Halt! - Who goes there???

Here in New Zealand we drive on the left of the road, like most former British colonies (together with a few other countries like Japan and Thailand). I know most countries drive on the other side, but overall the basic rules are the same, just reversed left-for-right in some locations.

In most countries (where rules are observed) the usual is to give way to traffic on the driver's side. So at an intersection, I would give way to traffic on my right, which is pretty logical. And if I was driving in Britain, and I was turning right across a road, into a side street (remember I'm starting from the left side of the road) I'd expect to wait in the centre of the road until all oncoming traffic (including turning traffic) had got out of the way.

In NZ they have a different idea.

It's called the Right-Hand Rule, and it didn't exist until about 1977. The theory is that you give way to anything that might hit the driver's door. Logically, if you are turning left into a side street, you have to give way to the traffic coming the other way, and turning into the same street from across the road.

Some larger intersections have turning bays and traffic islands to make that easy, but in a smaller, older street system it's all down to the drivers. In principle it's quite easy.... (Remember I'm driving on the left here)

Case 1. I'm going to turn left into a side street. I indicate my turn, and as I slow to turn I see another car coming the other way, also signalling to turn into 'my' side street. I apply the Right-hand rule, and stop, so I give way to the other car as it turns into the side street. Easy.

Case 2. I'm going to turn right across the road into a side street. I indicate my turn and as i slow to turn and move to the centre of the road, I see a car coming the other way, signalling to turn into 'my' side street. I apply the right-hand rule, and as he gives way, I continue my turn into the side street. Easy

Or is it??

Well lots of things we do in life depend on many people agreeing to co-operate, and follow more or less a common set of rules. Driving is probably the most striking example, and in NZ, obeying the right-hand rule brings up the need to follow procedures not laid down in the Road Code.

Here I am back in Case 1, (driving on the left) about to turn left into a side street. The car coming the other way is indicating to turn across in front of me into the same side street. I look in my mirror. What's the traffic behind me doing? If the road is narrow, the traffic can't get past me, and so I give way, and so does everyone behind me, until the other car turns across into the side street. Textbook!!

If it's a relatively wide road the traffic will try to overtake me, so the turning car can't complete his manoeuvre. (Nyahaha!!) I regain right of way, and turn left, as the traffic behind me races past. That's not in the book, but it works.

Here I am in Case 2, about to turn right across the road and into the side street. The car coming the other way is signalling to turn into the same side street. The traffic behind him can't get by, and he gives way so that I can finish my turn. Textbook!!

But if the road is wide, the traffic is going to race past, and the give-way driver may not realise this. So it's up to me now to give him some kind of sign that he will immediately interpret as meaning 'Thanks for doing the right thing pal, but I can't get across just now, so you may as well go - all the best'. And then I wait in the centre of the road until I get my break.

But wait! - There's more!! There's a case 3. I'm not turning. I'm going to the supermarket, and it's way down that road. Ahead of me there's a Case 1 guy, turning left, and in the middle of the road, coming towards me is a Case 2 guy, waiting to turn across into the side street. Case 1 is trying to figure out if I am going to go past, so he can turn, or if he should favour the Case 2 driver.

Case 2 driver is watching Case 1 guy AND me, as I approach. Am I going to race past Case 1 driver, or will I have to stop behind him?. Does he signal Case 1 to go on with his turn, or does he assume I'm not a problem, and turn in front of me?

I'm watching both of them. Even if there's room for me to go past, there's no guarantee that Case 2 driver won't try to sneak across in front, leaving me no time to stop. Or that Case 1 guy won't start to turn, and collect Case 2 guy, who panicked and tried to beat me across the intersection. It gets very complicated some days, and it's not covered in the Road Code....

In the end it's a matter of looking at non-driving related things, like body language, age and gender, and making educated guesses as to what will happen next.

This rant was sparked by the doddering old fool that my wife encountered yesterday. As she began her Case 2 turn, seeing him coming the other way, and indicating, and assuming he would give way, she was startled to find that he had forgotten to cancel his signal, and was going straight ahead, nearly wiping her out in the process.

How much we depend on others to do the right thing!!!