Commentary - pcgazette.com

Commentary
pcgazette.com

New Zealand driving challenges right-minded American tourist

By JIM SCHUH
of The Gazette
Driving a vehicle in countries like the U.K., Japan, Australia and New Zealand takes a bit of getting used to for Americans. From our vantage point, folks in those places drive on the wrong side of the road - for us, it's sort of like driving in a mirror.

Martha and I recently returned from a three-week drive around New Zealand. Even after being back here for more than a week, I'm still reaching for the turn signal lever on the right side of the steering column, and checking to make sure I'm in the proper lane after making a turn. I drove about 1,000 miles during the trip - enough to etch Kiwi ways of the road into my brain forever.

After we got off our 12-and-a-half-hour overnight flight from Los Angeles, we picked up a "hired" (rental) minivan in Auckland. That's when a real test of my ability to concentrate began. After spending most of the previous 24 hours awake, either in airplanes or waiting for them, I immediately faced the daunting task of driving on the opposite side of the road in a big city with plenty of traffic and not many signs to help us find our way. There you sit, and you're on your own!

Before driving away, it's best to orient yourself behind the wheel. The shift lever is on the left of the steering column; the turn signal arm is on the right. The rear view mirror is on your left. So are the radio buttons, the ventilation system controls and your front seat passenger. The only things in the same place both here and there are the gas and brake

pedals. I found it takes practice to get everything straight. More than once did I start to enter the left front door of the vehicle, only to rediscover the driver has to get in on the opposite side.

I found the most difficult task was making turns, especially right turns. Oncoming traffic is on your right, and you have to be sure to turn into the far lane when you round the corner. It's just the reverse of making a left turn here. That's takes concentration.

For some strange reason, I kept referring to right turns in New Zealand as left turns, and vice versa. Must be some "right brain, left brain" thing.

Another but less difficult traffic maneuver is driving properly in a roundabout. Kiwis don't use very many traffic lights or stop signs at intersections on through roads - they favor rotaries or roundabouts, similar to those in Boston, but New Zealand drivers are much less aggressive.

The main thing to remember in a New Zealand roundabout is to give way to any vehicles coming around from the right. There are "Give Way" reminders as you enter - both on the pavement and on signposts. Many roundabouts have three intersecting streets, and you must select the proper one for your exit as you circle.

As for highway signs, there aren't many of them. There's one notice of an upcoming junction of two highways and that's it. Next thing you know, you're at the intersection and you'd better know which way to go. We didn't, and wound up making lots of U-turns. It may be that New Zealanders know all the turns and don't need many reminders, or it could be that because there's not much traffic, the government figures one advance notice sign is sufficient.

As for the price of gasoline, if we think those little LED numbers on our pumps flash by quickly with gasoline at $1.65 a gallon, we don't know how fortunate we are. In New Zealand, the current price is the equivalent of $2.10 a gallon.

One other thing at the petrol station, it took me a moment or two to respond to the lad who asked if I needed my windscreen washed.

Pedestrians have the right of way in New Zealand, and vehicles stop for them at crosswalks and while turning corners. We could take a few pointers from the Kiwis in that regard.

But it's so hard for us to get used to looking to the right before we cross the street - that's where traffic comes from. More than once, we flirted with disaster by crossing in mid-block, and forgetting to look to the right before we stepped off the sidewalk. You can compound the problem by getting halfway across, and forget to look to the left!

This is a good time to visit New Zealand, with their dollar worth about 40 cents of our money. It meant fairly standard $23 dinners cost us a bit over $11, and $16 bottles of wine were $6.40. Very nice $115 hotel rooms were only $46 in our terms - and you get a great deal more than you'd find here for that amount of money - if you could find a room here for $46.

You may reach Jim Schuh at The Gazette, or by e-mail at jpschuh@excite.com.



	New Zealand driving challenges right-minded American tourist By JIM SCHUH of The Gazette Driving a vehicle in countries like the U.K., Japan, Australia and New Zealand takes a bit of getting used to for Americans. From our vantage point, folks in those places drive on the wrong side of the road - for us, it's sort of like driving in a mirror. Martha and I recently returned from a three-week drive around New Zealand. Even after being back here for more than a week, I'm still reaching for the turn signal lever on the right side of the steering column, and checking to make sure I'm in the proper lane after making a turn. I drove about 1,000 miles during the trip - enough to etch Kiwi ways of the road into my brain forever. After we got off our 12-and-a-half-hour overnight flight from Los Angeles, we picked up a "hired" (rental) minivan in Auckland. That's when a real test of my ability to concentrate began. After spending most of the previous 24 hours awake, either in airplanes or waiting for them, I immediately faced the daunting task of driving on the opposite side of the road in a big city with plenty of traffic and not many signs to help us find our way. There you sit, and you're on your own! Before driving away, it's best to orient yourself behind the wheel. The shift lever is on the left of the steering column; the turn signal arm is on the right. The rear view mirror is on your left. So are the radio buttons, the ventilation system controls and your front seat passenger. The only things in the same place both here and there are the gas and brake pedals. I found it takes practice to get everything straight. More than once did I start to enter the left front door of the vehicle, only to rediscover the driver has to get in on the opposite side. I found the most difficult task was making turns, especially right turns. Oncoming traffic is on your right, and you have to be sure to turn into the far lane when you round the corner. It's just the reverse of making a left turn here. That's takes concentration. For some strange reason, I kept referring to right turns in New Zealand as left turns, and vice versa. Must be some "right brain, left brain" thing. Another but less difficult traffic maneuver is driving properly in a roundabout. Kiwis don't use very many traffic lights or stop signs at intersections on through roads - they favor rotaries or roundabouts, similar to those in Boston, but New Zealand drivers are much less aggressive. The main thing to remember in a New Zealand roundabout is to give way to any vehicles coming around from the right. There are "Give Way" reminders as you enter - both on the pavement and on signposts. Many roundabouts have three intersecting streets, and you must select the proper one for your exit as you circle. As for highway signs, there aren't many of them. There's one notice of an upcoming junction of two highways and that's it. Next thing you know, you're at the intersection and you'd better know which way to go. We didn't, and wound up making lots of U-turns. It may be that New Zealanders know all the turns and don't need many reminders, or it could be that because there's not much traffic, the government figures one advance notice sign is sufficient. As for the price of gasoline, if we think those little LED numbers on our pumps flash by quickly with gasoline at $1.65 a gallon, we don't know how fortunate we are. In New Zealand, the current price is the equivalent of $2.10 a gallon. One other thing at the petrol station, it took me a moment or two to respond to the lad who asked if I needed my windscreen washed. Pedestrians have the right of way in New Zealand, and vehicles stop for them at crosswalks and while turning corners. We could take a few pointers from the Kiwis in that regard. But it's so hard for us to get used to looking to the right before we cross the street - that's where traffic comes from. More than once, we flirted with disaster by crossing in mid-block, and forgetting to look to the right before we stepped off the sidewalk. You can compound the problem by getting halfway across, and forget to look to the left! This is a good time to visit New Zealand, with their dollar worth about 40 cents of our money. It meant fairly standard $23 dinners cost us a bit over $11, and $16 bottles of wine were $6.40. Very nice $115 hotel rooms were only $46 in our terms - and you get a great deal more than you'd find here for that amount of money - if you could find a room here for $46. You may reach Jim Schuh at The Gazette, or by e-mail at jpschuh@excite.com.