Tourist on our roads

[Mikkel]

Yeah, but we're looking at this from our perspective as motorcyclists.

Ok - I'm still pretty damn sure you'll find that the road toll on bikers due to tourists (from righthand driving countries) driving on the wrong side of the road is going to be extremely low. And no - the 4 people killed this weekend would not add to it I believe.

So rest easy and give those tourist a nice wave as you zoom by - be happy that they pop by and drop some foreign dough into the NZ coffers. Every buck they chuck in is one buck less the police has to rake in through speeding enforcement... (and yes, I am aware that this is in noway correct)

[jafar]

I don't know, suppose we would have to see the statistics to validify that statement. I'm of the opinion that tourist on the wrong side of the road are a greater threat to motorcyclist than they are other vehicles.

Simply because when you are head on with a any vehicle other than a motorcycle, 9.9 times out of 10 the motorcycle is going to lose.

The chances of a tourist having a head on with a car are much greater than having a similar crash with a bike, the sheer weight of numbers is in favour of a car v car situation.
While the crash this past week was a tragedy it is a rarity for a tourist van ( or any other van ) to be involved in a crash with a bike let alone several bikes.

[James Deuce]

Can you imagine the lethal carnage that would follow a change to the right hand side of the road? Better relatively small numbers of accidents caused by tourists than the 10s of thousands of deaths that would result from that change in NZ. People struggle with keeping left in NZ and that's the only side of the road the vast majority of them have driven on.

Public transport wouldn't be safe either. I'd insist on working from home if that happened I'm afraid. I'd get groceries delivered.

There are plenty of people in NZ who shouldn't be driving at all, due to health, mental health, age related infirmity, physical or mental disability, or sheer stubborn stupidity.

It doesn't bear thinking about, let alone proposing.

[Mikkel]

Can you imagine the lethal carnage that would follow a change to the right hand side of the road? Better relatively small numbers of accidents caused by tourists than the 10s of thousands of deaths that would result from that change in NZ. People struggle with keeping left in NZ and that's the only side of the road the vast majority of them have driven on.

Public transport wouldn't be safe either. I'd insist on working from home if that happened I'm afraid. I'd get groceries delivered.

There are plenty of people in NZ who shouldn't be driving at all, due to health, mental health, age related infirmity, physical or mental disability, or sheer stubborn stupidity.

It doesn't bear thinking about, let alone proposing.

Not quite so...

In Sweden they changed from LHD to RHD on September 3 1967. I even believe there was not a single accident on the day and accident figures dropped sharply for a time.

Mind you, this was Sweden - not NZ.

Actually - reading about LHD on wikipedia is quite interesting.

[SwanTiger]

Can you imagine the lethal carnage that would follow a change to the right hand side of the road? Better relatively small numbers of accidents caused by tourists than the 10s of thousands of deaths that would result from that change in NZ. People struggle with keeping left in NZ and that's the only side of the road the vast majority of them have driven on.

Public transport wouldn't be safe either. I'd insist on working from home if that happened I'm afraid. I'd get groceries delivered.

There are plenty of people in NZ who shouldn't be driving at all, due to health, mental health, age related infirmity, physical or mental disability, or sheer stubborn stupidity.

It doesn't bear thinking about, let alone proposing.

You're so paranoid Jim.

[rainman]

... and BOOM lots of dead people and the sick smell ...

Man, that's a bit harsh.

[MisterD]

I think unfortunately the best solution is for the remaining countries that drive on the left to switch to the right. It hurts my national pride to say that, but that's where I get from reason.

Richard

Well that aint gonna happen, imagine the combined cost in $$ (don't got no pound or Yen sign to hand) in UK and Japan to convert road junctions and signage...plus it won't solve the issue of tired disoriented tourists in big old campers they can't handle trying to drive and look at the scenery at the same time.

[James Deuce]

Not quite so...

In Sweden they changed from LHD to RHD on September 3 1967. I even believe there was not a single accident on the day and accident figures dropped sharply for a time.

Mind you, this was Sweden - not NZ.

Actually - reading about LHD on wikipedia is quite interesting.

Sweden.

This is NZ. The difference in driver training, personal attitudes, and a distinct lack of entitlement syndrome is what makes the difference.

I reckon you could change Italy to the left with less of a demolition derby than you'd get here, changing NZ to the right.

[JMemonic]

Perhaps part of the problem was these tourists were in a hurry to complete their journey around NZ, I recall reading they were due to fly out not long after the accident, also reading the story she admits she drifted to the left and over corrected, this is a terrible result of a panic situation.

[Grahameeboy]

Oh, Asians and now Tourists are a danger on the road because of an accident.............

[oldguy]

No need to change to RH, just use wire rope barriers along all our roads.

[Usarka]

No more danger on the open road than half the old folks making their once yearly drive to the city to go to farmers.

Or half of the city dewllers whos current driving skills consist of sitting in traffic jams suddenly finding themselves on the open road remembering the old days and giving it some stick.

[rwh]

Sweden.

This is NZ. The difference in ... personal attitudes ...

Ah yes, the 'we couldn't cope with that here' attitude ...

Richard

[James Deuce]

No Richard, actually it's worse than that. After driving overseas I can't believe the Police aren't allowed the option of roadside executions for the way at least half of all Kiwi road users drive.

I have little respect for the most of the people I'm forced to share the road with and I couldn't trust them to pull off what looks like a relatively simple task.

[Laava]

They could phase it in. All vehicles with an even no on their number plate drive on the right side of the road as of 2008 and the odd no's follow in 2009!