NZ Motorists

[Groins_NZ]

Morning!

In the last three weeks I've heard two foreigners comment on NZ car drivers.

The first time was a lady in the Post Shop. I was buying a map book ready for the GC and had my bike gear on so she instantly recognised me as a motorcyclist. Turned out she USED to ride too but upon coming to New Zealand, "decided against it because there are too many bad/dangerous/stupid drivers over here". Well I thought, fair enough....

Second time was last night after playing a round of Business House squash I got talking to a lady from the UK who's been living over here for 5 years now. She used to be into bikes over in the UK with her brother and had considered buying a bike from an acquaintance who was going back home to the UK but, "decided against it as the drivers over here are shocking/angry - and totally unaware of motorcyclists on the road – scary!".

Anyone else heard similar comments from people not of this terra firma?

Could be a good argument to throw at the AA, Government and ACC for them to lower registration and ACC levies. Actually when I think about it weren’t NZ drivers recently rated as being amongst some of the worst in the world (not the worst but up near the top of the list)? Please correct me if I’m wrong. I’ve just had a quick look on Google and can't find any relevant stats (for those of you who like looking at statistical data ).

[James Deuce]

I have to agree. Driving in the UK is a sublime experience, even with the hugely greater traffic congestion.

Coming home to NZ after a year there, inc. 6 months of driving company cars and my own car around taught me more about driving than 20 years of driving in NZ, especially about courteousness, and reading traffic flows.

NZ drivers, including those who think they are good drivers, are the sort of people that cause multi-car pile ups on fog-bound motorways over there.

To put commuting into perspective, it took me 2.5 hours to cover 70 miles from Southampton to Ashtead. It takes me 45 minutes in really bad traffic to cover the 20 odd kms from Maungaraki to Wellington, largely because NZ drivers can't merge, won't let people in, and can't plan their journey. Lazy and aggressive drivers.

I did a similar distance for 3 months, from Southampton to Hythe and it took me 20 minutes in bad traffic, of a similar density to Wellington, and on similar capacity roads.

We're really, really, bad drivers who tend to drive to the car in front rather than working with the traffic front and rear, and we're belligerent with poor vehicle control skills. The average NZ motorcyclist approaches the average UK driver in terms of control skill, and situational awareness, but we really need to be better than that.

[bugjuice]

yep, I learnt to drive in the UK and learnt the fast way of getting around London etc.. That tones even the bravest of drivers. Thankful for it too.. Plus, the UK have averagely higher speeds everywhere too. NZ has it easy by comparison, and too many drivers are just taking it for granted and the bar. Then complain when the bar is set too high..

[Lou Girardin]

If you spend peanuts on training you get monkey drivers.
Add to that the attitude of a car just being another appliance, not requiring any pride in your ability to handle it.
Plus a macho, hyper-aggressive attitude breed into young males through thugby.
Then there's the punitive, purtitanical attitude to enforcement rather than education.
And viola you have NZ drivers.

[Sparky Bills]

If you spend peanuts on training you get monkey drivers.
Add to that the attitude of a car just being another appliance, not requiring any pride in your ability to handle it.
Plus a macho, hyper-aggressive attitude breed into young males through thugby.
Then there's the punitive, purtitanical attitude to enforcement rather than education.
And viola you have NZ drivers.

Agreed!

[Finn]

I would agree with their comments as I've driven in many countries and have a European girlfriend. However, I don't think you need to travel yourself or hear from a tourist to come to your own conclusion here. We all know something just isn't quite right when we're on the road.

However, I think there are many reasons that contribute to stupidity on NZ roads.

1) Lack of overtaking areas. Just travel from Auck to Tauranga and you'll often be down to 70k's following some inbreed for 20 mins. Causes frustration.

2) Third world roads. You get frustrated with the above and overtake when you probably shouldn't.

3) Roading system that doesn't work due to lack of planning and a lack of intelligence in Governement (central & local)

4) Island life. Yes that's right. We suffer from this relaxed, she'll be right mentality which isn't such a bad thing however it is when you're behind a wheel.

5) Typical agressive, ignorant Kiwi nature. Case in point. Travel down a motorway in light traffic. Watch the little people spread out and often you'll note that the slow lane is empty apart from that one inbreed doing 80 - 90. Drive behind someone in the right lane barely doing 100 flash your lights and be prepared for WWIII.

My 2 cents worth.

[Fryin Finn]

When I was in the UK in 96 I hired a Mazda MX5 and with my brother drove up to Scotland in my usual Kiwi motorcyclist style. My overtaking techniques were typical, leading my brother to say I would be the most hated driver in Scotland.
I don't think motorists here are motorcycle unaware - they just don't give a shit.

[bugjuice]

5) Typical agressive, ignorant Kiwi nature. Case in point. Travel down a motorway in light traffic. Watch the little people spread out and often you'll note that the slow lane is empty apart from that one inbreed doing 80 - 90. Drive behind someone in the right lane barely doing 100 flash your lights and be prepared for WWIII.

hey, the slow lane is my lane.. its the only lane where I can safely travel at 150 and know there's no one in my way..

and I love my full beam. I was coming up behind a car that was sat in the right hand lane, going 80. No one around, nothing to over take.. so on go the full beam, just a quick flash to say 'hi, fuck off from the fast lane, you're going slow', and I get the middle finger!! So on go the full beams, and I leave them on, just to see what happens. Nothing. Just get the finger back..

If drivers were educated in driving like other countries do, there'd be no need to spend billions on more roads for drivers to clog up.

I even emailed the government on this a while ago, cos I was so pissed off at sitting behind trucks trying to race up the harbour bridge at 50kph. I pointed out that other countries like the UK, that have billions of cars on the road, spend less time sat in congestion percentage wise, than most, and that NZ has to follow an example instead of just driving 'free will' all over the place. Even if it's one rule like slow/med/fast lane and keep left unless passing....

You know what I got back?

In a nutshell - Trucks are allowed to do 90kph now. Cars travel at 100kph. That's ok, cos there's only 10kph difference between the two. Our structure is ok for the amount of cars we have, and we're building more. The 'slow' lane doesn't always last the length of the motorway, so people have to move lanes often.

nominate him for the Darwin award..

[awd]

Actually when I think about it weren’t NZ drivers recently rated as being amongst some of the worst in the world (not the worst but up near the top of the list)? Please correct me if I’m wrong. I’ve just had a quick look on Google and can't find any relevant stats (for those of you who like looking at statistical data ).

Was this the recent survey that NZ came second, behind the USA, for the worst road rage? I thought that hard to believe, mainly because South Africa wasn't up there too; having grown up in SA and learned to drive there I would have rated it way above NZ & USA for bad road rage.

Anyway, I have to agree with this consensus of NZ drivers. I think Billy Conolly summed it up quite well when he said 'when I overtake you, it's not personal!' There seems to be an underlying idea of arrogance in NZ drivers that makes them think that they are the only people on the road who actually have to get somewhere, anyhing else around them is merely a moving obstacle to be dispensed with at the earliest possible opportunity.

I've driven in lots of places, both bikes and cars, and I honestly think that NZ drivers are the worst I have encountered anywhere. I include India, Russia and the former Soviet Central Asian states in this comparison. Having lived in Italy and done thousands of k's on European roads I honestly feel that the Italians have the best vehicle control of any drivers anywhere.

Obviously there are exceptions to all generalisations, but I feel quite strongly about NZ drivers. Part of the reason I am selling the bike, as much as I love riding. :spudwave:

[gamgee]

speaking of shitty nz drivers, was driving along cumberland st yesterday, in the cage thankfully, anyway dumb bitch in one of those stupid mitsubishi colts decides to change lanes without indicating , only problem is i was right beside her, front of my car was about level with her drivers door, anyway, with no warning she just swings straight accross, and if it wasn't for my highly tuned (thanks to motorcycling) ability to spot idiots, she would have got pit maneuvred and probably rolled, was friggen tempted to do it just because it would have been all her fault, but i was nice and just slammed on the brakes, and nearly got rear ended, just imagine what would have happened had i been on my bike, probably wouldn't have been pretty...

[SPman]

hey, the slow lane is my lane.. its the only lane where I can safely travel at 150 and know there's no one in my way..

You've found that too.......

If drivers were educated in driving like other countries do, there'd be no need to spend billions on more roads for drivers to clog up.

- Sorry - that would entail spending money properly and actually taking an interest!

In a nutshell - Trucks are allowed to do 90kph now. Cars travel at 100kph. That's ok, cos there's only 10kph difference between the two. Our structure is ok for the amount of cars we have, and we're building more. The 'slow' lane doesn't always last the length of the motorway, so people have to move lanes often..

Thats because, yet again, rules are set by people who have no practical knowledge, or really, even interest, in how the real world operates. They think they can run things from an office .....
And it's applying to more and more facets of our lives
Useless pricks!

[Biff]

I totally agree. The standard of NZ drivers is appalling compared to other 'developed' and emerging countries. I'd even go as far to say that NZ drivers are worse than drivers from many/most countries across Asia (China aside). And your driving tests are far too easy IMO.

Then again - there's so little traffic in ChCh compared to Auckland, so the overall risk associated with riding a bike here (ChCh) remains a little lower than riding in some of the medium sized towns in the UK.

[madboy]

It takes me 45 minutes in really bad traffic to cover the 20 odd kms from Maungaraki to Wellington

So that's why the traffic is so slow? You're holding it up! It takes me 14-16 mins from home to town in peak hour, and I've got further to go than you down that Hutt mway. Lanesplitting might well be illegal and dangerous, but at least I'll have lots more spare time before my early death! (pt)

Had a beautiful example of "don't give a shit" driving yesterday on the way to work. I was late, so the rush had cleared to the point where lane changes were actually possible. Medium sized sedan a few cars up pulls from the middle lane to the left lane, goes around the van in the middle lane, and moves back into the middle lane. Never broke 100km/h. Also never used an indicator throughout entire maneouvre(s). I cruised up alongside (splitting) and sat in the clear outside lane beside her, staring at her. Hunched over the steering wheel, bitter faced, bottle blonde late-middle aged woman. Eyes dead ahead. Until she looked right after about 10 secs. Then did a double take when she realised that a) there was a bike beside her, and b) the biker was staring at her. And to this day she'll be wondering why that strange biker shook his head before taking off at an insanely fast 120k.

[Beemer]

I was coming up behind a car that was sat in the right hand lane, going 80. No one around, nothing to over take.. so on go the full beam, just a quick flash to say 'hi, fuck off from the fast lane, you're going slow', and I get the middle finger!! So on go the full beams, and I leave them on, just to see what happens. Nothing. Just get the finger back...

I get this all the time and it really frustrates me. Heading home from Wellington yesterday by car I was so jealous of the rider who was able to get through all the cars spaced out between Plimmerton and Pukerua Bay. I got to Paraparaumu and moved into the outside passing lane to pass an old van. There were two other vehicles ahead of me in the outside lane but there was nothing in the inside lane and neither made any effort to move so I indicated and moved into the inside lane and passed them. No problem with the first vehicle, but the woman (funny how it is so often a woman!) in the second vehicle increased her speed. At the end of the passing lane the front of her car was level with the rear passenger door of mine and she was still coming for me! I realised she would have to move into the path of oncoming traffic if she wanted to try and cut me off so I kept going - and sure enough, she dropped back and was soon miles behind me. Pathetic - if she wants to travel at 90kph, she better not expect to do it in the outside passing lane!

We went to Australia last Christmas and couldn't get over how courteous the drivers were there. We rarely heard a horn being blasted in anger, and you only had to walk within 10 feet of a pedestrian crossing for motorists to stop and wave you across. Why are we all so angry in NZ? You'd expect us to drive like that if our population was huge and we were always stuck in traffic, so perhaps we should start being a bit more courteous and using those new-fangled things called rear vision mirrors!

[Korea]

Medium sized sedan a few cars up pulls from the middle lane to the left lane, goes around the van in the middle lane, and moves back into the middle lane. Never broke 100km/h. Also never used an indicator throughout entire maneouvre(s). I cruised up alongside (splitting) and sat in the clear outside lane beside her, staring at her. Hunched over the steering wheel, bitter faced, bottle blonde late-middle aged woman. Eyes dead ahead.

"...you just want to lean over and say 'What is going on in your life, in your mind that is making you drive like this?' Take it easy!"
Jerry Seinfeld - I'm telling you for the last time