NZ road rules changing 25/3/12 - left turn giving way to right turn no longer!

[mr_osborne]

. Now they just have to scrap their "give way to right at roundabouts rule" and I will be happy...

This may be a silly question, but how else would a round about work? :S

 

[medhead]

This may be a silly question, but how else would a round about work? :S

As in Australia: give way to traffic on the round about. So you don't sit there and stare at the car approaching the round about from the right, you drive on if there is space, and if you get on the round about before the car on the right they have to give way to you. ie slow down a bit.


Sent from the Throne

 

[mr_osborne]

As in Australia: give way to traffic on the round about. So you don't sit there and stare at the car approaching the round about from the right, you drive on if there is space, and if you get on the round about before the car on the right they have to give way to you. ie slow down a bit.


Sent from the Throne

Thanks.
Is this in all states?

and I think the problem in NZ is more of a driver issue as opposed to a rule issue... but I don't know how the australian system is different (despite having driven there )

 

[medhead]

Thanks.
Is this in all states?

and I think the problem in NZ is more of a driver issue as opposed to a rule issue... but I don't know how the australian system is different (despite having driven there )

All Australian states have uniform road rules, except hook turns in Melbourne (well some buses do those in Adelaide). I've just realised that it might have changed but that's how I was taught when I got my licence in the late 80s.

In practical terms they are both probably the same. But give way to traffic on the round about, means you don't have to wait for cars approaching and it also means if there is a car on your left and on the round about you need to give way to them. For example on a small round about I've had a car coming from the right blast me, despite that I was on it first but slow getting around because of the size.


Sent from the Throne

 

[AdMEL]

..... All we've got to do is stop idiots doing U-turns at traffic lights in NSW!

Why? It's perfectly legal in most situations in Victoria!

As in Australia: give way to traffic on the round about. So you don't sit there and stare at the car approaching the round about from the right, you drive on if there is space, and if you get on the round about before the car on the right they have to give way to you. ie slow down a bit.

Interesting! Despite driving for over 20 years, I did not know that was the case!

All Australian states have uniform road rules, except hook turns in Melbourne (well some buses do those in Adelaide). I've just realised that it might have changed but that's how I was taught when I got my licence in the late 80s.

In practical terms they are both probably the same. But give way to traffic on the round about, means you don't have to wait for cars approaching and it also means if there is a car on your left and on the round about you need to give way to them. For example on a small round about I've had a car coming from the right blast me, despite that I was on it first but slow getting around because of the size.

In theory, all Australian states have uniform road rules - there are now Australian road rules, which some states directly reference, rather than having their own road rules. Hook turns are not unique to Melbourne - apparently they are now used in Brisbane (I think Markis10 mentioned this on another thread) and you've mentioned buses do them in Adelaide! Hook turns are actually part of the Australian road rules! Having said that, Victoria is not one of the states that directly references the Australian road rules - we still have our own and also still have some key differences (other than hook turns), one of them being the ability to do u-turns anywhere except where there is a no u-turn sign, which is the opposite of the Australian road rules and most, if not all,other states.

As you've mentioned, in practical terms, the operation of roundabouts is probably the same regardless of whether the rule is give way to the right, or give way to everyone on the roundabout. After all, I thought the rule was give way to the right!

 

[MatF]

Good to hear - this rule scared the cough out of me in 2005, when I knew nothing about it

 

[Warks]

Why? It's perfectly legal in most situations in Victoria!

But in NSW it is never, ever, ever allowed. No exceptions, ever. (well that I've seen in 30 years of driving)

In QLD it's allowed at lights where it is posted that you can do a U-turn. That doesn't stop people (maybe they've moved from Vic) doing it at any set of lights.

There are plenty of signs saying that U-turns at lights are illegal unless signposted.


So that's an area of uniformity we lack nationally. Not sure what the other states do.

 

[oz_mark]

But in NSW it is never, ever, ever allowed. No exceptions, ever. (well that I've seen in 30 years of driving)

In NSW it is permitted at traffic lights if there is a U-turn permitted sign. Of course it doesn't mean much if there are no such signs.

There is a similar situation in WA, where Left turns are permitted after stopping at a red light, if there is a sign that says so. I have never seen such a sign in WA.

 

[Warks]

Ah the left turn on red! We have them at 'selected' intersections in NSW but they are not common. In the USA and Canada I recall you can do the equivalent right turn after stopping at any lights. Would probably cause carnage here though.

 

[serfty]

Until a few years ago, Vic. had the give way to the right at roundabouts.

Posted on a wing and a prayer ...

 

[medhead]

Ah the left turn on red! We have them at 'selected' intersections in NSW but they are not common. In the USA and Canada I recall you can do the equivalent right turn after stopping at any lights. Would probably cause carnage here though.

There used to be one of these in Adelaide. Left turn after stopping an it's clear. I loved it, but also observed a number of drivers just sail through without stopping at all or even looking. Needless to say that sign was removed.

A big problem IMO is lots of drivers don't even look at signs, something that was beaten into me when learning was look at every sign.

Sent from the Throne

 

[MatF]

Ah the left turn on red! We have them at 'selected' intersections in NSW but they are not common. In the USA and Canada I recall you can do the equivalent right turn after stopping at any lights. Would probably cause carnage here though.

At the risk of exposing myself as someone who never reads up on local road rules, I also had an issue in the US with this ... didnt know about this rule, so I dutifully sat there at the red light, wating to turn right, with cars behind me honking their horns like crazy. I was wondering what they were honking at!

Lucky they didn't get too upset, as this was in Utah, where most locals are packing heat :shock:

 

[AdMEL]

But in NSW it is never, ever, ever allowed. No exceptions, ever. (well that I've seen in 30 years of driving)

In QLD it's allowed at lights where it is posted that you can do a U-turn. That doesn't stop people (maybe they've moved from Vic) doing it at any set of lights.

There are plenty of signs saying that U-turns at lights are illegal unless signposted.


So that's an area of uniformity we lack nationally. Not sure what the other states do.

Yes, as I mentioned above!

Until a few years ago, Vic. had the give way to the right at roundabouts.

Posted on a wing and a prayer ...

That explains why I thought that was the rule! I don't recall any advice that it changed!

 

[JessicaTam]

Well, I didn't think that a throw-away line would generate such discussion while I was in the air. Points to everyone for accuracy in the various explanations given.

 

[Major]

Just arrived back from AKL tonight. I'm glad I don't have to drive there on Sunday as I'm sure there will be a bit of road rage

 

[bigjobs]

Just arrived back from AKL tonight. I'm glad I don't have to drive there on Sunday as I'm sure there will be a bit of road rage

These sorts of changes usually result in the opposite effects.

 

[yo yo ma]

This is the number 1 read story on news.com.au

Kiwis finally give way on traffic logic, opting to let the gutter-hugger go first | News.com.au

 

[straitman]

This is the number 1 read story on news.com.au

Kiwis finally give way on traffic logic, opting to let the gutter-hugger go first | News.com.au

Interesting, though incorrect comment about Victoria.

Victoria had the rule but changed it quite some time ago to conform with the rest of the world. Maybe that's what it really meant.

 

[Peter D]

The Victorian rule was hang over from the days of having a universal give way to the right rule. It survived for years afterwards as an anomaly until someone took the initiative and changed it.
When I first encountered Victorian road rules (and I think other states as well) in the early 1970s everything gave way to the right every where. On main roads all side streets on the right however minor had priority.
Even if they faced a very rare stop sign all that the traffic from the right had to do was actually stop and could then proceed still with priority.
Hook turns in Victoria were/are different issue they are to keep the tram tracks clear.