Alistair Sloane: Goodbye to the world's dumbest road rule

It's the world's dumbest road rule, and it's changing this Sunday. Photo / File

New Zealanders say goodbye to the dumbest road rule in the world tomorrow morning.

And not before time. The rule where drivers turning left have to give way to those turning right has led to more confusion than any road rule.

Road safety specialists condemned it as unsafe from the day it was introduced, around 35 years ago.

It forced drivers into making decisions they never had to make under the old rule. It complicated manoeuvres that for years had been uncomplicated.

The prophets of doom believe tomorrow's rule change will create mayhem. That is most unlikely. Kiwis will adapt to the change with ease.

The Swedes managed to cope with a much more demanding change 44 years ago.

On Sunday, September 3, 1967, traffic everywhere in Sweden switched from the New Zealand side of the road to the American side, or from the left to the right.

Pretty much every vehicle in the country was left-hand drive, so the change made sense. Everything stood absolutely still for 10 minutes, and when it started again, all road users in Sweden from heavy trucks to cyclists were already on the right side of the road. They have stayed there since.

Traffic authorities reported 150 minor accidents. The image here was used in the lead-up education programme. The large H was for Hoger, or right in Swedish. Most cars had an H-sticker on the dashboard to remind the driver of the change.