Driving a car in New Zealand
An insight into the traffic rules and driving safety and what you should do before buying a car in New Zealand.
You have just arrived in Aotearoa, you have bought a car and now you're off, right?
No wait.
After arriving stay a few nights in a cozy hostel to get rid of your jet lag.
New Zealand is a western country that's right, and at first it looks like everything is the same as in Germany
But that's not correct. The first time to drive on the left side of the road is already quite a Habituation. It's best to practice in a traffic-calmed environment, where you can focus more on the "new" car than paying attention to all other vehicles. We here at carmensecovans make an extensive test drive with all our customers through our quiet settlement. Here is a good, helpful tip As a driver, you always sit in the middle of the street. So before you go on a road, from a driveway or when turning off, always look at exactly where you are when you're on the road. You have to know before turning already that you are sitting in the middle of the road. Otherwise you are wrong and that is dangerous. That means that the passenger always sits at the roadside. It's best that both the driver and the passenger look for it. Always keep left. Make that your mantra. Very important. Turning is almost the most important thing you have to look out for in traffic with left-hand traffic, so that you land on the 'right' side of the road. Of course, this also always has to be looked at where you want to go. In Germany you are also driving in the middle of the street. Like I said, it's the same here because the steering wheel is on the other side and you're driving on the 'other' side of the road. Take a look at the so-called road code for NZ nzta.govt.nz/resources/roadcode/road-code-index/ roundabout traffic Driving in the roundabout in New Zealand is also different than in Germany. Here you drive gyros clockwise. Of course you drive into the roundabout on the left. If you want to get out on the left side right away, you'll already see the red light on the roundabout, left. And then just go left out.
If you want to drive all the way around the roundabout, then you'll blink right until you get out again, then you'll blink left again. The New Zealanders are almost never blinking but it is mandatory. Alright? Drive the highway What can be so different there? you ask now. I can hear it. Motorways are in New Zealand usually just before entering cities in the city, or out or through the city. The right lane is the fast lane, so the left lane or the middle lane is the slower lane. There are often three-lane highways here. So, now it comes. You can overtake everywhere. So, if you drive comfortably in the middle in front of you and someone on the left overtakes you, that's normal. You are not too slow, you are in the way of nobody ... No, it is perfectly normal to overtake New Zealand on the motorway on all lanes. speed limits The fastest speed is 100kmh. You can not drive faster. There are, however, 1 test track with 110kmh at Tauranga. Most of the time, you can not ride faster. Many roads in NZ are very winding, narrow and bumpy. The roads are generally not as good as the ones in D. In villages you may drive up to 50kmh unless it is a traffic-calmed zone, but this is marked accordingly. There are other sections which are signposted at 70 or 80 km / h. I do not recommend driving faster than the allowed speed. I have already got with 53kmh Knoellchen. That costs $ 30. Something more on the clock costs then equal to $ 80. There is little or no room for maneuver here. There are speed recommendations in New Zealand. Elongated yellow plates with a number, for example 75, are mostly visible in front of curves. That means instead of going into the curve with 100 you are recommended to drive 75 km / h in this bend. I recommend you to always keep this speed in the situation. 100km in 1 hour This is an 'over the thumb' rule for travel times in Germany. Here in NZ you can count double, if not 3 times the travel time. Please calculate this with your route planning. The roads here are very winding and as I said, you can often not go here the maximum speed. You also want to enjoy the landscape and nature, stop in between and take photos.
You have just arrived in Aotearoa, you have bought a car and now you're off, right?
No wait.
After arriving stay a few nights in a cozy hostel to get rid of your jet lag.
New Zealand is a western country that's right, and at first it looks like everything is the same as in Germany
But that's not correct. The first time to drive on the left side of the road is already quite a Habituation. It's best to practice in a traffic-calmed environment, where you can focus more on the "new" car than paying attention to all other vehicles. We here at carmensecovans make an extensive test drive with all our customers through our quiet settlement. Here is a good, helpful tip As a driver, you always sit in the middle of the street. So before you go on a road, from a driveway or when turning off, always look at exactly where you are when you're on the road. You have to know before turning already that you are sitting in the middle of the road. Otherwise you are wrong and that is dangerous. That means that the passenger always sits at the roadside. It's best that both the driver and the passenger look for it. Always keep left. Make that your mantra. Very important. Turning is almost the most important thing you have to look out for in traffic with left-hand traffic, so that you land on the 'right' side of the road. Of course, this also always has to be looked at where you want to go. In Germany you are also driving in the middle of the street. Like I said, it's the same here because the steering wheel is on the other side and you're driving on the 'other' side of the road. Take a look at the so-called road code for NZ nzta.govt.nz/resources/roadcode/road-code-index/ roundabout traffic Driving in the roundabout in New Zealand is also different than in Germany. Here you drive gyros clockwise. Of course you drive into the roundabout on the left. If you want to get out on the left side right away, you'll already see the red light on the roundabout, left. And then just go left out.
If you want to drive all the way around the roundabout, then you'll blink right until you get out again, then you'll blink left again. The New Zealanders are almost never blinking but it is mandatory. Alright? Drive the highway What can be so different there? you ask now. I can hear it. Motorways are in New Zealand usually just before entering cities in the city, or out or through the city. The right lane is the fast lane, so the left lane or the middle lane is the slower lane. There are often three-lane highways here. So, now it comes. You can overtake everywhere. So, if you drive comfortably in the middle in front of you and someone on the left overtakes you, that's normal. You are not too slow, you are in the way of nobody ... No, it is perfectly normal to overtake New Zealand on the motorway on all lanes. speed limits The fastest speed is 100kmh. You can not drive faster. There are, however, 1 test track with 110kmh at Tauranga. Most of the time, you can not ride faster. Many roads in NZ are very winding, narrow and bumpy. The roads are generally not as good as the ones in D. In villages you may drive up to 50kmh unless it is a traffic-calmed zone, but this is marked accordingly. There are other sections which are signposted at 70 or 80 km / h. I do not recommend driving faster than the allowed speed. I have already got with 53kmh Knoellchen. That costs $ 30. Something more on the clock costs then equal to $ 80. There is little or no room for maneuver here. There are speed recommendations in New Zealand. Elongated yellow plates with a number, for example 75, are mostly visible in front of curves. That means instead of going into the curve with 100 you are recommended to drive 75 km / h in this bend. I recommend you to always keep this speed in the situation. 100km in 1 hour This is an 'over the thumb' rule for travel times in Germany. Here in NZ you can count double, if not 3 times the travel time. Please calculate this with your route planning. The roads here are very winding and as I said, you can often not go here the maximum speed. You also want to enjoy the landscape and nature, stop in between and take photos.