About time

[djb160]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/4178822/Give-way-road-rule-change-confirmed

Although I've never obeyed the T-section rule - hell didn't even know it was one.

[Subaru ETA]

what a load of ****. in auckland especially where it actually gets busy the rule where the left turning car has to give way is a great rule - it keeps the traffic flowing. otherwise in some situations you would never be able to turn into a street!

changing the rule is just going to make more confusion. im sorry but if you are "confused" by the current law then maybe people that are should stop drving and go thake the test again

[djb160]

I can see a period of people just being really slow at intersections once this goes through so as to avoid accidents.

[Subaru ETA]

and i hope that when they change the rule someone get "confused" at an intersection and crashes into Steven Joyce. that guy is a tool

[william]

Best news I have heard in a long time! It is a stupid rule and should have been scrapped long ago! We are the only country in the world stuck with it - if it was a sensible rule it would have been used all over the globe. It was used in Melbourne for some time but they came to their senses many years ago and scrapped it.

[scott.mohekey]

I can see a period of people just not knowing its changed or not caring, and CAUSING accidents.

[Subaru ETA]

no offence to anyone here, but of the people i have spoken to about this (when they came up with the idea of changing it ages ago) the only people who thought it was a good idea to change it were people who had moved here from other countries - they were confused by the rules that we have. im not saying that this is why you think it needs to be changed william, its just an observation. i personally think the rule we have is a good one, that my opinion

i have spent a month driving in the USA and Canada - now thats a confusing place! some states have different driving rules to each other!

it seems that it just something they are changing just to make it look like they are doing something!

on a side note - labours idea of taking the GST off fresh fruit and veggies.....yeah good one dick head! that wasnt his idea! Jess did her thesis on this exact same thing about 6 years ago! word for word as to what he wants to do! lol

[mattnz]

Well then you should be glad that they're taking policy ideas from the scientific community, as opposed to some redneck in Wanganui :P

I don't really know about this rule change. Just because the rest of the world does it a simpler way we should change? In North America the give way rules are pretty much the first person to stop is the first to go. Now that's simple, it's also pretty inefficient. Why don't we change to that as well?

My main concern is also how the hell are people going to turn right now? Our roads are all set up for the existing rule, and unless a lot of money goes into widening roads and putting in medians, I can see it being carnage.

[scott.mohekey]

Now that you mention it.. the only reason they've given for the change is 'to be in line with the rest of the world'.. does that take into account the differing sidedness of each countries roads? Is everyone else actually correct?

[scott.mohekey]

They did mention an AA study that showed something like 2000 accidents a year at intersections, which they attributed to the current rules.. OR, it could just be that people don't know their arse from their steering wheel and shouldn't be on the road in the first place.

[djb160]

It would be interesting to see from those '2000' accidents which were caused by tourists(whom may not know the rule is different here) and those who are local(which means they just don't know the rules.)

I'm not sure about the X intersection one but the T intersection rule seems like a good change because thats how pretty much everyone Ive seen driving does it anyway.

[Ryan]

It is a silly rule - specifically in the instance that Dave mentioned, during peak traffic when turning right into a street.

Having the car turning left yielding, defeats the purpose because there is invariably a queue of following traffic going straight which prevents the right turning car from crossing anyway.

[scott.mohekey]

See.. I always thought the right turning car got right of way UNLESS there was cars travelling straight behind the left turning car.

[Fully]

Woot about time they put it back to how it was :P

[Goku]

Lol, we're not all old enough to remember that Shane :P

Also, it says it will stop about 7% of crashes at intersections....

[bradc]

The first picture there is fine, I have no problems with that at all. I beleive it is easier as you simply wait until no traffic is coming at all, then turn!

The second picture is already treated like that anyway at the moment, everyone drives like that at the moment.

[Fully]

Lol, we're not all old enough to remember that Shane :P

Also, it says it will stop about 7% of crashes at intersections....

It was only in 1977, that was not long ago =)


The first picture there is fine, I have no problems with that at all. I beleive it is easier as you simply wait until no traffic is coming at all, then turn!

The second picture is already treated like that anyway at the moment, everyone drives like that at the moment.

People don't know who gives way to who, they both hesitate, one goes then the other and bang!
It bring us more in line with other country's. I like it as it keeps the main road folwing.

Who knows about the hook turn?
Were should this be done in NZ?

[bradc]

Same example as in the second picture, but on a road with no center median, you should come to a stop on the left side of the road, then turn across both lanes once there is no traffic coming

[mattnz]

I have literally never run into a situation like the 2nd picture without a Give Way or Stop sign, so it's really a non-issue to me.

[Patryn999]

Really? So every single side-street you go down in suburbia has a give way sign at the end? Wasn't the case when I was last in dunners 2 years ago. Its more that everyone treats a T intersection as a give way (like the rule change will be), so its been a non-issue. Still occassionally get caught out by old people stopping in the middle of the road to wait for you sometimes...

[scott.mohekey]

They're all over the place in Christchurch too. The street I live on has one at each end in fact.