The New Zealand road rule that sparked intense debate

A question about a give-way rule has sparked heated online debate - and at the offices of the Automobile Association (AA).

It has prompted the AA to amend its online driving quiz, after admitting it got the rule wrong.

Reddit user 'pdemich' posted about their confusion, after getting different answers for the same driving scenario on seperate online tests.

Driving tests on AA's website and drivingtests.co.nz had the same question: A blue car is travelling straight at an intersection, while a red car to its right is turning right. Which car should give way?

The AA's online driving test, which will now be amended, said the answer was the blue car should continue travelling, while the red car gives way.

But on drivingtests.co.nz, the answer was the blue car should give way to the red car on its right.

AA, left, and drivingtests.co.nz, both posed the same scenario with different answers.
AA, left, and drivingtests.co.nz, both posed the same scenario with different answers. Photo credit: Reddit/ pmedich

Newshub contacted AA to ask them to clarify the situation.

AA driving school general manager Roger Venn said staff members "debated at length" about the question and then came to the conclusion they'd "got it wrong".

Mr Venn said the blue car needs to give way to the right, as there are no 'Give Way' signs, stop signs or traffic signals.

A four-way stop intersection at Cuba St and Abel Smith St in Wellington.
A four-way stop intersection at Cuba St and Abel Smith St in Wellington. Photo credit: File

Explaining how the mix-up occurred, he said it could have been presumed that the blue car was on a "main road", such as a highway, while the red car was on a side road.

In that situation, he said, the blue car would expect to continue travelling straight, while the red car gave way.

Mr Venn said the AA will now amend the question in its online test and check through its quizzes again to ensure there are no other errors.

He said it's a good example of why people should remember to "drive defensively" and "don't assume everybody is on the same page".

The question sparked debate on Reddit and users couldn't come to an agreement on which answer was right.

"Give way to the right in an unmarked intersection, plain and simple," user nashin8or said. "The blue car has to give way to the right in both instances."

But in response, Merlord said: "Wrong. If you're turning you give way to anyone going straight."

Many users commented that the scenario depicted in the quiz - an unmarked four-way intersection - was very rare.

"Thankfully, there's very few unmarked intersections around these days," user Crankshaw said. "I haven't seen one in years.

Dontjudgeme0k said: "There's no way that is a real intersection nor a real life scenario."

Said cosmic1992: "There are a few in rural areas, I imagine you would struggle to find any like this in an urban environment."

Newshub.