Give Way rule poised to change

[MikeL]

Unlike most of you lot I'm old enough to remember when the present left turn law was introduced. I can vividly recall my reaction: they've got to be joking! It just didn't make any sense. All the explanations about rationalizing the "give way to the right" rule and thereby making it easier were just crap. I'm pretty sure that the MOT or whoever was responsible for the change realized within a couple of years that it was a mistake, but then rationalized further by saying that to go back to the old law would cause more confusion. More red faces, more likely.
What a balls-up. Heads should roll. Pity it's 30 years too late.

[slowpoke]

Yep, the give way rule was a cock up from the start and thank fuck the've come to their senses. The changeover will be confusing for some (most likely for those who can't manage it properly at the moment so the status quo remains) but it'll be short term pain for a long term gain.

Now we've just gotta get that stoopid 80kph car/trailer rule fucked off, it creates more log jams and hazards than any car/trailer travelling at 100kph.

For all those who winge about New Zealand's "goat tracks" best you take a look at the big picture: New Zealand is a young country, both culturally and geologically. It hasn't had the Romans and other peoples building roads since back before Jesus opened the batting for Jerusalem Old Boys Cricket Club, as in Europe etc. And the topography is fresh and jagged in comparison to the worn eroded compararatively flat lands of America, Australia etc. In New Zealand it's corners per km, in Oz or the States it's km's per corner and despite your wishes other wise there's fuck all the gooberment can do about short of picking the country up and moving it away from the fault line going up the guts. Throw in a low population density that restricts the fiscal ability to make/improve/repair our roads and it's hard to see how the situation could be made any better......unless you want even more taxes?

[steve_t]

Now we've just gotta get that stoopid 80kph car/trailer rule fucked off...

They changed the speed limit for towing trailers to 90km/h a while back

[warewolf]

About time that bloody stupid kamikaze give way rule was changed. It's so bad that when Victoria changed back to the usual rule used by the rest of the world/country, they didn't have the typical upwards spike in the accident rate that occurs with changed rules! The mexicans got rid of it in the mid-late eighties and haven't looked back.

It is quite obviously an appalling rule, notwithstanding parochial bleatings to the contrary.

only for a car up to 1300cc.

No. Don't perpetuate the 250cc limit fallacies. Some kind of power-to-weight restriction, yes, and maybe some more "learner approved" conditions, but never purely a capacity limit. Young drivers should be allowed to drive the family wagon, even if it has a big mutha engine.

[PrincessBandit]

I had to smile when I read that they're delaying the introduction of this rule change till after the world cup - something to do with eliminating confusion on our roads with such a big event (and world wide media attention) happening.

We're such crap drivers that I'm surprised the world would notice any difference between our driving now and what it will be with us getting our heads around "the change".

Personally I've never been happy with trusting other drivers to observe the correct rules at controlled or uncontrolled intersections. Approach with caution has always been my rule of thumb. (Doesn't always mean I've done it, mind - had my bimbo moments behind the wheel as well).

Bottom line for me is it won't change how I drive anyway. I'll still be wary of those who look like idiots and those who don't.

[DEATH_INC.]

I'm all for the biggest vehicle gets the right of way rule. If yer on a bike you should be quick enough to get out of the way.
BTW, the old fellas should be able to remember when we had the give way to the left rule years ago...

[Genie]

geez, some people around here are still not aware of the give way to right rule so dont' know how'll they'll cope with the change. Glad they're announcing it now so I have ages to get my head around it all, change is not good for blondes

[merv]

Unlike most of you lot I'm old enough to remember when the present left turn law was introduced. I can vividly recall my reaction: they've got to be joking! It just didn't make any sense. All the explanations about rationalizing the "give way to the right" rule and thereby making it easier were just crap. I'm pretty sure that the MOT or whoever was responsible for the change realized within a couple of years that it was a mistake, but then rationalized further by saying that to go back to the old law would cause more confusion. More red faces, more likely.
What a balls-up. Heads should roll. Pity it's 30 years too late.

Agree entirely Mike, I'm another one that had been riding and driving for many years before that stupid rule came in and it was totally illogical then and still is now, it just added too many hesitant moments to people's driving - do they stop when turning left or not to give way because someone else is going straight through so the right turner has to stop as well etc etc.

I can't believe the Gummint didn't make the change straight away - they say oh give people time to get used to it, but you can't practice with it until it is law bejesus so that is as ridiculous, and oh wait until after the RWC. I reckon it would have been better to do it before the influx of bewildered tourists.

[Mudfart]

yeah good luck with changing ANY road rules EVER again.
over 90% of the people I see indicating at roundabouts who are going straight through, that think they are doin' it right, are doin' it WRONG.

[Crazy Steve]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/poli...ange-confirmed

Just what we need - further dumbing down of the driving populace.

They're also removing the incentive for motorcyclists to spend money on further training to reduce their time on the restricted license. That'll do wonders.

Oh, and I see they've rolled out the misleading "Motorcyclists are 20 times more at risk of being involved in a fatal or serious injury crash than car drivers per kilometre driven." soundbite.

At least power-to-weight ratio restrictions will come in, which I'm sure will be like Australia. That is much fairer than simply engine capacity. If only that were applied to vehicle licenses ('rego') though.

Will this help me next time im being chased ?

Crazy Steve.

[Max Preload]

Will this help me next time im being chased ?

Only if you don't fall off.

[Crazy Steve]

Only if you don't fall off.

Falling off from 1 out of 100 isn't bad going but....Think of all the money ive saved by no stopping and getting away 99times....

Crazy Steve.

[Banditbandit]

I see that most days now...not all blondes though...not all women either, actually...came across a guy today stopped right in the middle of the road at the head of a T intersection...just sitting there. God know what he was doing...or thinking...or not thinking. Was still there as I disappeared into the distance...

Maybe you should have checked to see if he was dead ?

[slofox]

Maybe you should have checked to see if he was dead ?

He didn't look dead...brain dead possibly...

[pzkpfw]

Something occured to me today:

After they started publicising the proper way to indicate at roundabouts, a whole bunch of numpties got it in their head they had to indicate something and started indicating - completely incorrectly. Like those dumbies who indicate right, all the way through a roundabout that they are going "straight" * on (instead of just indicating left to exit).

(* i.e. taking an exit 180 degrees (or less) round from where they entered.)

What's the bet that all this publicity about the change coming up makes some people start to behave that way now? e.g. reading the headlines and just assuming it starts next week.

I wonder how crashes that will cause...