What is the main give way rule in New Zealand?

Turning traffic gives way to traffic going straight through or turning left. A vehicle turning right gives way to an oncoming vehicle turning left or continuing straight.

Do you give way to the right in NZ?

At an uncontrolled intersection where nothing else applies, yes. It is a default rule, not an override, a T-intersection or signage takes precedence.

When did the give way rules change?

In 2012. Between two opposing vehicles, the left-turning vehicle used to give way; since the change it is the right-turning vehicle that gives way. Drivers who learned before 2012 still get this wrong.

Do you give way to pedestrians when turning?

Yes. When turning at an intersection you must give way to pedestrians crossing the road you are turning into, and footpath users have priority wherever you cross a footpath.

Do NZ and Australian give way rules differ?

Yes. Learn the New Zealand rules directly rather than translating from another country's, because the differences are the kind that produce confident errors.

How many give way questions are on the theory test?

The learner licence theory test covers road rules broadly, and give way scenarios feature prominently. Check NZTA for the current test format.

New Zealand Give Way Rules, Explained

Q: Who gives way at a roundabout?

Give way to traffic crossing your path from your right as you enter, and signal left as you leave.

Q: Who gives way when leaving a driveway?

You do, to all traffic on the road and to pedestrians on the footpath you cross.

More than a decade after the change, give way rules remain the most argued-about part of the Road Code, and the topic that fails the most people in the learner licence theory test. If you learned to drive overseas, note that these rules do not match Australia's or the United Kingdom's.

The give way rules at a glance

Who gives way, by situation. The Road Code is the authority; this is a summary.
Situation	Who gives way
Turning right, oncoming vehicle turning left or going straight	You do
Uncontrolled intersection, vehicles from different roads	Give way to your right
T-intersection	Traffic on the terminating road gives way
Roundabout	Give way to traffic crossing your path from the right
Leaving a driveway	You do, to everything, including footpath users
A stop or give way sign applies	Signage governs, not the default rules

Almost every disputed intersection in New Zealand is one of those six lines. Learn the order of precedence in that last row and most of the arguments disappear.

What are the give way rules in New Zealand?

The organising idea since 2012 is that turning traffic gives way to traffic that is going straight through or turning left. Before 2012 the rule ran the other way in some situations, which is why long-time drivers occasionally still get it wrong.

What actually changed in 2012?

The situation people remember is the one between two opposing vehicles, one turning left and one turning right. Under the old rules the left-turning vehicle gave way; since 2012 it is the right-turning vehicle that gives way. The change aligned New Zealand with the more common international arrangement, and it removed a rule that regularly surprised visiting drivers.

Why it still matters in 2026: anyone who learned to drive before 2012 built a habit under the old rule, and habits outlast rules. If you are being taught by a parent or an older colleague, this is the one worth checking rather than trusting.

Who gives way when turning at a crossroads?

If you are turning right and a vehicle coming towards you is turning left or going straight ahead, you give way to them. The turn across their path is yours to complete safely, so the responsibility is yours.

Who gives way at an uncontrolled intersection?

Where there are no signs or signals, the turning rule above still governs the interaction between opposing vehicles. Where vehicles approach from different roads, the rule is to give way to your right, the point people forget is that this is a default, applying only where nothing else controls the intersection.

Who gives way at a T-intersection?

Traffic on the terminating road, the stem of the T, gives way to traffic on the continuing road. This holds whether or not signs are present, and it catches out drivers who assume the give way to the right default overrides it. It does not.

Who gives way at a roundabout?

Give way to all traffic that will cross your path from your right as you enter. Indicate left as you leave. The common failure is not the entry rule but the exit: drivers who do not signal their departure leave everyone behind them guessing.

Who gives way when leaving a driveway?

You do, to all traffic and to pedestrians on the footpath you cross. Coming out of a driveway gives you no priority over anything.

What about pedestrians and cyclists?

The give way rules between vehicles are only half the picture, and the half that carries the most consequence when it goes wrong is the other one.

Turning at an intersection, you must give way to pedestrians crossing the road you are turning into.
Crossing a footpath, whether leaving a driveway or a service station, footpath users have priority over you.
Pedestrian crossings are not a give way situation at all, they are a stop-and-let-them-cross situation once someone is on or stepping onto the crossing.
Cyclists in a cycle lane you are crossing or turning across are traffic, and the same turning logic applies to them as to a vehicle.

There are also situations where priority sits with something other than the geometry of the intersection, buses signalling to pull out from a stop being the one people most often forget. The Road Code sets out the conditions, and it is worth reading that section rather than inferring it.

Which rule wins when two seem to apply?

Traffic signals and the directions of an officer come first.
Signs and markings next: a stop or give way sign settles the intersection regardless of the defaults.
The turning rule for opposing vehicles.
Give way to the right, which is the fallback where nothing above applies.

That order resolves nearly every theory question that appears to have two defensible answers, and it is the reasoning the diagrams are testing rather than the individual rules.

How do NZ give way rules differ from Australia's?

They are not identical, and the differences are exactly the sort that produce a confident wrong answer. If you drive in both countries, or you are converting an overseas licence, treat the New Zealand rules as something to learn fresh rather than to translate.

How are give way rules tested?

Heavily, in the learner licence theory test, usually as a diagram with a question about which vehicle proceeds. Because the theory test has a narrow margin for error, give way rules are worth being genuinely certain about rather than mostly right on.

Practise them as diagrams rather than as sentences. A rule you can state and a diagram you can read quickly are different skills, and only the second one is on the test.

The same rules apply on two wheels and in heavy vehicles. See motorcycle theory and heavy vehicle theory preparation. A driver licence is one of many New Zealand credentials gated by a test, and it is the one most other things assume you already have.

New Zealand give way rules, explained