Dangerous Dave

The Right Turn Rule

Tuesday, January 26, 2010 10:48:46 PM

road rules, new zealand, right turn rule, riht hand turn rule

The Right Turn Rule is a road rule unique to New Zealand, not to be confused with the Right Turn on Red rule used in many other countries.
As a driver, and as someone who understand this rule to what I believe to be the fullest extent, I think it's an awesome rule. There are many who believe otherwise.
To understand my point of view, I will have to first describe to you how the rule works.

First of all, it's important to note that we drive on the left hand side of the road. This rule could have just as easily been called the Left Turn Rule, because it's actually those turning left that must give way. Here is a diagram:

Now because the red car is turning right, and the blue car is turning left, the blue car must give way to the red car. This was originally a law copied from the Australian State of Victoria, who revoked it in the 90s. There are a few exceptions to the rule. Firstly, if the road the road they are turning into is a (two lane) one way street, each car turns into their closest lane (a rule I find to be less known than the Right Turn Rule, contrary to popular belief). If there are two lanes (or more) in each direction, again, each car turns into their closest lane and no one gives way. The third circumstance is if there is a "barrier". A barrier is another car coming through from behind the blue car. Because the red car only gets right of way from the blue, left turning, car and not from the straight ahead traffic, they must give way to the straight ahead traffic. Because the red car cannot turn (as it needs to give way to the extra traffic), the blue car is allowed to turn.

Sounds complicated, don't it? It's not really. Although many people would tell you otherwise, in my experience the vast, vast majority of drivers (in New Zealand, obviously) understand and follow this rule. Every time you are in the red car's position, you act with caution to be sure the blue car understands and follows the rule, but this caution is no different to checking for cars when using a pedestrian crossing.

Now the reason for this rule may be lost on some, but if you are trying to turn right in a moderately busy intersection, you may be sitting there for some time. Along comes a left turning car, and suddenly you aren't sitting there for anywhere near as long as you potentially could have been. Left turning traffic still gets to turn rather quickly, adding a few seconds onto their wait time. It just splits it up and gives each side a chance at turning.

You may think this rule sounds weird, but I came across the Right Turn on Red rule while researching this, and I thought that was weird (we don't have that). Even so, I can see how useful it could be.

-Dave

PS, if you try Googling for more on the Right Turn Rule, I guarantee you this will be the only thing you find in support.

PPS, here is a (semi) recent article on the matter (where they call it the Left Turn Rule). Their findings are far different to my own experiences, maybe it's an Auckland thing to not follow the rule(especially with their high international population).

Happy Holidays!Life, the Universe, and Everything

Comments

Anonymous # Tuesday, January 26, 2010 11:16:38 PM

Drazzke writes: In Canada we drive on the right side, like in the US, and if someone is turning right (left in your case), they always get the right of way.. Personally, that rules sounds like it would cause more accidents then it would actually help the traffic. If someone is turning right, they can expect to be able to do so unless the light is red and there is oncoming traffic, or a pedestrian is crossing. It basically means right always gets to go, and left has to wait. In my opinion, that keeps it simple and easy. However, I've only driven in Canada, so I guess I shouldn't make too many assumptions until I try that out or see it in person. Just seems like it'd be more annoying then anything :P

Dangerous DaveDangerous_Dave # Tuesday, January 26, 2010 11:30:26 PM

You have to understand that the rule hasn't been suddenly declared in Canada, it's well established in a country that has used the rule for 40 or so years. Just like any road rule, it only works if everyone follows it. If you assume that every single driver understands and follows it, therefore there are no accidents, then would it not actually help the flow of traffic? Right turning cars being stuck out in the middle of the road waiting for ages to turn means that eventually they will aim for a smaller and smaller gap until an accident is caused.

" It basically means right always gets to go, and left has to wait."
Don't you think traffic flow could be improved if you let left go occasionally?

DesertDweller # Wednesday, January 27, 2010 4:00:28 AM

In Arizona we have a designated middle lane where cars turning go into. Basically if you're in this middle "left turn" lane, you can wait while not stopping the flow of traffic in your direction (since nobody is supposed to be "driving" in the middle lane)

This being the case, you as left-turner must yield to oncoming traffic. It works quite well with turning left onto a main street also. You turn into the (empty) middle lane, then wait till traffic is clear and merge right.

The only problem I see with this is that a whole extra lane is required for most streets.

What irks me though is the fact that nobody (and by nobody I mean 95%+ of drivers) turns into the correct lane when there are multiple lanes of traffic. Instead of turning right into the right-most lane or turning left into the left-most lane, people turn into whatever lane they feel like, thereby making it an extremely rare occasion where cars turn left and right into the same street at the same time. Almost always those turning left (who have less the right-of-way than right-turners) just wait. It's sad really, that nobody can trust anybody or even follow the simple rule.

Dangerous DaveDangerous_Dave # Wednesday, January 27, 2010 7:55:57 PM

We have that extra lane too, called a median strip, but it's only there on some roads. The vast majority of roads don't have one. And yes, that turning into closest lane thing, I find that to be about the least followed rule. I would much rather wait an extra second or two for our cars to be misaligned than risk the other guy turning into the wrong lane and hitting me.

DesertDweller # Thursday, January 28, 2010 12:00:30 AM

Oh...I guess when we only have two lanes (which isn't often at all except in neighborhoods when you would rarely need such a right-turn-rule as New Zealand has), we don't have what you guys have. And usually if it gets that busy to that point, we probably would just build new lanes then and worry about the cost later.

Anonymous # Thursday, January 28, 2010 4:14:40 AM

Obj_control writes: That's an interesting rule, and I think would be useful here in Canada. As DesertDweller said, in Canada and the states, right hand side gets the advantage every time, but if I understood correctly, this would help give both sides an equal chance. It would be hard to get use to though. (I cannot drive so I can't really understand it more than from the point of view of a person wanting to get from point A to point B in the shortest time possible.) off topic: Captcha with real words!

Anonymous # Thursday, January 28, 2010 4:16:12 AM

Obj_control writes: Sorry, it was drazzke who pointed out the right lanes in Canada/states thing.

Dangerous DaveDangerous_Dave # Monday, February 1, 2010 6:29:57 AM

". And usually if it gets that busy to that point, we probably would just build new lanes then and worry about the cost later."
Our roads are generally very low quality. The reason for this is because of the cost vs traffic ratio. Many, dare I say most, of our roads are isolated and few people use them save for the people who live on them. Metal (as in gravel) roads are not so uncommon, and main roads generally don't last long especially with our weather. Central streets in main cities and highly traveled routes are sometimes sealed in a higher quality asphalt. The rest gets repaired frequently, and it seems it would be at least as cheap to make better roads and not have to maintain them. However, the constant repairing of the roads creates thousands of jobs, so I'm not entirely against it.

Anonymous # Monday, February 15, 2010 7:59:28 AM

Schyler writes: Interesting article. I read many of your signature blogs, just never comment on them. Thought I would, this time (:

Anonymous # Monday, May 30, 2011 11:34:04 PM

Anonymous writes: "What irks me though is the fact that nobody (and by nobody I mean 95%+ of drivers) turns into the correct lane when there are multiple lanes of traffic. Instead of turning right into the right-most lane or turning left into the left-most lane, people turn into whatever lane they feel like, thereby making it an extremely rare occasion where cars turn left and right into the same street at the same time. Almost always those turning left (who have less the right-of-way than right-turners) just wait. It's sad really, that nobody can trust anybody or even follow the simple rule." YES! I always thought this was the rule, but nobody in Winnipeg seems to follow it. In fact, today I was lectured by another driver about turning into the second rightmost lane from the second rightmost turning lane. In his opinion, it was my responsibility to turn into the left-most lane, thus giving him the ability to turn into any of the other lanes. (The only reason I stopped to talk with him after he honked at me was that I've had to slam on my brakes several times at this intersection as someone turns into my lane without even looking, and have been the one honking on those occasions.)

Dangerous DaveDangerous_Dave # Tuesday, May 31, 2011 8:39:40 AM

Haha, I don't think I've ever been in that position. I don't think I've ever driven on a road that has a "second rightmost turning lane", that would require at least 4 lanes in one direction. I've driven in Auckland multiple times, and that has a population twice as big as (what Wikipedia says) Winnipeg has, but I'm not sure there are any 8 lane wide roads, except for the motorways, but they don't have intersections where you negotiate opposing traffic at any point with 4 lanes.