Ask Phoebe: Clarifying the confusion on road rule changes

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There are two roads, one going east/west, and another going north/south. Car A is going along the east/west road and car B is going along the same road but in the opposite direction. They approach the north/south road at about the same time and both want to turn right. Who has the right of way? Maurice Howley

They should both be able to turn safely at the same time, because neither car will cross the path of the other. You will still need to be aware of large vehicles turning, because they may need more room, and of vehicles going straight ahead.

At an intersection like the points of a compass there are stop signs at west and south. I come from the south heading north. A car is at west and heading east. After the rules change who has the right of way? At the same intersection, the car at west is turning to go north. I too am going north. who has the right of way? Christine Brown.

In scenario one, the car from the west heading east must wait for you, because you are on his right. In scenario two, the turning vehicle must give way to the vehicle not turning.

I work in Holloway Place in Penrose. It's a T intersection with a give way for Holloway. However, opposite Holloway is a private driveway that has some serious business traffic throughout the day. It does not have a sign, but does have a yellow line (I assume this is not official). What are the rules where they wish to turn left and I wish to turn right? Do official roads have right of way over drive and access ways, or are these give ways by default? Also how far down the road must the driveway (or road) be from the one opposite before it is considered a separate T intersection and not a crossroads? Josh Keizer.

A: If you are leaving a driveway, you must give way to all vehicles on a road, including on a road opposite the driveway. This applies even if the road is controlled by stop signs, give way signs or traffic signals and no matter which way you are going when you leave the driveway.

I have received several questions about offset roads and driveways, and cannot find any information to help clarify this.

Q: The intersection at Lake Rd, Hauraki Rd and Jutland Rd in Takapuna is traffic light-controlled. Traffic turning left out of Jutland Rd and right out of Hauraki Rd turns into Lake Rd onto two clearly marked separate lanes. Does this mean that both can turn at the same time into their two distinct lanes or does the right turning traffic out of Hauraki Rd still have to wait for the left turning traffic out of Jutland Rd even though there are clear lanes with room for both? Sally Tetro

A: If there are two lanes clearly marked on the road you are turning into, both cars may turn at the same time, as long as they turn into the lane closest to them, i.e. the left turning vehicle turns into the left lane, and the right turner into the right lane.

A clarification about a traffic signal-controlled intersection and a left-turning slip lane. Vehicles on the slip lane are controlled by a give way sign (usually). The slip lane is outside the area controlled by the lights, and cars on the slip lane must continue to give way to approaching traffic, as they do now.