Some of you might never have driven a car on the left before coming to New Zealand. Even though it seems weird and dramatically complicated at first glance, there is a simple analogy you have to bear in mind in order to quickly get along with the system and make driving in New Zealand a successful and safe experience.
To begin with, if you enter the car as usual from the left side, you won’t find a steering wheel in front of you. That is because the driver’s seat is on the right side of the car. As a consequence, you continuously have to be aware of the changed dimensions of the car while driving around. In other words, the car is wider on your left than on your right. An easy way not to come too close to the edge of the road is to focus on the central line. Besides that, until you get used to the system, drive with great attention, which means that you always look ahead well in advance where to go next. This is especially important when approaching intersections. Otherwise, just follow the car in front of you and you will be fine in most circumstances.
Good luck and enjoy your road trips around New Zealand.
Article by Marc, a student at Languages International
Photo by jcolman
