NZ gets it right, finally

The Kiwis have been going it alone for nearly 20 years with a unique road rule that has been finally laid to rest.

New Zealand has been the only place on Earth to force vehicles making a left a turn at an intersection to yield to traffic making a wider arc across the intersection from the oncoming direction. Traffic turning left has to give way to traffic from the right – including that which is turning right across an intersection.

That changed at 5am on Sunday, when the country revised the rule. It’s one that has caused several near-accidents with foreigners who were unaware it even existed.

Just why New Zealand introduced such a quirky rule 35 years ago remains unclear. The same set-up in Victoria was ditched in 1993, for the sake of harmonising the state's road rules with those throughout the rest of the country. Originally Victoria's rules were out of step with other states to allow freer traffic flow for trams in Melbourne's central business district. After Victoria aligned its road rules with elsewhere in Australia, New Zealand was the one remaining jurisdiction anywhere in the world — as far as we know — to enforce the “Give Way to Traffic approaching from the Right” law universal under all conditions.

Some argue that the rules encourage civility by allowing cars making the more difficult turn to go first, but New Zealand Transport Agency, which implements road rules, said Sunday's switch would speed traffic flow, reduce accidents and avoid an estimated one fatality and 97 injuries each year.

In the short term, the agency is encouraging extra civility as drivers in the country of 4.4 million adjust to the changes.

NZTA Media manager Andy Knackstedt said the agency encouraged motorists to give a friendly wave when things go wrong, adding that a one-fingered wave doesn't count as friendly.

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