One of the delights of our Green School NZ community is that we have learners and parents from all over the world. This means that many Green School parents have learnt to drive with left hand drive vehicles and road rules that are different from the NZ Road Code. 

Others of us who learnt to drive in NZ or Australia don't look at the NZ Road Code for years, often until our own children start to drive. The NZ Road Code is updated regularly to reflect current legislation and communication strategies, so it is good for everyone who drives in NZ to review it from time to time.

Most of the signs you’ll see on our roads are international symbol signs. This means they use the same shapes and symbols as traffic signs all over the world. When there are no signs, drivers need to know and do what the NZ Road Code sets out. In this article are three examples of situations where knowing the right thing to do can help avoid an accident. All links will take you to the section of the NZ Road Code that applies. The NZ Road Code has many illustrations that show examples of what to do in different circumstances.

Intersections

At unmarked intersections: 

• Slow down and look in all directions to work out what's happening. Look for traffic, pedestrians, cyclists, children nearby, animals on the loose.

• If you’re turning, give way to all traffic that’s not turning. This includes giving way to cyclists.

• If you’re turning right, give way to all vehicles coming towards you who are turning left.

• If you’re crossing a marked centre line at an uncontrolled intersection, you must give way to vehicles that are following the centre line.

Safe distance between vehicles

It’s very important to make sure you have a safe distance between you and the vehicle in front, so you have enough time if you need to stop suddenly, and you have time to see and react to hazards.

The NZ Road Code recommends using the 2-Second Rule under normal conditions and the 4-Second Rule if driving conditions are poor or someone is travelling too close behind you. These rules are explained in the Following Distance section of the NZ Road Code.

Speed limits

Where a speed limit is posted for a road, you can drive at any speed under or equal to that limit, but there are some conditions attached to that general rule. For example, on Koru Road, where the speed limit is 100 km/h, you should slow down if:

• the road is winding, bumpy, narrow, wet or icy

• the road is busy, or if there are pedestrians, cyclists or horses around

• it’s raining, windy or foggy

If you’re travelling slower than the speed limit and there are vehicles following you, you must:

• keep as close to the left side of the road as possible

• pull over as soon as it’s safe to let following vehicles pass.

If you are unsure of the speed limit on any NZ Road, check the National Speed Limit Register, a map-based database that shows the speed limits for most roads in NZ.

Please also note that although Koru Rd is 100kph, it is an example of a type of road (narrow and uneven) where dropping to 80kph would be more prudent due to the high amount of traffic and Koru Rd is a farm road, with animals (dogs, cows, horses) often out and about.

By driving safely, you'll model good habits that will help your child to be a safer driver in future. Ngā mihi.