Waka Kotahi has hit back at claims by a UK TikTok user living in New Zealand that cars can "run you over" when there is a green man signalling pedestrians have the right of way at traffic lights.
It comes after the British man, who goes by Curls or the username @itscurlsbaby, shared a video on his TikTok account about the five things he finds annoying with New Zealand.
In his second point in the video, the British man says the traffic light rules "drives me crazy".
"In New Zealand, when the green man says you can walk, the cars are still allowed to drive through," he said.
"Back home in the UK, when it's green you can walk without any fear of being hurt. In New Zealand, when the man is green it's your job to look out for the cars. What is the point in having a green man? The cars are still allowed to run you over, it's crazy."
But Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency told Newshub the comments in the video are not correct.
Spokesperson Andy Knackstedt said pedestrian signals apply to pedestrians and separate signals apply to motorists.
"The 'green man' signal does not flash. The signal will show a steady green walking human figure for the period when a pedestrian is allowed to enter the roadway, followed by a flashing red standing human figure to show the period when a pedestrian already on the roadway should finish crossing," Knackstedt explained.
The TikTok sparked debate with the video receiving hundreds of comments, with some clarifying the rules.
One person said, "Your not allowed to drive if the walking lights on (sic)".
Another person said, "Cars give way to people crossing at lights, the pedestrian walks the drivers meant to watch and wait until its clear (sic)".
"Cars give way to people crossing at lights, the pedestrian walks the drivers meant to watch and wait until its clear," a third person said.
Curls told Newshub the reaction to his video has been "fascinating and polarising".
"Many people have just never considered this quirk because it's all they've ever known, whereas others have said this is a big problem, particularly in Wellington, where lights can allegedly be green for both pedestrians and cars at the same time," Curls said.
"My knowledge of town planning and road safety beyond the very basics is virtually zero, but not being able to trust the green person has been quite an unsettling component of an otherwise utterly wonderful country."
Curls, who is from the UK, told Newshub one thing he's found odd from his time living in New Zealand is the traffic light rules.
He said they're a bit different to what he's experienced in the UK.
"Part of the fun of moving to Aotearoa is getting to grips with the beautiful quirks and differences of this country compared to where I grew up," he told Newshub.
"One striking example is when the green pedestrian light is visible, pedestrians are still beholden to cars looming over them, ready to drive as soon as the human has crossed."
The TikTok video has been viewed over 226,000 times.
