Two motorcyclists dead - Wanaka region

[Genestho]

True, as a previous poster said about following a certain lady in a BMW, however these types are usually residents of NZ rather than visitors.
Lol, That was me, you don't reckon you can hire BMW's? Good point though - who knows if she was a resident or not.

We'll be interested to hear what response, if any, you get.

Oh trust me, I will get a reply..

[sidecar bob]

Oh trust me, I will get a reply..

P.M.S.L. Im sure you will.

[RDJ]

Large reminders in rental cars would also be good. (I actually thought that was being done at one stage???) It's incredibly easy for tourists who normally drive on the other side to forget in a split second moment of concentration lapse. We'll be keeping our eyes peeled and ears open as per usual on our big trip in January since tourists and idiot road users will no doubt abound.

Whenever I ride in the US (the bike I store there has a pretty large / high screen as I do long touring rides incl rain) I stick a large fluoro orange arrow pointing to the right, just below my line of sight. Reminds me when I need reminding (highest-risk I'd forget is pulling out onto a 'country' / rural road with no dividers and no traffic...)

[Brian d marge]

With the high number of overseas tourists ... a few revert to driving on the right hand side of the road after a picnic stop.

Tis very easy to do
Ie been guilty a few time in France , riding along on the old triumph , only to realise Im on the wrong side of the road

yes, I think its about time the government starts to regulate people that come from countries that drive on the opposite side

they do here in Japan

Stephen

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

I was in Cromwell today. Trust me (yeah right) ... the roads were chocker with motorcycles today. A virtual procession ...

Burt Monroe and the Magpie Madness ralll both on. As well as various other events...

[Berries]

Tis very easy to do
Ie been guilty a few time in France , riding along on the old triumph , only to realise Im on the wrong side of the road

yes, I think its about time the government starts to regulate people that come from countries that drive on the opposite side

How? You said you had done it yourself in France, so have I. You can't regulate instinct. You either ban people from driving who drive on the other side or accept the fact that in a country that relies so heavily on the tourist dollar that these things will happen. Perhaps the wrong thread for this discussion however.

[Daffyd]

That is the issue. People are conditioned to react a certain way and in an emergency will jerk the wheel to that side, or if concentration slips, either by distraction or fatigue or something else, they will drift back to "their" side of the road.

One reason I've been reluctant to ride/drive in the Philippines... I worry that my first instinct in a "situation" would be to swerve left into the oncoming traffic. 55 years of habit is very hard to break.

I will, however ride again. I will give myself more time to adjust to the local conditions first.

[blue rider]

How? You said you had done it yourself in France, so have I. You can't regulate instinct. You either ban people from driving who drive on the other side or accept the fact that in a country that relies so heavily on the tourist dollar that these things will happen. Perhaps the wrong thread for this discussion however.

Some time ago, i went to the AA and gave them my german driver license. I got a NZ lisences in return. No questions asked, no driver lessons taken, no nothing zilch nada etc.

I asked the Lady if she was joking, and her answer was " Germans in have much stronger testing and licensing rules then we have here in NZ, and the law states that you can just have your license replaced, so here you go stop bothering me".

Note: I have never driven a car in NZ (still haven't).
I went to do my basic handling skill test, did my L and was told I was now legal to ride on the road on a bike. WTF i ask, you are sure about that? and again i was told to just accept how stuff is done in NZ and enjoy my riding.

I then took a riding course (i do like to stay alive), and the very first thing i did, after the little voice in my ear told me to turn right.........end up on the right side of the road. GO LEFT GO LEFT GO LEFT....lol

Phil, from riderskills, did ask: Why, Really Why, do you Germans do this all the time !.......Well I am german and we do drive on the other side, sorry



No one should get a free license without any , any , testing of the road code, and some sort of practical driving test. Feel lucky, go do the test straight away, go on the incorrect side of the road....sorry sir or mam, please walk. But feel free to take some lessons and come back and try to pass your lisence again.

[swbarnett]

No one should get a free license without any , any , testing of the road code, and some sort of practical driving test.

When I got my Swiss driver's license I had to take a practical test. The tester quizzed me about the rules at the same time. It was pretty interesting considering that I spoke (and still do) almost no German.

The funny thing is, however, before I left NZ I went to the AA and got myself an international license. I was allowed to drive for 12 months on this with no testing whatsoever.

[blue rider]

.....stuff about switzerland and not speaking german....however

The funny thing is, however, before I left NZ I went to the AA and got myself an international license. I was allowed to drive for 12 months on this with no testing whatsoever.

thats the kiwi way, she'll be right mate.....etc etc, and if she's not right, oopps a daisy or two.

[Gremlin]

When I did the USA trip, I feared going on the wrong side of the road so much that I was walking on the wrong side of the footpath, walkways and deliberately walked around the city a bit to try and get used to being on the wrong side.

I had no issues with the side of road, actually finding it easy as you followed everyone else. The hardest was actually car parks, parking areas at motels etc where it was quieter and you slipped into auto mode more easily.

[FJRider]

Burt Monroe and the Magpie Madness ralll both on. As well as various other events...

I doubt if many from the Magpie (that finished Sunday) were heading north from Cromwell on Monday ...

[Brian d marge]

How? You said you had done it yourself in France, so have I. You can't regulate instinct. You either ban people from driving who drive on the other side or accept the fact that in a country that relies so heavily on the tourist dollar that these things will happen. Perhaps the wrong thread for this discussion however.

banned or restricted , ie have to have a native driver with them , or strict training , or NAILING them UP ...NAIL them up I say !!!

My little oopsie , 750 bonnie , long french road , night ,no one else , just trundling along humming a song , when I realised those "two moons were on my side of the road ,

missed by mm

so easily done

One assumes of course this was the reason , it could also be that our chums crossed the centre line . but speculation is just that

Stephen

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

I doubt if many from the Magpie (that finished Sunday) were heading north from Cromwell on Monday ...

Never said they were from the Magpie, just commenting on how many bikers were on the road over the whole weekend... (including monday)

Heck I know of 10 bikers that were doing the SR Escapade in that region and on that day... and the Lindis was part of the route.

[Ocean1]

just commenting on how many bikers were on the road over the whole weekend...

I was one of them. Went north through the Lindis well before the incident in question, though.

I did have a related incident. Somewhere between Twizel and Fairlie there's a big sweeping lefthander at the top of a rise, there's a good wide shoulder on the left, I suspect it's supposed to be a slow vehicle lane but it's not really that wide, and I don't think it's marked as such.

Anyway, I crested the hill more or less smack in the middle of that "slow" lane, just in time to have a grey sedan appear, overtaking a line of cars coming the other way... in my lane. Couldn't believe it, looked at the lane markings again... sure enough, he'd just crested the top of a hill on a blind corner, on the wrong side of the road.

Thinking back, there wern't any yellow lines, perhaps the turn wans't that tight, but If I'd been in the correct lane I doubt I'd have tightened up enough to get under him, I'd be gone for all money. Luckily the 6 guys behind me had all also moved left into the inside lane.