Forum Home
PC World Chat
Thread ID: 104930	2009-11-13 02:16:00	The stupidity that is the NZ give way rule, as seen from the eyes of an Aussie	wratterus (105)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
829757	2010-03-07 04:55:00	Dammit, when will people learn the rules - THE SHINIEST CAR YIELDS RIGHT OF WAY . This is why old battered trucks make such good time through side streets . Auto priority . So, stop washing your car and save petrol plus time . btw, the heading should be " . . . the eye of an Aussie"	R2x1 (4628)
829758	2010-03-07 04:59:00	Have to agree with bells on R2. Is a the person in the right in a nice new shiny Mercedes Benz going to give way to a belligerent in a Hillman Hunter I think so. The Sensible Sentencing Trust might say different according to 12V.	prefect (6291)
829759	2010-03-08 03:51:00	Just seen a real pearler on the Swanson road roundabout. Truck in left hand lane drove straight across truck in right hand lane, dunno how they missed each other. Send all repair bills to the council. After all they are the ******g idiots that marked the road	Phil B (648)
829760	2010-03-08 04:10:00	Lane marking is immaterial as are signs. I noticed a sign in a bus a while back that said, "Wear a Berlei Bra." For some reason I still don't.	Sweep (90)
829761	2010-03-11 06:45:00	I dont think anyone else in the world would have been dumb enough to even faintly consider such a cack-handed rule,even in their waking moments, only the Aussies to ostensibly be of help to Melbourne trams and here in NZ, where at that time the country was still very insular and didn't really know what was happening elsewhere. Terry, I don't think you can suspect, let alone conclude that the rule is inherently wrong and this is the reason it wasn't adopted elsewhere, especially as the AA's own arguments are "cack-handed." Just how bad are New Zealand drivers as a country. The big unanswered question is just who was dumb enough at the time (1977) in the MOT to bring in such a rule, and change what was perfectly ok, when a quick trip to Germany or the UK would have shown them what other people had done for yonks and yonks, and why. Maybe it was the same MOT guys who refused to prohibit the use of Bogap CNG cylinders even though they didn't meet standards, until one blew up.......or even possibly the Upper Hutt guys who took about 5 goes to mark out lanes on some islands before being able to decide which was best.:banana" If that were the case, then why has the left turn give way rule lasted so long? New Zealand's turning rule is one of a number of rules pertaining to certain countries. When at the time, those of us who could see it was dumb for several good road safety reasons were more or less told to stop being whingeing poms :) Did the same happen, for example in Canada (another former British colony that's also part of the Commonwealth), when free right turns on a red light (another example of a rule peculiar to certain countries) where introduced? Did anything similar happen in New South Wales when they introduced the equivalent left turn on red (whenever that was)? The UK does not and never has permitted left or right turns on a red light, is this for a good safety reason? London is introducing such a scheme but only for bicycles. It was the same in Germany back in 1977, but a year later, East Germany (which presumably was unaware of what was happening in the wast, let alone the UK) did introduce right turn on red (only where a sign permits it). After reunification, a decision was taken to get rid of the rule, but the signs couldn't be removed and public protest led to them being remain untouched, it even spread to former West Germany. But most countries still don't permit turns on red lights even though it has long been the rule in North America, why? Countries outside North America that permit right turns on red likely copied North America in introducing it just as New Zealand copied Victoria's left turn give way rule. The only difference is that Victoria dropped the rule under national standardisation of Australian road rules, while New Zealand, being a separate island nation, kept on going, and still does even though Victoria got rid of it 17 years ago. Meanwhile, in both Canada and Unitied states, right turn on red applies nationwide so national standardisation of their road rules would not be a reason to change it. The situation with the left turn give way rule is as if the Western US states dropped right turn on red under national standardisation of the US road rules (the Eastern states and Canada having never adopted the rule) with Caribbean countries such as the Dominican republic (having copied western USA) still kept on going with right turn on red.	Myrtone (15420)
829762	2010-03-11 07:19:00	Hmm... your exposition is rather rambling, particularly with regard to turning at red lights, which is irrelevant to the current topic under discussion. "Terry, I don't think you can suspect, let alone conclude that the rule is inherently wrong ........." I can easily conclude the left hand turn rule was wrong, there is no suspecting involved at all. Being a Pom :) and having driven on business around several European countries in the 70s and listened to the comments of amazement by German visitors here about our give way and turning rules, the conclusion of idiocy is inescapable, in the same way as prioite a droit is idiocy in France and Belgium, ask any other European :) "If that were the case, then why has the left turn give way rule lasted so long?" Well it takes a long time for common sense to sink in. The last Labour government made noises to change the rule, but funked it. At least this government has seen the light. I can't follow your subsequent comments or the logic :banana	Terry Porritt (14)
829763	2010-03-11 07:23:00	Regardless of the rules some people simply don't know them or ignore them or a combination of both.	Sweep (90)
829764	2010-03-11 08:26:00	I can easily conclude the left hand turn rule was wrong, there is no suspecting involved at all. Being a Pom :) and having driven on business around several European countries in the 70s and listened to the comments of amazement by German visitors here about our give way and turning rules, the conclusion of idiocy is inescapable, in the same way as prioite a droit is idiocy in France and Belgium, ask any other European :) Just because that's your experience does not mean others would feel the same, one person's experience is not proof. Allister Jenks (the sitting duck blogger and podcaster) has also driven in the UK and Canada, and thus would have experienced the rest of the world system. Yet he says on episode 159 of his sitting duck podcast that the new rule will not be simpler and the reason he gives is this: The left turners will pay less attention to their surroundings because they know they not required to give way, and right turners will get impatient now having to wait for everyone and are more likely to take risks. If that doesn't happen in European countries you have driven in, maybe it's because their drivers are, on average, better then New Zealand drivers, the end, full stop. Allister says that's true of UK drivers. If there is enough space to pull around a left turner to come straight through, you won't hit one when turning right as long as you treat the give way rule properly, which is don't get in the way of. You don't get in the way of straight through traffic, and should expect the left turners not to get in the way of you.	Myrtone (15420)
829765	2010-03-11 08:46:00	If you feel strongly that the left turn rule should not be changed, then lobby the Government. As Sweep says above "Regardless of the rules some people simply don't know them or ignore them or a combination of both. " Any rule can be made to work, the old LH rule, pre 1977, was as the "rest of the world" allowing for which side of the road is driven on, it wasn't a point of discussion, it was just accepted as the norm. I grew up with the rule, cycling, motorbiking, car driving, no one had any problems with it. Even the priorité à droit can be made to work, as the French and Belgians demonstrate, that doesn't mean to say that it isn't considered idiotic by many other Europeans that don't have that rule, the Germans and Scandinavians for example when they drive there, as some have told me.	Terry Porritt (14)
829766	2010-03-11 08:53:00	Just because that's your experience does not mean others would feel the same, one person's experience is not proof. Allister Jenks (the sitting duck blogger and podcaster) has also driven in the UK and Canada, and thus would have experienced the rest of the world system. Yet he says on episode 159 of his sitting duck podcast that the new rule will not be simpler and the reason he gives is this: The left turners will pay less attention to their surroundings because they know they not required to give way, and right turners will get impatient now having to wait for everyone and are more likely to take risks. If that doesn't happen in European countries you have driven in, maybe it's because their drivers are, on average, better then New Zealand drivers, the end, full stop. Allister says that's true of UK drivers. If there is enough space to pull around a left turner to come straight through, you won't hit one when turning right as long as you treat the give way rule properly, which is don't get in the way of. You don't get in the way of straight through traffic, and should expect the left turners not to get in the way of you. So please explain to me why Allister Jenks ( who presumably is one person ) , unless he is schizophrenic has a better understanding than anyone else including myself and Terry? "Left turners will pay less attention and right turners will get impatient." Would you prefer right turners to pay less attention and left turners to get impatient? BTW we are or at least I am in NZ and what goes on in the rest of the world is hardly relevant. In other countries if you drive over a border the rules may just change without you noticing. Ignorance is no defence against a charge.	Sweep (90)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10