Driving in New Zealand hazards · Hazards in Driving in New Zealand
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Hazards in Driving in New Zealand
Hazards in Driving in New Zealand
In the North Island the main hazards are:
Logging trucks - in the centre of the island there are major forests with large numbers of trucks transporting logs to the pulp mills or to the ports of Tauranga and Wellington.
Snow and ice - this is a winter hazard on State Highway 1 on the Desert Road ie the section between Waiouru and Turangi. As this section of the road passes the main volcanic peaks and is on the main north-south road it is well travelled. Travellers should check the status of the road in winter. The other main route which is subject to this hazard is the Napier-Taupo road. Grit is often spread on icy roads, but salt is never used.
Railway crossings - there are still a number of level crossings on the main roads. Many of these crossings do NOT have barrier arms, but only warning lights and bells. Some crossings ONLY have a "Give Way" sign. Railway crossings are usually well sign-posted but there are a number of fatal crashes on these each year.
Slips - after heavy rain many roads become subject to slips (small avalanches) and it is as well to drive more carefully on winding roads through valleys or cuttings.
State Highway 2, between the start at the bottom of the Bombay Hills and the Thames turnoff is a stretch of road with many fatal head-on traffic crashes. This is a section of winding 2 lane road with a few short passing places and heavy traffic flows (especially over holidays and weekends during summer). There are plans to bypass the worst section by 2010.
The Centenial Highway, which is part of State Highway 1, between Paekakariki and Pukerua Bay has gained a reputation as a fatal head-on traffic crash blackspot. This is a 10 km section of narrow 2 lane road with no passing places, heavy traffic flows and no room for driver error. Watch your speed, following distance, lane position and above all be patient. Crashes in this area will often close the road for several hours. Currently Transit New Zealand are installing a median barrier along this highway to eliminate head-on collisions. For a more scenic trip take the Paekakariki Hill Road, which gives spectacular views of the Kapiti Coast and Tasman Sea.
Drainage ditches - some roads, especially in the Waikato, have deep water-carrying ditches on one or both sides of the road. These are often obscured by long grass and are easy to fall into if straying leaving the tarseal.
Foreign drivers - Foreign drivers who are not acclimatized to New Zealand driving conditions or rules can behave unpredictably, a particular hazard is people forgetting that NZ drives on the left and wandering over the centreline.
The "Rimutaka Ranges", these are a mountain range part of which block the path into Wellington. Because of this there are only two ways in, around the coast which is a pleasant drive into Wellington or across the Rimutaka Ranges in a very tight and hard piece of mountain road. This road links Featherston and the Hutt Valley There are frequent corners and despite being open road it is impossible even for the most experienced driver to take the road at 100km/h with the tightness of the turns, the steep slope, the narrow road and cliffs that run along one side of the road.
In the South Island the main hazards are:
Snow and ice - some roads in the South Island, particularly the mountain passes, are occasionally closed by snow and ice, or passable with the use of snow chains in winter. The main ski fields are in the South Island and travellers to these should ensure they have chains for their vehicles. Grit is spread rather than salt to provide grip on icy roads.
Dual use bridges - on some roads, particularly on State Highway 6 on the West Coast, there are combined road and rail bridges. Make sure there are no trains on or approaching these before you commit your vehicle to a crossing.
The Homer Tunnel - On the road to Milford Sound. This is a one lane tunnel that operates for 20 minutes in each direction each hour. Also beware of the tourist buses on this road.
Other Hazards:
Stock on roads - Flocks of sheep are often driven along roads if their journey is only a few km. Slow right down to a crawl and enjoy the experience. Also, on many dairy farms, cattle have to cross a road to get to and from their milking shed twice a day.
Stock trucks - Being an agricultural country, large numbers of animals are transported around the country by large truck towing equally large trailers. Although these trucks have effluent tanks to capture animal droppings, there is still some spillage or spray drift occasionally. Avoid following these vehicles too closely and keep the windscreen washer bottle full so that any "spray" can be washed off.
One-lane bridges - Typically found on lesser travelled highways, but occasionally on more busy routes. They are marked so that traffic in one direction has right-of-way (blue informational sign) and the other direction must give way (red and white compulsory sign). Some longer bridges have a passing bay in the middle.
Road Works - New Zealand roads are mostly "tar and gravel" pavements. These need to be regularly resealed, often a few kilometres at a time. The normal speed limit through road works is 30km/h, especially if there is loose gravel. Higher speeds may damage new pavements and throw up stones. Watch out for temporary signs warning of New Seal. Motorcyclists should take extra care, as irregular and cursory sweeping of the newly-laid surfaces can result in extremely dangerous corners.
Loose gravel - On rural highways often a layer of loose gravel or road grit left over from winter on the edges of the road. A bad line through a corner can easily result in a major crash if a wheel enters the gravel or grit at the wrong time.
Summer Rainstorms - Many parts of New Zealand have long periods without rain during the summer, during which tyre rubber and engine oil accumulate on the road surface. This can lead to the road surface becoming surprisingly slippery when it does rain. Also be aware that some rainstorms - especially hailstorms - are caused by a cold front. The sudden drop in air temperature on a previously warm summers day with an closed car can - almost instantly - fog the windscreen - too fast for even air-conditioning to clear it. If you notice your windscreen starting to fog when encountering summer rain, start the demister immediately, or slow down and pull off the road as soon as you can.
Unsealed roads - there are a good number of unsealed roads (otherwise known as gravel roads, or "metal" roads) in New Zealand. They are usually marked on maps although seal is gradually being extended so older maps may not be up to date. If you do drive on them, don't drive too fast - 60km/h is about the maximum speed for safe driving on such roads. Slow down when passing vehicles or people if there there are loose stones on the road as tyres can send these hurtling at high speeds.
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Driving in New Zealand Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.