AA trying to change the give-way law (again).

[JKWNZ]

If they changed the rule do you think you'd ever get to actually turn across the road?! You'd have traffic banking up behind you for Africa...

The current rule "forces" drivers to be courteous and let you across a road, the problem is drivers are both dumb (so understand the rule) and aren't courteous.

So everytime the population doesn't understand a rule we should dumb it down for everyone to understand. Just because the otherway is simple doesn't make it right.

In France they have 2 different rules for round abouts (give way to those on the roundabout and give way to those entering a roundabout)... but because the French are more courteous it actually works.

Rant over

[u4ea]

We have the simplest give way rules of any country in the world.
Hell the rule even appeals to the survival instinct.
Basically it is give way to anything that would hit your drivers door.

Now the mindless masses can't even deal with that, I fail to see how adding even one exception is going to clarify anything.

ahem........i am sikov idiots not giving way on my left at unmarked giveways(t junctions).....if i am crossing the centre line to turn right then why does no one ever give way to me if theyre turning in from my left.......did they change the rules somewhere or are cops not noticing blatent flouting of law and dangerous driving habits??????? if they make all unmarked intersections the same as giveways then this may stop happening?????and keep the traffic flowing .........

[Jantar]

u4ea, this is one of the major problems with the current law. It was foreseen when the rule was changed, and subsequently we have seen confusion reign.

If you are turning right, and the vehicle coming towards you wishes to turn left, then they must stop and give way to you. But the vehicle imediately behind the one that wishes to turn left is going straight through, and may legaly overtake the one that has stopped to give way to you. You in turn must give way to the one that is going straight through, so now we have two cvehicles giving way to a single one that is going straight through. The one turning left may see that you have stopped to give way, and hence proceed illegally.

Under the old law, and the one that AA would like us to go back to, the vehicle turning left can continue its turn, and the only one that must give way is the one turning right. Which is the de facto way that it workd right now.

[Freakshow]

We have the simplest give way rules of any country in the world.
Hell the rule even appeals to the survival instinct.
Basically it is give way to anything that would hit your drivers door.

I drove in Aussy where they do it the backwards way and I found it left people sitting venerable in the middle of the road meanwhile letting the guy sitting safely in a side street right of way????

The way I see it is for most of these situations imagine a traffic Island in the middle of each intersection and think of it as around about!

[The Pastor]

The rule that I would like introduced, everyone must do 1 or 2 years on a gn250 BEFORE getting a car licence. That would change drivers attitude.

[MacD]

The problem is they should never have changed the law in 1977 to put us out of kilter with the rest of the world.

If I remember correctly we copied it from Victoria, Australia. They of course then got rid of it.

The law as it stands is perfectly logical on paper, and as has been said is best summed up by the driver's door rule of thumb. However, it is pretty impractical as people tend to hesitate and won't turn right until the left-turning car has come to a complete halt. Even worse are the left-turning people who wait while cars going straight ahead stream around them. And of course there are the left turners who don't indicate on purpose so they don't have to give way. I particularly like meeting those ones when I am driving my old EA Falcon wagon, as it likes having right of way!

Anyhow, I would be quite happy to see the rule changed (back).

[Skyryder]

I'd go back to the old way tomorrow if I could. Why it was ever changed I have no idea. Under the old system and the AA proposed changes there is no blockage from vehicles turning left (giving way) as there is at the moment. In short more vehicles will be able to enter and exit the intersecton. Believe me guys the AA proposal (old way) is streets ahead when it come to traffic flow.

Skyryder

[MD]

I vote change it back. It would have worked if everybody obeyed the rule. Of course, they could have made it work by having Police focus on where most accidents happen - intersections. But the panel beaters association lobbyists pressured the Govt to pressure the Police to stay away from intersections. That's a win-win. More money for panel beaters from Joe Public, less Police cars get dented saving the govt repair bills.
So change it back and while at it change petrol back to 1977 at $1 a gallon! That's 22cents a litre people.
If people are too stupid to understand a give way law change, or any road code change, then I struggle to see how they have enough brain power to drive on our roads in the first place.

[McJim]

I feel very passionate about this coz I'm still receiving physiotherapy on my leg as a result of this particular quirk of kiwi road law. (the other driver - a kiwi - was the one that couldn't understand it) I've driven in France, Spain, UK, Germany (lurve those autobahns!) and it works. Rumour has it the insurance companies at large want this rule changed back to sensible to save them money on claims. I understand the rule fine - I think it was daft and a short sighted solution to a temporary problem (a bit like a bridge with not enough lanes) In fact hanging on to this ill advised piece of legislation it's about as daft as the British hanging on to their precious pound to guarantee their future as a small 3rd world nation off the coast of Europe the Superpower. If the give way rule is that simple WHY IS IT NEVER OBSERVED when a vehicle turning right into a side street should but never does give way to a vehicle exiting said side street onto the main road and turning right. Many junctions are marked with the priority in this way but I have never seen this rule observed in my time in New Zealand. I'll endeavour to draft a diagram if the above makes no sense.

[MD]

.... I'll endeavour to draft a diagram if the above makes no sense.

Your entire post DOES make sense. You understand and attempt to follow our give way/intersection rules. Clearly you are over qualified to drive on our roads!

[McJim]

Here's the diagram anyway - took me ages to draw and I was buggered if I was going to leave it on the computer after all that work!

According to the law the red car has right of way I think but the blue car will cut right across his nose without a second thought. Be interested to know if anyone sees this rule observed. Let me know. Cheers.

[Finn]

Here's the diagram anyway - took me ages to draw and I was buggered if I was going to leave it on the computer after all that work!

According to the law the red car has right of way I think but the blue car will cut right across his nose without a second thought. Be interested to know if anyone sees this rule observed. Let me know. Cheers.

No one really knows this rule so I work on "he who hesitaes loses" or "first in first serve"

[Ixion]

,,. If the give way rule is that simple WHY IS IT NEVER OBSERVED when a vehicle turning right into a side street should but never does give way to a vehicle exiting said side street onto the main road and turning right.,,.

That does not signify. Back when we had the old rule (that folk want to go back to), that wasn't observed half the time either.

In fact , whatever rule you have, a significant proportion of motorists will be too stupid, lazy , arrogant, or all three, to follow it.

A good many people out there still believe that a vehicle on a main road has right of way over one on a side road. How many years since *that* was changed?

Changing the rules won't make people obey them. You'll just confuse them even more.

[James Deuce]

The "solution" is quite simple. People need motivation to accept change.

If you don't:

A. Buy a new road code with the new legislation detailed in it, and
B. Provide proof of purchase of the new Road code to an examining agency and then complete a scratchy exam within three months of a law change to a sufficeint level to indicate you understand the new law(s), you lose your license. And have to start from the beginning, irrespective of age.

It's a privilege to drive/ride, not a right.

[Pathos]

Here's the diagram anyway - took me ages to draw and I was buggered if I was going to leave it on the computer after all that work!

According to the law the red car has right of way I think but the blue car will cut right across his nose without a second thought. Be interested to know if anyone sees this rule observed. Let me know. Cheers.

Thats not the law or the give way rule that the AA want changed.

In that diagram the red car has to give way because it is at a give way sign.

The give way in question is when the red car is turning into the same road as the blue card from the opposite direction.

New Zealand roads are designed for the give way rule the AA is challenging. If we changed it all the intersections would stop working properly. I have to say everyone I've seen has obeyed this rule. What a pack of busybodied idiots...