Changing of the Give Way Rule

[Gaz 1061]

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Looks like after much talk it is going ahead. What are your thoughts?

I for one, think that they will need to install alot more filter lights as we have hardly any down here and will if they don't watch for road rage to increase.

Discuss.

[Lucan 196]

The + intersection rule makes sense. Yes.

The T intersection should have a Give Way sign for the car on the right of the picture.

Hows that confusing? No.

[rookie 0]

The T intersection should have a Give Way sign for the car on the right of the picture.

Hows that confusing? No.

Thats the point it shouldnt have one... Where there is an intersection as shown with no give way sign (there is quite a few around (one right next to my house for instance) most people dont understand that the car stopped in the 'side' road is allowed to go first. Most driver license testers try to trick people on this rule.

It is confusing for some =D

[Lucan 196]

Gotcha, if there is no give way I can see how thats confusing.

[leithcm 0]

About bloody time this was changed! Absolutely idiotic that straight ahead traffic has to stop for right turning traffic at an intersection! A line of traffic can go through an intersection, but if someone in that line has indicated to turn left, then a vehicle waiting to turn right had right of way, forcing the whole line to stop, wait, dither, (lights change!!!) then - too late, missed the lights!! And they wondered why there are so many intersection accidents!!

[bravo 35]

More importantly I better get around to sitting my full motorcycle license test before they change that. I've been sitting on a restricted for nearly 10 years as I sold my bike, but screw going through a more intense test (= more $$$ guaranteed).

[Dr. M 10]

Awesome. Man it was average moving back to NZ from overseas and having to give way @ + intersections.

Next headline: "Accident rate increases by 50% in early 2012"

[pjay 8]

The first change pictured is illogical.

The second is logical.

[_Matt_ 42]

Just learn to give way silly drivers!

[blk320i 0]

obviously its going to make it more confusing for a while, think the key is going to be not to take it for granted which i tend to do anyway as some people are just kooks. ive been working with people from all over the world in nz for the past 3 years and none of them understood the reasoning behind the rule how it was/is.

[_Matt_ 42]

The first change pictured is illogical.

The second is logical.

I'd have to agree, at busy intersections people will just start running reds because they have had no chance to turn right.

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2132]

I find the proposed rule for the first one tends to happen anyway when there is a car coming up behind the left turning car, the right turning car shouldnt go.

For the second one, i honestly thought that was already the rule unless there was a roundabout in the middle.... so does this mean that rules at roundabouts will now change as well?

[simke 0]

For the second one, i honestly thought that was already the rule unless there was a roundabout in the middle

+ 1 - thought this was the current rule. And I've never seen anyone do it otherwise.

[_Matt_ 42]

The car on the right is not on a give way sign so they have right of way...that is why they are changing it. Because most people are oblivious to this fact

[Gaz 1061]

And hence why there are so many accidents. No one knows the current rules.

Another thing that will need doing is the re-enginneering of the roads to suit the rule change.

Edited September 29, 2010 by Gaz

[_Matt_ 42]

Another thing that will need doing is at re-enginneering of the roads to suit the rule change.

will they add give way sighs to every T? or remove them all? haha, they will be useless now.

[Gaz 1061]

will they add give way sighs to every T? or remove them all? haha, they will be useless now.

Watch them turn up at student flats everywhere haha.

I'm talking more about the size of the lanes. If traffic is going to be waiting longer in line to turn right then the lanes will have to be longer yes? And I would also be a fan of making it a free left turn on red aswell since this is going ahead.

Edited September 29, 2010 by Gaz

[Apex 693]

I just drive around trying not to be hit or hit anything, don’t follow the road code, like a pin ball wizard.

The current rules don’t work and the new rules won’t work either because all other drivers are retarded.

[bravo 35]

I think this thread proves that changing things won't help.

By my count 5 of the above don't understand the current rules, and don't sound like they understand the proposed ones either. I think the changes make sense, but if you understand the current rules and follow them, there is no problem.

Most people don't know how to indicate at roundabouts.

Many people don't know how to keep left.

Many people don't understand that slow vehicle lanes are for them if they've got 8 or so cars in a queue behind them.

[pureboiracer 0]

The current rules don’t work and the new rules won’t work either because all other drivers are retarded.

+1

[cliffdunedin 8]

Awesome. Man it was average moving back to NZ from overseas and having to give way @ + intersections.

Yep i agree, how the hell we even got the current stupid give way rules is beyond me!!

[Wom 0]

+1 to Graham's post

spot on mate

the indication thing is a real gear grinder for me

I hate waiting for someone indicating right when they are going straight

and then have to wait another 5 minutes because that was the only potential gap

[aaronmartin 0]

The first change pictured is illogical.

The second is logical.

With the first one, the reason I was told for this new rule is that for the car turning right (across traffic), they have to give way to ALL traffic coming towards them, and cars turning left can just keep moving and get out of the way.

Having driven in USA and Europe, this rule actually works really well as it stops cars queuing in both lanes, only the people turning right queue up.

Many accidents happen now because people try and turn in front of a left turning car, without realising / noticing a car behind it that is going straight through. Also the for the car turning left it can be hard to tell whether the right turning car is going to go, based on straight through traffic from behind that the left turning car can't really see.

The right on red rule works really well in USA, but I don't think it (left on red) would work here, Kiwi drivers are just too agro. In USA causing an accident can cost you ALOT of money, so people are much more careful at driving than in NZ.

[kiwi535 538]

About bloody time this was changed! Absolutely idiotic that straight ahead traffic has to stop for right turning traffic at an intersection! A line of traffic can go through an intersection, but if someone in that line has indicated to turn left, then a vehicle waiting to turn right had right of way, forcing the whole line to stop, wait, dither, (lights change!!!) then - too late, missed the lights!! And they wondered why there are so many intersection accidents!!

and how is that different to the line of traffic waiting behind the left turning car?There is logic behind the left turning car giving way,in that he is giving way to traffic on his right.the other change has some logic too but goes against one of the basic give way rules ie when two vehicles are turning right give way to the vehicle on your right.

I reckon the changes are just as confusing as the rules they are replacing.

[R90S 2]

I reckon the changes are just as confusing as the rules they are replacing.

I can understand the confusion to some extent. IIRC, the rule change was instituted originally because Victoria had made the change to the "left turning guy gives way" rule, and a few other European countries already had the rule. Indications (cool! a pun!) were that most other countries and Aussie states were intending to follow suit. It didn't happen, and instead we now remain the only country that hasn't dumped it.

The simple philosophy behind reverting back to the "left-turning guy has right-of-way" rule is that you're just following the curb, even though you are changing direction. The intention of the current rule was to make it easier for right-turning traffic to execute their maneuvre but this didn't allow for traffic passing straight through. The current rule has been a disaster ever since it's implementation, 'cos the promise (yeah, right!) was that every intersection would get appropriate signage and roadmarkings. Never happened, surprise, surprise.

IMHO, reverting back to the "right-turning guy gives way" rule will actually be better, if perhaps a little more frustrating at times.