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Leavingasidetheissuesassociatedwithmotorways,whichareprettymuchthesameeverywhere,thereareafewpointstobemadeonthesubjectofdrivinginNewZealand1,particularlyontheNorthIsland2.
LegendhasitthattheNorthIslandistheremainsofalargefishhookedbyaguynamedMauisomeyearsago.Ifthisistrue,thenitisclearboththathefailedtoeatmostofit3,andthathesubdueditonlywithgreatdifficulty.Thetopographysupportstheviewthatthefishwasverybadlychoppedup.Flatbitsarefewandfarbetween.
NorthIslandroadswereoriginallyconstructedinsympathywiththelandscape,ormorelikelyincapitulationtoit.Measurethedistancebetweenanytwopoints,andthiswillbesignificantlylessthananodometerregistersfortheactualtrip.Insomecountriesitispossibletofindroadsthatstretchout,straightanddeadflat,tobothhorizons.Nothere.Hereitispossibletoreadthespeedwarningforthenextcorneronexitingthepreviousone.
Settlementsarenotveryfarapart,andalotofthelocaltraffictravelsatarelaxedpace,roughly80%oftheavailablelimit.Interestingly,manydriverswhosteadfastlyrestrainthemselvesontheopenroadseemtofinditdifficulttoslowtheirvehiclessufficientlytomeetthelowerspeedlimitapplyinginbuiltupareas.
Someofthemoreimportantroadswideneverynowandthentoprovideanovertakinglane.Thisfeatureissometimesuseful,butasageneralrulemilktrucks,caravans,tractorsand80kmhspeeddemonswillonlybeencounteredaftertheextralaneends.Itistheoreticallypossibletoovertakeinotherplaces,butasurprisinglylargenumberofwhitecrossesontheroadsidesaretestamenttotheconsequencesofmisjudgingsuchamove.
Therearesectionsofroadinwhichitispossibletoachievethespeedlimit.Theauthoritieshaveidentifiedallofthese,and,asidefromthecornersbeingalittlefurtherapart,theymayberecognisedbythepresenceofsignswarningofspeedcameras.Thesesignsaremostlydiversionary,theratioofsignpoststocameraunitsequatingtounbackablylongtoteodds,butspeedingthroughastretchwhichiscoveredbyacameraisbestavoided.
NewZealandislargelyagriculturalandsupportshighconcentrationsofcattleandsheep.Manyoftheseareroadusers.Theyhaverightofway.Sometimestheytravelbytruck,andifovertakingoneofthesetransportsitisgenerallyadvisabletogoaswideaspossible.Ifyoucan’tovertake,keeparespectablegapbetweenyou.Youhavebeenwarned.
TheNewZealandhealthindustryhasbeenundergoingeconomicrationalisationforseveralyearsnow.Thehealthbudgetappearstobesupportingmoremanagementconsultantsthanmedicalpractitioners.Drivecarefully.
ElderlyDriverLaw
AvisionaryideahasbeenfloatedinNewZealandandislikelytobecomelaw,ifithasn’talready.Someelderlymotoristswillbebannedfromdrivingonbusyandunfamiliarroadsunderproposeddrivinglicencechanges.Transportofficialssaykeepingolderdriverswithincertainareas-suchastheirownsuburbortown-wouldenhancesafetyandallowthemtoremainmobile.Thus,driversunabletocopeinheavytrafficoroverlongdistances,butwhofeelcomfortabledrivingtothelocalshops,canopttositforanewlimitedlicence.Thepracticaltestwouldbedoneonroadswithwhichtheywerefamiliar,ratherthanonbusymotorwaysandinpeak-hourtraffic,ashappensunderthepresentsystem.
1Forclarityofvisualisationhere,itshouldbenotedthatinNewZealand-asinotherCommonwealthcountries-thelefthandsideoftheroad,goingforward,isthelegaloneonwhichtodrive.
2ItshouldbenotedthatthisentryisbasedonNorthIslandexperienceonly:therearethosetowhomthedistinctionbetweendrivingontheNorthIslandanddrivingintheSouthissignificant.
3SomeAustraliansmaydisagreeonthispoint!