The objective of this rule is to amend the principal rule in the following ways:

• (a) to change the definition of school bus to exclude certain buses being used for school functions so that those buses are not subject to the requirements that apply to a school bus:

• (b) to extend the provisions about B signals (which apply to a bus driver) to also apply to the rider of a cycle, moped, or motorcycle who is lawfully using a bus lane:

• (c) to require the driver of a vehicle turning right in certain situations to give way to oncoming vehicles turning left (reversing the current requirement):

• (d) to require the driver of a vehicle on a terminating road who is at a T-intersection to give way to a vehicle on the continuing road, including a vehicle turning right into the terminating road:

• (e) to provide that the rules for giving way to a driver not making a turn or on a continuing road at a T-intersection prevail over the rule for giving way to a vehicle on the driver's right at an intersection:

• (f) to require a driver entering or exiting a driveway to give way to a road user on a cycle path or shared path (in addition to a footpath):

• (g) to require the driver of a vehicle exiting a driveway to give way to a vehicle on a roadway, including a vehicle turning right into the driveway:

• (h) to require that a school bus that is stopped to pick up or drop off school children must also be displaying a school bus sign in order for specified requirements to apply to a driver near the school bus:

• (i) to extend the requirements on a driver near a school bus to also apply when the bus is stopped and is displaying a specified school bus sign on which the lights are flashing:

• (j) to restrict the driver of a school bus to using the flashing lights only while the school bus is stopped to pick up or drop off school children and within 20 seconds before and 20 seconds after that:

• (k) to extend an exception to the prohibition on double-parking, and a right to use a hazard warning, to cover all small passenger service vehicles (not just taxis):

• (l) to require that if a medical certificate is produced to an enforcement officer to exempt a person from certain requirements for using a seat belt or child restraint, and the certificate was issued on or after 1 October 2011, it must expire on or after the day on which it was required to be produced:

• (m) to exclude the driver of a bus from the requirement to ensure that a child under 5 years' old uses a child restraint on the bus:

• (n) to exclude certain requirements from applying to a driver when pedestrians and certain others are waiting to cross a pedestrian crossing but are behind a school patrol sign:

• (o) to make certain other minor changes or corrections.

The proposal to change the give-way rules was initially consulted on as a priority action in the Government’s 10-year road safety strategy, Safer Journeys—New Zealand’s Road Safety Strategy 2010–2020, which was released in March 2010. Following approval by Cabinet, this proposal, together with other minor proposed changes to the Land Transport (Road User) Rule 2004, was included in the draft rule.

In May 2011, the NZ Transport Agency sent details of the amendment proposals by letter or email to about 1 300 groups and individuals who had registered an interest in the rule. Copies of the draft rule were made available through the NZ Transport Agency’s contact centre and the consultation material, which included questions and answers, was available on the NZ Transport Agency’s Internet site. The availability of the draft rule for comment was publicised in the metropolitan daily newspapers in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin, in selected regional daily newspapers, and in the New Zealand Gazette.

The NZ Transport Agency received 134 submissions on the draft rule. The submissions that were received were taken into account in redrafting the rule, after which the rule was submitted to the Minister of Transport for signing.