Driving in New Zealand

I  have been driving on the South Island for 3 years now and find driving in the big cities a damn sight safer than driving in the rural areas where we live!, the answer being in the cities they tend to obay the rules of the road generally but away from the big places it's everyone for themselves,most people jump lanes without thinking or indicating,sound dramatic but it's true, They have recently had a series of advertisements in our local papers telling people to use their indicators when turning and also look before pulling out  of side roads,I have had it happen a few times to me where they just slow down at the junction and then proceed to hinder you by pulling out.Now I watch the side roads like a hawk. The main North / South road ( there is only 1 road from top to bottom of the South Island) which is on the east coast is generally a good road but apart from Christchurch weaves it way through every little town/ village so don't expect motorways like in Europe.

Good timing on this question for me.  My daughter has her learner's permit and I have been quite focused on the way people drive lately.  We taught her at first and she took a few lesson with the AA (Automobile Association) and I sat in the back seat.  The instructor told her that her problem was the she learned from American parents. (Yes, I was offended). In New Zealand the roads are narrower than in many other modern countries like the USA. Because of this when there are cars parked at the kerb, drivers in New Zealand frequently cross the center line.  Therefore the advice here is to hug the edge (in New Zealand that is the left side) of the road.  Whereas Americans drive closer to the center line to give people in parked cars more clearance.   

More generically, in New Zealand we drive on the left side of the road. The transition took me about 30 minutes to get used to. The general road rules are the same as most of the world, with speed limits posted. Although round-a-bouts are very common and take a bit of getting used to. Once mastered, they really do make traffic flow faster.  It is the narrow roads, and the constant crossing of the center line that makes driving here a challenge. The motorway speeds are lower than most of the rest of the world, and speeding tickets are quite common, but don't really seem to slow down a certain segment of the population.

My advice to expats and visitors would be to read the rules, and understand the traffic signs. I know they are similar in the UK, but as an American expat, much of the signage was completely foreign to me.  New Zealand cities have rush hour, like everywhere so allow extra time.  Public transit is good in the cities, but not so much in the outskirts where we live.

I have blogged about it here: OMG – Driving on the Other Side of the Road

I find the traffic is much slower in New Zealand than in big cities in the USA. Fewer speeders in New Zealand also. Motorcycles are quite scary here. They weave in and out of traffic, pull up on your left side and pass you by driving in between the lanes. I don't know how they keep from getting run over. Generally New Zealanders are good and courteous drivers.

Forgot to tell you can legally drive here at the grand age of 15! So you can imagine how mature some of these drivers are! on the other end drivers still drive around in their 80s&90s. The top speed limit in NZ is 100k/60mph even on the few motorways and the police have a policy on public holiday weekends/ Xmas of zero tolerance ie   get. Caught doing 103 and you will be done. So be warned.