【新西兰】Driving Etiquette 驾驶礼节

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!