The Star: February 28, 2019

The Star Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Thursday February 28 2019 15
ADVERTORIAL
News
CONFUSING: Police say open road signs are confusing motorists and
should be replaced with speed limit signs.
PHOTO: MARTIN HUNTER
Open road signs
slowing down
drivers – police
Celebrate our
Japanese culture
The colour, beauty
and diversity of the
Japanese culture will
again be on display
for the annual
Canterbury Japan
Day taking place this
Sunday, March 3 at
Riccarton Park Event
Centre, Riccarton
Racecourse.
This will be the eighth
running of the event, with
this year’s theme being ‘Autumn in
Japan’.
Starting at 9.30am, the day’s events
and demonstrations will include a
Sumo wrestling
tournament, martial
arts, traditional
drum and dance
performances,
Japanese cooking
demonstrations
and popular cultural
activities such as the
Wanko Soba noodle
speed eating contest,
origami, calligraphy, tea
ceremony, Sake tasting
and a kimono display. A
new mini exhibition this
year is the Japanese
Culture Cars.
The full days program, map
of the venue and additional
information can be found
JAPAN DAY
SUNDAY MARCH 3RD
RICCARTON RACECOURCE
9.30AM – 4.30PM
FREE ADMISSION
on the Canterbury Japan Day
Facebook page.
Adding to the flavour of
Canterbury Japan Day, a wide
selection of Japanese
food will be available at
outside stalls, giving
visitors the opportunity
to taste some of the
country’s unique dishes.
Previous events have
attracted almost
15,000 visitors,
organiser, Mrs
Emiko Kuroda
of the Japanese
Society of
Canterbury and
her organising
committee
anticipates a
similar turnout
this year.
• By Anan Zaki
TOURISTS ARE driving
too slow in Canterbury
because they don’t know
what an open road sign
means.
Senior Sergeant Pete
Stills is calling on the signs
to be removed and replaced
with signs stating the speed
limit.
Open roads are marked
with a black stripe in a
white circle and have a
speed limit of 100km/h.
“I don’t like open road
signs. So many people
nowadays don’t know
what they are, particularly
foreign drivers.”
“I stopped a couple
of Chinese girls . . . last
year and they were doing
70km/h because that was
the last actual sign they had
seen, although they had
gone past the open road
sign but they didn’t know
what it was,” he said.
“We should just have a
speed limit on the sign so
that there’s no confusion
on what the speed limit is.”
However, Senior Sergeant
Stills’ pleas have fallen
on deaf ears at the New
Zealand Transport Agency
which had no plans to
Pete Stills
change the way the signs
look.
Said an NZTA
spokeswoman: “The derestricted
sign has been an
option for road controlling
authorities to sign the
default open road speed
limit in New Zealand for
many years. It was retained
when we went to 100km/h
as the upper speed limit on
the open road.”
However, a rental car
company said it would
support the initiative to
improve safety.
Said a Thrifty Car Rental
spokeswoman: “A numeric
sign is more internationally
versatile and would work
for both New Zealand and
international drivers.”
Automobile Association
•HAVE YOUR SAY:
Do you think open
road signs should
be replaced with
speed limit signs?
Send your views
to anan.zaki@
starmedia.kiwi
principal adviser
regulations Mark Stockdale
also agreed some tourists
may not be familiar with
the open road sign.
“Although they [tourists]
are encouraged to
familiarise themselves with
New Zealand road rules
and road rule collateral is
provided by many rental
companies,” Mr Stockdale
said.
He said open road signs
are still authorised signs
and other factors may be
in play when it comes to
tourists driving slowly.
Said Mr Stockdale: “The
fact that some visiting
drivers are travelling
below the speed limit may
also suggest that they are
driving at a speed that feels
comfortable to them based
on the look and feel of the
road.”