Driving tests
As the number of tourists visiting New Zealand grows, so does the number of rental cars driven by people who may never have driven on the left before. Tourists might not speak or read English and therefore struggle to understand…
Your hazard warning lights are when all your indicators flash at the same time. They are designed to be used as a warning to other road users. There are some common misconceptions about hazard warning lights and when they can…
If you drive a modern car – one produced in the past few years – chances are that the advice you’ve been given to correct a skid is now wrong and might even be dangerous. The Road Code has been…
New Zealand’s current law, which was brought into effect on 1 November 2009 states that it is illegal to drive while impaired by drugs, even legally prescribed drugs such as Benzodiazepines. However, it’s only alcohol that has prescribed maximum limits.…
Studies done in various countries have found that certain intersections are very daunting for some drivers. Where you get a lot of traffic passing through and needing to go in different directions intersections can not only be complex in their…
If you’re considering taking your practical motorbike test, what are the common mistakes that will cause you to fail? Joanne Burns, Code Zero Speeding For CBTA assessments, the speeding criteria is for the candidate to be exceeding the limit for…
Tailgating is driving behind someone too closely. There is a recommended safe following distance which varies with speed and is indicated by time: the two-second rule. This means that the time difference between the back of the vehicle in front…
To drive smoothly we have to take one lesson from racing drivers: use the smoothest line around the corner. We’re not going to be braking and accelerating as harshly as racing drivers, though, just steering like them and using moderate…
The braking distance, also called the stopping distance, is the distance a vehicle covers from the time of the full application of its brakes until it has stopped moving. This is often given as a 100-0kph distance, e.g. 56.2m, and…
Heading over to the UK on your OE? If you’re driving around you’ll see a few new animal signs that won’t be familiar from driving on New Zealand roads. This specialist sign means that police dogs might be on patrol…
NZTA is introducing a new bright orange tape on Auckland’s motorways to help guide drivers through construction areas. It’s used in a continuous strip to help define temporary lanes. “The tape helps reduce the risk of an incident, particularly on…
New Zealand’s land mass is primarily rural and therefore all drivers will, at some point, drive through the countryside. For new drivers and drivers visiting NZ, this article explains all of the hazards and situations you will occur driving around…
Wherever you are in the world, you will occasionally be driving with limited visibility. A little preparation and being aware of the dangers can keep you safe in these circumstances. They will happen in both day and night, good weather…
State Highway 1 improvements A new 12.3km section, which bypasses Ngaruawahia and stretches from Taupiri in the north to Horotiu in the south, has been opened this week which makes travelling to Hamilton quicker. I drove this route yesterday, into…
The NZTA is introducing an optional competency-based training and assessment (CBTA) licensing regime for motorcyclists from 1 March 2014. Transport Agency Road Safety Director Ernst Zollner said CBTA would provide a new training and assessment option for people getting their…
The technology used in sealed roads has not improved enough to cope with the volumes and weight of traffic that we subject it to therefore road maintenance is an ongoing chore. When driving around roadworks, speed limits may apply –…
Trains in New Zealand don’t enjoy a large network like in, for example, Europe or Queensland (where passenger trains and sugar cane trains respectively are very common), but you will encounter different types of crossings, and there are many signs…
Why do people profess to have such a poor memory? Is a good memory something that is genetic or something that you can develop over time, even if you can’t usually remember what you ate for dinner yesterday? Do some…
Here are all the temporary warning signs you are likely to see on New Zealand’s roads. They are primarily deep orange and/or white with black writing. Remember to check out our other sign guides starting here. Road workers will be…
Permanent warning signs are mostly yellow with a black border and black writing with a few exceptions. Speed cameras may be present Warns of a speed limit coming up ahead, for example, if you are on a motorway where the…
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