Driving in New Zealand: rules Australians should know

Driving in New Zealand is easy to start and easy to get wrong. Your Australian licence lets you drive there, and cars keep left as they do at home. The differences are the licence time limit, a few give way rules, narrow winding roads and one-lane bridges. This guide is a checklist to run through before you collect a hire car.

Licence check: the 12 month rule

You can drive in New Zealand without a New Zealand licence if you meet every point below. The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) lists them on its page for new residents and visitors.

• You hold a current and valid overseas licence or driver permit.
• You have not been disqualified or suspended in New Zealand.
• You came into New Zealand less than 12 months ago.
• Your licence is in English, or you carry an accurate translation.
• You have not been granted a New Zealand licence since you last arrived.

An Australian licence is already in English, so most visitors need no translation. You can drive for up to 12 months from the day you arrive, and each new arrival starts another 12 month period. If you will stay longer than a year, NZTA says you need a New Zealand licence.

Carry your licence every time you drive. The licence also sets which vehicles you may drive. NZTA says a full overseas car licence covers a car or light vehicle up to 6000 kg gross laden weight. A learner, restricted or provisional licence has a lower limit.

Sources for this section: NZ Transport Agency, Driving on New Zealand roads; NZ Transport Agency, Driving in New Zealand (2016 brochure).

Keep left and allow more time

New Zealand drives on the left, so the basics feel familiar. NZTA says to keep left every time you drive, at every intersection and every time you pull out onto a road. Do not cut corners. Some narrow roads have no centre line to guide you, so the driver should stay closest to the centre of the road.

The bigger surprise is the clock. NZTA warns that visitors often underestimate travel times. Its brochure says the roads are narrower, more winding and sometimes steeper than you might expect. Outside the big cities most roads have one lane each way, and there are few motorways. A 100 km trip will seldom take one hour. The Automobile Association runs a time and distance calculator on its website for planning.

Plan shorter days than you would on a mainland Australian highway. Build in time for photo stops, which should always be made by pulling completely off the road.

Sources for this section: NZ Transport Agency, Driving in New Zealand (2016 brochure); NZ Transport Agency, Driving on New Zealand roads.

Give way rules at intersections

This is where Australian drivers should slow down and think. New Zealand changed two give way rules on Sunday 25 March 2012, and they still catch visitors out. RNZ reported that day that vehicles turning right must give way to oncoming traffic that is turning left. It also reported that drivers at the bottom of a T-intersection must give way to all traffic turning right from the other road.

These points apply on top of the general rules in the NZTA brochure.

• Turning traffic: if you are turning, give way to vehicles that are not turning.
• Stop sign: come to a complete stop, then give way to all traffic.
• Give way sign: give way to all traffic on the road you are joining.
• Roundabouts: give way to traffic from your right and go around clockwise.
• Traffic lights: a red light means stop unless a green arrow shows for your direction. On green, a turning driver gives way to traffic that is not turning and to people crossing the road.

Signal for at least three seconds before you turn. Cars do not have priority over pedestrians or cyclists in New Zealand, so watch for people at zebra crossings and intersections.

Sources for this section: RNZ, New give way road rules in force (25 March 2012); NZ Transport Agency, Driving in New Zealand (2016 brochure).

Speed, passing and one-lane bridges

On many main rural roads the limit is 100 km/h unless a sign says otherwise. In towns it is usually 50 km/h. Look for the signs, because limits change often. A vehicle over 3500 kg gross weight, such as a large campervan, is limited to 90 km/h even where the sign says 100. Speed cameras operate across the country.

You will often need to go slower than the limit. Yellow advisory signs show a safe speed for a tight bend.

Passing needs care on two-way roads. Never cross a solid yellow line on your side of the centre line to overtake. A double yellow centre line means nobody can overtake. Without a solid line on your side, overtake only when you can see the road is clear for 100 m throughout. Use passing lanes where they appear. If a line of traffic builds up behind you, pull over safely and let it go by.

One-lane bridges are common. Signs warn you ahead, and a smaller red arrow shows which direction must give way. Slow down, check for traffic coming the other way, and stop if you must give way.

Sources for this section: NZ Transport Agency, Driving in New Zealand (2016 brochure).

Safety on the road

• Alcohol: drivers aged 20 and over have a limit of 50 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood, or 250 micrograms per litre of breath. Drivers under 20 have a zero limit.
• Phones: do not use a hand-held phone while driving. Texting on any phone while driving is illegal.
• Seat belts: everyone in the vehicle must wear a belt or child restraint, front or back. Children under 7 need an approved child restraint.
• Tiredness: take a break every two hours, and be careful after a long flight.
• Gravel roads: unsealed roads are slippery. Keep left, slow down, and slow more when oncoming traffic raises dust.
• Winter: check the weather forecast and road conditions before you set out. Snow and ice make mountain passes hazardous, and rental companies often supply snow chains, so learn how to fit them first.
• Parking: you can be fined or towed for parking on the wrong side of the road, except on a one-way street.

If you see animals on the road, slow down and do not sound your horn. If police signal you to stop, pull over as soon as it is safe and wait in the car. Rules and fines can change, so check NZTA before you travel.

Sources for this section: NZ Transport Agency, Driving in New Zealand (2016 brochure).

Sources

1. NZ Transport Agency, Driving on New Zealand roads: nzta.govt.nz
2. NZ Transport Agency, Driving in New Zealand (2016): nzta.govt.nz
3. RNZ, New give way road rules in force, 25 March 2012: rnz.co.nz