Ewan McDonald continues his guide for all you need to know about driving when overseas
Last time we covered off the rules about driving permits for Kiwis wanting to find their own way around the highways and backroads of various countries. As everyone who’s ever passed a driving test knows, getting a licence is the easy part. Getting behind the wheel – safely – is way more difficult.
First, the bleedin’ obvious: many countries drive on the right side of the road and not the correct side. We’ve all read headlines about what can happen when overseas drivers don’t adapt quickly to our way on the highways; the same goes for Kiwis overseas.
Second, NZ drivers do not have a great reputation in foreign fields. Things that many of us regard as everyday road behaviour – running red lights, not using indicators, tailgating, overtaking on blind corners, not letting other people into the traffic – are frowned upon in many other countries.
Be prepared for the unexpected politeness of your fellow motorists. Be prepared for honking, shaken fists, a brisk education in local curses – and hefty fines – if you don’t follow local etiquette.
Yes, you’re on holiday but don’t be tempted to let your hair down. Many countries not only have stricter drink-drive limits than Aotearoa’s 0.05 per cent blood-alcohol concentration but their constabularies also enforce them.
At 0.08 per cent, England, Wales and Northern Ireland have one of the highest limits in the world. Cross the border into Scotland and it’s 0.05 per cent. The majority of European countries have a 0.05 per cent limit, typically the equivalent of one beer or a small glass of wine.
France and Germany enforce the limit with high fines and additional penalties for new, inexperienced or professional drivers, akin to our zero-tolerance rule for under-20s.
Around the world, the average is 0.06 per cent although the US has a national threshold of 0.08 per cent.
Each jurisdiction has its peculiar laws. In US towns and cities it’s legal to make a right turn when the lights are red, provided the coast is clear. That’s the equivalent of our left turn, so you’re not cutting across traffic, in case you’re wondering why all the cars in the lane behind you are tooting while you’re respecting the red light.
Since the US has never got the hang of roundabouts, just about every stop-sign intersection is a four-way. When you and three other drivers are wondering who goes first, the general rule is that the first vehicle to arrive at the stop sign has the right-of-way. If two or more cars arrive at the same time, the car to the right wins the tiebreaker.
On British and most European motorways you must drive in the inside lane unless it’s blocked or you’re overtaking. Then you must return to the inside lane as soon as practicable. Driving too slowly on main roads can land an on-the-spot fine, too.
Aussie states have individual quirks (not even gonna mention Melbourne’s infamous hook turn) but it’s worth mentioning that it’s illegal to leave your car unlocked or windows open if you’re more than 3m away in Victoria, NSW and Queensland.
Queensland has a trap for young players – and not-so-young, I’ve been caught out. You’re driving on a 60km/h arterial and turn into a new road with no speed limit posted. If it’s a built-up area, the limit is 50 and they don’t put signs on them.
To finish, a regular and recent Kiwi traveller sent these useful hints about driving in Europe:
- Taking a photograph of a street name or prominent street sign when you park your car to explore a town will help you locate it again later. Be aware that in Europe there are many, many street name duplications.
- Be prepared to be frustrated by unmanned security barriers that don’t work, ditto gas pumps. The locals are just as flummoxed as you are but they speak the language. There will be lots of hand gestures and apologetic looks but you’ll just have to solve this as best you can.
- If you are a boomer and have never driven on the right you will need nerves of steel, super-quick reaction times, tremendous mental agility and a thick hide to cope with narrow medieval town streets, busy one-way traffic systems and impatient locals.
- If you intend to drive in a city, parking is usually scarce and expensive. If driving in the countryside, the roads will be pitch-black at night and often lined with deep drainage ditches camouflaged with long grass, lying in wait for you (rendered feckless on chianti) to reverse into them.
- If Europe wins the choice of destinations, seriously consider train travel, which is far easier on the nerves, delivers you to the centre of the city, and you can sit back with a glass of wine and enjoy the passing scenery. And you won’t have to grapple with excruciating online insurance claim forms when you get home.
The First-timer’s Guide is a fortnightly column where we’ll answer travel-related questions — anything from roaming around Rome to reining in roaming charges. Send your queries and travel tips to travel@nzherald.co.nz with “First-timer” in the subject line.
