of oncoming traffic like it wasn't there :facepalm:

[James Deuce]

It's not what you see that kills you.

[Gremlin]

...so treating everyone else on the road like they're morons seems to work.
There's another approach? :weird:

[FJRider]

There's another approach? :weird:

Sometimes it is nice to be proved wrong ... :shifty:

Sadly ... not often enough ... :facepalm:

[Drew]

I'm really not happy about the law being changes aye. The current system when used correctly, promotes the smoothest traffic flow.

[BMWST?]

I'm really not happy about the law being changes aye. The current system when used correctly, promotes the smoothest traffic flow.

for the most part i think the new rules will be better...a lot of intersections already have room in the centre for right turners to give way.THe open road scenario where people DONT know what do do is the scariest to contemplate,and the most dangerous one

[swbarnett]

I'm really not happy about the law being changes aye. The current system when used correctly, promotes the smoothest traffic flow.
Only for the traffic behind the right-turning driver. The new law means that the traffic behind the left-turniung driver will flow much better. I've lost count of the number of times I've ridden past the Countdown Sunnynook entrance passing a left-turning car only to have to let the right-turning car throiugh or get hit.

[YellowDog]

Everytime there is an announcement in the media of the planned change, many seem to assume that the change has just happened :facepalm:

[FJRider]

Only for the traffic behind the right-turning driver. The new law means that the traffic behind the left-turniung driver will flow much better. I've lost count of the number of times I've ridden past the Countdown Sunnynook entrance passing a left-turning car only to have to let the right-turning car throiugh or get hit.

The old law made sense to me, as the right turning vehicle is in the MIDDLE of the road, and the left turning vehicle is on the left of the road. Unless the lazy bastard/bitch didn't leave room for traffic to pass. And if you are left turning, and traffic is passing from behind you, you can sneak left ... as the right turning traffic has to give way to them.

Six of one, half a dozen of the other ... is what it boils down to ...

[Captain_Salty]

the right turner is going to be left out in the middle of the road later into the orange/red light phase, waiting for opposing straight and now left turn traffic. Instead of 2 or 3 making the right turn on the orange, it may be hard enough for one. Left turners have more opportunity at the lights as it is. We don't have as many right turn phases at intersections down here. Maybe they will add more but I doubt it.

Most of the problem with the current rule would be fixed by having 3 dedicated lanes at each intersection, so that left turning and straight ahead traffic don't have to share a lane. Instead our council likes to cram bike and bus lanes in and widen verges.

It will fix the bizaar problem where there is a red arrow showing only to a right turner at the beginning of a green phase. Opposing left turner can't see the red arrow and thinks right turner is asleep. Red arrow goes out and right turner starts turn often just as left turner has given up waiting.

[Berries]

I'm not sure, but hasn't this been discussed in like 500,000 other threads?

[swbarnett]

The old law made sense to me, as the right turning vehicle is in the MIDDLE of the road, and the left turning vehicle is on the left of the road. Unless the lazy bastard/bitch didn't leave room for traffic to pass. And if you are left turning, and traffic is passing from behind you, you can sneak left ... as the right turning traffic has to give way to them.
Works well untill there's room to the right of the left turner for a bike but not a car. The right turning driver in this situation is quite likely to not even know you're there. At least if the left turner has the right of way you know the path will be clear to ride past them (at least legally).


Six of one, half a dozen of the other ... is what it boils down to ...
Quite agree. I had no real problem with the old law (apart from the special circumstance described above) until I drove in Europe. Everything was just simpler beacuse you give way to the same side you drive on i.e. drive on the right, give way to the right. The law as it stands at the moment in NZ is give way to the right but we drive on the left.

[FJRider]

The right turning driver in this situation is quite likely to not even know you're there. At least if the left turner has the right of way you know the path will be clear to ride past them (at least legally).


The knowledge of ... both rules (as in this case) of who has right of way, stretches the thinking capacity of some road users ... so will go, with the knowledge they have right of way, to one vehicle at least.

I have seen and heard this explanation (roadside)to a cop .... after an "incident" ... unsucessfully I might add ...

[swbarnett]

The knowledge of ... both rules (as in this case) of who has right of way, stretches the thinking capacity of some road users ... so will go, with the knowledge they have right of way, to one vehicle at least.

I have seen and heard this explanation (roadside)to a cop .... after an "incident" ... unsucessfully I might add ...
What I find so simple about the laws in Switzerland is that fact that it matters not what type of intersection you are on or who's trying to do what. You just give way to traffic approaching from your right (that would be left if we adopted this here) - no exceptions unless signposted.

The only place you found anything like a give way was at treaffic lights and where a minor road interescted with a major one. Most suburban intersections were unmarked.