Driving in New Zealand

[swakelin91]

I have recently been in New Zealand around the Wellington area. During my time there I noticed the standard of driving is so much better than in England.

Other drivers are much more considerate, for example on many occasions people would pull over if they felt they were holding others up, something I have never seen happen in my four years of driving here.

Everyone seems a lot more relaxed on the road, you don't have people right up your chuff, at no time did I see anything close to road rage.

Overall it was just a much better place to drive, whilst there I was driving a Subaru Impreza, something I have always wanted to drive and it definitely didn't disappoint.

[Condi]

I disagree, they may be slower drivers but their road awareness and forward planning isnt as good. And you get loads of camper vans doing 50 kph in an 80...

That said, NZ is a million times better to drive around than Australia, who for a westernised country are shocking drivers.

[Jim Campbell]

Quite right about Australia. A shocking standard of driving and utterly obsessed with speeding fines. Much prefer driving in the UK. But for better or worse I'm back in Australia after 4 years in Britain. I must learn how to keep my rage at middle lane hoggers under control.

Ta

[GTIR]

Does NZ still have that odd give way to cars turning right rule?

Great if you're the one turning right but not if you're behind the bloke who's just stopped for no reason to let some bloke turn right across our road!

Took me a while to work out that law.

[sw4rm]

GTIR said:

Does NZ still have that odd give way to cars turning right rule?

Great if you're the one turning right but not if you're behind the bloke who's just stopped for no reason to let some bloke turn right across our road!

Took me a while to work out that law.

My Kiwi housemate informs me that this is no longer the case and they recently scrapped that rule. She rationalised it as "You always give way to the right". Yeah! At a bloody roundabout!

[MJK 24]

A friend who moved to NZ six years ago tells me she thinks standards and courtesy are higher in the UK.

She also said insurance is not compulsory which surprised me.

[blearyeyedboy]

They'll let anyone drive in NZ, it appears.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20614593

Dogs are being trained to drive cars to prove how rescued dogs can be retrained and rehomed. It's hoped that the publicity will encourage more people to take on rescued dogs.

[ImpossiblyDaft]

MJK 24 said:

She also said insurance is not compulsory which surprised me.

Isn't it the case that car tax there includes third party cover or something like that? Or is that somewhere else I'm thinking of?

[driverrob]

Christmas in Wellington will come as a surprise. We spent the last two there. The roads are even emptier than normal as families go away for their Summer holiday.
The State Highways are not good, compared to most places; 100km/h speed limits, few town by-passes, rarely 3 lanes and careless drivers. The minor roads across country are wonderful. You must take a drive over the Ranges towards Martinborough and on to Napier.
Straightforward claims are paid out of a public purse funded from various sources. Yes, car insurance is optional but you can't sue anyone for negligence.
At least they've raised the minimum driving age a bit, but there are still too many inexperienced youngsters driving high-powered cars.

[smiffy180]

ImpossiblyDaft said:

Isn't it the case that car tax there includes third party cover or something like that? Or is that somewhere else I'm thinking of?

Fuel pays for car tax and tpft

[chrisw75]

ImpossiblyDaft said:

MJK 24 said:

She also said insurance is not compulsory which surprised me.

Isn't it the case that car tax there includes third party cover or something like that? Or is that somewhere else I'm thinking of?

No, it doesn't. You just don't need to have your car insured, which means that younger drivers can drive cars with a little bit of power without being charged 10k/year.

I was driving Rover V8s at 16.. never could have done that in the UK. Age for getting a licence was 15 when I got my licence, and if you completed several courses, you could have your full licence by your 16th birthday.

It did, however, identify the need for uninsured drivers insurance as an add-on to your own insurance. And unlike the UK, there was a decent difference between third party and fully comp.

[Essex V6]

I have been living in NZ (Auckland) for some 6 years now and reckon the standard of driving here is far poorer in the UK. A shocking number of drivers go through red lights

[Essex V6]

Sorry, it was meant to read that it is far poorer here than the UK!