In New Zealand, driving is on the left with overtaking on the right. New Zealand has the same system of signs and road code as you would find in the United Kingdom. During winter, especially in the mountains or on South Island, driving can be tricky. Therefore snow chains are highly recommended when renting a car at this season.

• Speed Limit

  There are speed limits of 100 km/h on highways and 50 km/h in urban areas unless signs say otherwise.

• Traffic Signs

  There are three major types of signs in New Zealand: compulsory, warning and information signs. Here are some of the regulatory signs that you may often see in New Zealand.

  Stop

  Give Way

  No U-turn

  30 km/h Speed Limit

  No Stopping

  Warning signs are diamond-shaped with yellow or green background.

  60 km/h Speed Limit Ahead

  Merging Traffic from Right

  Road Bump

  Watch for Large Animals (Cattle)

  Railway Crossbuck

  Information signs are in rectangular shape with a white background.

  Left Turn at Any Time With Care

  Cyclists Cross Here With Care (to the Left)

  Further information on signs for driving in New Zealand can be found in this booklet.

• Seatbelt Laws

  The driver is responsible for ensuring all passengers under 15 years wear seat belts. Passengers aged 15 and over are responsible for putting seat belts on themselves.

• Booster Seat Laws

  All children under 7 must use an approved child restraint appropriate for their age and size. 

  
  

  You must correctly secure children aged between 7 and 8 in an approved child restraint if one is available in the vehicle. If not, in any child restraint or safety belt that is available. 

  
  

  For children aged between 8 and 14, a safety belt must be used. If not available, they must travel in the back seat. 

• Parking

  · Forbidden Parking 

  
  

  You cannot park your car in the following spots: 

  
  

  - Along the broken yellow lines along the side of the curb, since it means that parking is not permitted

  
  

  - Near a corner, curve, hill, traffic island or intersection, if it will stop other people from seeing along the road 

  
  

  - On, or closer than 5 metres to a fire hydrant, unless somebody who can move the vehicle stays with it 

  
  

  - In front of or closer than 1 metre to a vehicle entrance 

  
  

  - On or closer than 6 metres to an intersection, unless there are parking spaces or a notice telling you that you can park there 

  
  

  · Parking Signs 

  
  

  Parking signs in New Zealand are marked with numbers indicating how long you can park the car and an arrow to indicate directions. Some are specified with the date of the week as well.

  · Paid Parking 

  All machines accept New Zealand coins, and some of them have been introduced with credit cards and TXT-a-Park payment methods. Currently, you still need to go for Pay-and-Display parking. However, all machines will be upgraded by March 2018 to include Pay By Plate technology, which allows you to enter your vehicle’s registration plate number directly on the machine and pay for it by credit card, debit card, coins or TXT-a-Park. Note that there is a 50-cent fee for credit card or TXT-a-Park transaction.

  (Image from Stuff.co.nz)

• Fuel Prices

  The average gasoline price in New Zealand in November 2017 is $2.22 per litre, while it is of $1.47 for diesel.

• Toll

  There are three toll roads in New Zealand: the Northern Gateway Toll Road north in Auckland, the Tauranga Eastern Link Toll Road and the Takitimu Drive Toll Road in Tauranga.

  (Image from nzta.govt.nz)

  
  

  How much you should pay depends on your car type. You can pay the tolls by debit or credit cards, POLi, and cash. 

  
  

  Debit or credit card 

  You can use your Visa or Mastercard to buy or pay a Pay & Go toll.

  
  

  POLi 

  If you have Internet banking with ANZ, ASB, BNZ, Kiwibank, TSB Bank, Westpac or Bank Direct, then you can buy or pay a Pay & Go toll (external link) using Payment Online (POLi). 

  
  

  Note: POLi is not available for business internet banking customers. 

  
  

  Cash 

  If you prefer to pay with cash (or by debit/credit card) you can pay your tolls at selected service stations (a transaction fee of $1.20 per transaction will apply). 

  
  

  Be aware that as a car renter, not paying for the toll fee will result in the car hire company paying it for you and collecting the toll fee along with an add-on of management fee (note that it can sometimes be costly) from your credit card.

• DUI Laws

  If you are 20 or over, you must not drive if you have consumed more than the legal alcohol limit, which is 250 micrograms per litre of breath or 50 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood (0.05%). There is a zero tolerance for alcohol if you are under 20.

• Traffic Fines

  In New Zealand, exceeding the speed limit results in an infringement fine range from $30 to $630. The amount of the infringement fine will depend on the difference between the actual and legal speed limit. 

  
  

  As for parking, an infringement notice can be issued if a vehicle is parked illegally on public land, or in breach of what a parking sign says. In some circumstances, the vehicle can also be towed away if it is obstructing traffic. 

  
  

  Normally, there will be a website or hotline number on the front or back of the ticket as well as the reason for the violation fine and the relevant voucher number. Please be aware that you can log onto the website or call the hotline and follow the guidelines to pay the ticket. 

  
  

  Failure to pay tickets will result in the car hire company paying them on the renter’s behalf, and debit the renter credit card for the fine amount plus an administration fee. Please note that you can always contact QEEQ’ 24/7 customer service team for help if you have questions concerning this matter. 

At the time of rental in New Zealand, all drivers must present a full and valid driving licence from the renters country of residence and the licence should be held for at least 1 or 2 years ( policies may vary depending on car hire companies). An International Driving Permit is highly recommended for international drivers. If your domestic driving licence is not printed in English (Arabic, Japanese, Cyrillic etc), an International Driving Permit (IDP/IDL) or an official translation in English is required when you drive in New Zealand.

Minimum age in New Zealand is 21 years (age may vary depending on car category) and the maximum is 80 years of age. If you're 21-25, you are likely to have to pay a young driver fee. If you're 65 or older, you may have to pay a senior driver fee.