Two more bikers taken out by wrong-side tourist

**swbarnett** · 23rd January 2008, 08:58

Originally Posted by Bikern1mpho

As for which hand is which no excuse for that!!

Actually, there is one - Dyslexia. Ask a dyslexic to show you their left hand and they'll have to think about it and won't always get it right. When my wife tells me which way to turn I get her to point and she's quite often pointing opposite to what she's just said.

As it relates to side of the road there are workarounds for those that have trouble with left and right; just remember that you drive on the opposite side to the side you sit on i.e. right hand drive means drive on the left. Perhaps this would help; tell this to tourists as well as left or right. This should work for all rental cars as long as their not imported sportscars.

**swbarnett** · 23rd January 2008, 09:14

Originally Posted by Robbo

Being a Tourist in any foreign country is NO excuse whatsoever, it is everyones responsability when travelling to understand, observe and obey the rules of the country they intend to drive in.

Exactly. When I first arrived in Switzerland to live I didn't drive but I did have my bicycle with me. After the first ride and getting confused by the traffic lights (the road markings are different) I went down to the local equivelent of LTNZ and picked up the road code in English. Maybe if we had our road code in an appropriate language more tourists would bother to read it? (This, of course, is no excuse for the English speakers.)

**tri boy** · 23rd January 2008, 09:29

Originally Posted by oldrider

These people, the bikers, are friends of mine.

Pass on KBer's best wishes John.

Heading into the sth Island early Feb to check out some of the passes etc.
Best I stay alert for wandering everything

**Number One** · 23rd January 2008, 10:26

Originally Posted by swbarnett

Actually, there is one - Dyslexia. Ask a dyslexic to show you their left hand and they'll have to think about it and won't always get it right. When my wife tells me which way to turn I get her to point and she's quite often pointing opposite to what she's just said.

HA HA - isn't Bikernympho a dyslexic? Or so she has said many a time anyway...and infact it ain't just dyslexics...there is apparently an actual medically recognised term for people who consistently get their left and rights mixed up.

**Coyote** · 23rd January 2008, 10:39

Time to paint some arrows on the road for me and others to slip on in the wet

**swbarnett** · 23rd January 2008, 11:34

Originally Posted by Coyote

Time to paint some arrows on the road for me and others to slip on in the wet

These already exist in some of the more touristy spots. Around places like the Waitomo caves.

**SPman** · 23rd January 2008, 11:37

Originally Posted by Number One

When o when are they going to make people prove their competence behind the wheel and awareness of our road rules before letting them loose?

I think there should be a compulsory test both practical and oral or written. That way there is 'some' level of comfort that they are at least aware of the rules and are actually competent enough to be driving HERE in the first place!

Hey - we could try it out on the locals first - that'll solve most of the problems - reduce their targets by half!

**Coyote** · 23rd January 2008, 11:51

Originally Posted by swbarnett

These already exist in some of the more touristy spots. Around places like the Waitomo caves.

I remember seeing some somewhere. Accident waiting to happen, like STOP being written on the road which did a good job at stopping me a while ago.

**FROSTY:Me** · 23rd January 2008, 12:34

last place I worked we used to rent a few cars. One thing we did was put arrows on the windsheildpointing left Dunno if it helped but none of our cars got crashed.
Boot on the other foot.Theres a road in France nicknamed "suicide alley' by the french.Its the first major road after the ferry from UK and aparently theres at least one head on crash a week there.

**sunhuntin** · 23rd January 2008, 12:45

Originally Posted by Coyote

I remember seeing some somewhere. Accident waiting to happen, like STOP being written on the road which did a good job at stopping me a while ago.

they have them all over the show down south... usually on both sides of a rest area. just ride around em, easy enough to do, like avoiding a manhole.

when i was in canada, i didnt even notice the side of the road when being a passenger... i had to have it pointed out, lol. i did notice, however, the different stars in the sky, lol.

**Kittyhawk** · 23rd January 2008, 12:53

Originally Posted by idb

Awww go on....

Useless, and they will never be politicially correct among themselves.

The goverment may voice their good intentions but actioning it is another story, "hurry up and wait" is how it is...

Implementing more systems to improve public/govt operated services it aint going to happen, as for the economy running at a loss, why can NZ not provide for itself. The level of imports to exports is pathetic, why do we have to rely on Australia so much, if they change their export system we are fucked! The goverment manages to "donate" millions to countries in need, why have these countries not picked up progress?

Look at Africa - World vision has been going for years and years, yet on TV it demonstrates that funds are still in demand from richer countries. The goverment is not allowing the country to move forward and progress.

ARGH crooked bastards the lot of them!

**Grahameeboy** · 23rd January 2008, 12:58

Originally Posted by Number One

Haven't read the other posts...sorry if this is a repeat BUT...

When o when are they going to make people prove their competence behind the wheel and awareness of our road rules before letting them loose?

I think there should be a compulsory test both practical and oral or written. That way there is 'some' level of comfort that they are at least aware of the rules and are actually competent enough to be driving HERE in the first place!

When Kiwi's can understand the rules of the road then you may have a point.

Unless you have driven in Europe, it is easy to make this type of mistake because for a start this Spanish guy was driving a right hand drive car when he is used to a left hand.....

**cold comfort** · 23rd January 2008, 14:15

Don't panic, it will all be solved by increasing the demerit points for "speeding"-yeah right!. Worked overseas for a while. No dramas in places like Italy and Saudi Arabia. Just requires a little more concentration (not likely with rubbernecking tourists) Mind you the possiblity of incurring the wrath of an injured local resulting in a 10yr incarceration or being shot in the head tends to keep your focus. Maybe we should try that here. The "i wouldn't have hit you if you weren't in my country so it's your fault" argument

**Ixion** · 23rd January 2008, 14:18

Originally Posted by Grahameeboy

When Kiwi's can understand the rules of the road then you may have a point.

Unless you have driven in Europe, it is easy to make this type of mistake because for a start this Spanish guy was driving a right hand drive car when he is used to a left hand.....

That should make one less likely to go wrong. The constant presence of things in the "wrong place" serving as a reminder (gear lever on the wrong side, look out the right hand window - oops no etc ) Easier to understand forgetting on a bike, since everything is in the same place , regardless of "which side"