Carattitude

[Grahameeboy]

This week there has been a comment about the NZ Herald's "Motorcylists Bleed Taxpayers"and of course this has touched on driving standards in NZ.

Got me thinking, is it just that the standard of driving is bad over here or is it a culture attitude?

Geographically, this is a wonderful place to be. 4 Million people in a country slight larger than the UK. Scenery to die for and great biking roads.

We are nuclear free, aware of our environment, she'll be right people etc etc.

Yet behind the wheel something changes. I have driven in Africa, America and Europe. Take UK for example. Fast pace of life, everyone in a hurry, lots of crime, subject to terrorist attacks......a pretty stressful place to be, yet I have been back to UK a few times in last 9 years and the driving standards are pretty good.

Why is it that in a pretty stress free country, we get behind the wheel of a vehicle and we change?

Is it just that we cannot drive, or is it that under our 'She'll be right" exterior we have a bad attitude.

We moan about being told what to do even though the end result is not that bad. We moan about 'Anti Spanking Law', we moan about the Police, we moan about this we moan about that, we knee jerk and seem to assume the worst without actually giving things a chance to work or fail.

Drinking and driving still seems to be part of our culture, driving without or outside our licence seems to be part of our culture.....we don't seem to care.

We don't need car insurance, we have ACC to cover us regardless of fault. You can drink and drive, have an accident and "she'll be right"

Never seem so much moaning lately. Must be S.A.D.

We don't say thank you when someone does something for us, we don't open doors or hold lifts open for people, we don't say sorry when we do something wrong.

So is it just that we are bad drivers or do we have a bad attitude. I mean driving a car is not difficult, most are automatics, and driving in a considerate and safe way is not difficult. I was just taught how to pass my test, I had to learn the rest so following on from what MSTRS said in a post maybe education will not work.........I let people in, I even let people out of side roads when it is busy and slow down to let people merge, I was not educated to do this it is just obvious..........no thankyou wave in most cases.

Good driving attitude is obvious. Why can't we understand that.

This country proclaims itself as a clean friendly nation, but is it? and does our hidden attitude reveal itself when we get behind the wheel.

[Pwalo]

I think the biggest problem on the road is plain lack of consideration for other drivers/riders/cyclists/whatever.

It's simple bad manners not to signal, allow a gap for other road users, etc. But then again I'm a grumpy old man now, so what do I know?

[Grahameeboy]

I think the biggest problem on the road is plain lack of consideration for other drivers/riders/cyclists/whatever.

It's simple bad manners not to signal, allow a gap for other road users, etc. But then again I'm a grumpy old man now, so what do I know?

You are right, I experience just as much bad driving when I am in my car but I guess my question is "Why" when you consider the perception the World has of NZ.

[kiwifruit]

but I'M a good driver...

[yungatart]

One day last week, I stopped to let a car in to the traffic flow, 50 metres down the road, i stopped again to let in a truck. (I was going to have to stop at the ped Xing anyway, so thought I'd do the decent thing) The guy waved at me,(so I know he saw me) then another 50 metres down the road, he changed lanes (no signal) within the roundabout and cut me off! The bonnet of my car was actually underneath the tray of his truck!!!
To his credit he did pull over, and apologise to me, to which i responded, "I was nice to you, I let you in, and you still tried to f***en kill me!"
No damage done, except, maybe I won't be quite so considerate next time.
More education needed? Too bloody right!

[Grahameeboy]

One day last week, I stopped to let a car in to the traffic flow, 50 metres down the road, i stopped again to let in a truck. (I was going to have to stop at the ped Xing anyway, so thought I'd do the decent thing) The guy waved at me,(so I know he saw me) then another 50 metres down the road, he changed lanes (no signal) within the roundabout and cut me off! The bonnet of my car was actually underneath the tray of his truck!!!
To his credit he did pull over, and apologise to me, to which i responded, "I was nice to you, I let you in, and you still tried to f***en kill me!"
No damage done, except, maybe I won't be quite so considerate next time.
More education needed? Too bloody right!

Trouble with education is that if they have a bad attitude they will not take any notice.

I was not educated to drive, I was taught how to pass my test. The rest was upto me...................however, I think the campaign should be more explicit....we have TV docs about highway partol, so how about a TV doc about driving that goes out on all 3 channels at same time over a week and showing examples of how bad we are.....that guy in the UK who showed a photo of a severed motorcylists head had the right idea.

TV is more out there than posters on roads, bus shelters.....only

[MSTRS:Me]

We are nuclear free, aware of our environment, she'll be right people etc etc.


Why is it that in a pretty stress free country, we get behind the wheel of a vehicle and we change?

Is it just that we cannot drive, or is it that under our 'She'll be right" exterior we have a bad attitude.

We moan about being told what to do even though the end result is not that bad. We moan about 'Anti Spanking Law', we moan about the Police, we moan about this we moan about that, we knee jerk and seem to assume the worst without actually giving things a chance to work or fail.

Drinking and driving still seems to be part of our culture, driving without or outside our licence seems to be part of our culture.....we don't seem to care.

We don't need car insurance, we have ACC to cover us regardless of fault. You can drink and drive, have an accident and "she'll be right"


We don't say thank you when someone does something for us, we don't open doors or hold lifts open for people, we don't say sorry when we do something wrong.

So is it just that we are bad drivers or do we have a bad attitude.
Good driving attitude is obvious. Why can't we understand that.

This country proclaims itself as a clean friendly nation, but is it? and does our hidden attitude reveal itself when we get behind the wheel.

What do you mean "We"? whiteboy....

[sAsLEX]

I think the biggest problem on the road is plain lack of consideration for other drivers/riders/cyclists/whatever.

It's simple bad manners not to signal, allow a gap for other road users, etc. But then again I'm a grumpy old man now, so what do I know?

You would be amazed at the gracious friendly driving from most over here , UK, stuck in a queue? Never people stop and let you in, tricky driveway? traffic in both directions stops......

[Grahameeboy]

What do you mean "We"? whiteboy....

I was waiting for that nigger..........'We' are 99.9% the same so is correct Sir and I do not descriminate..........

You would be amazed at the gracious friendly driving from most over here , UK, stuck in a queue? Never people stop and let you in, tricky driveway? traffic in both directions stops......

So why can't we do it in NZ.........

[sAsLEX]

So why can't we do it in NZ.........

"We" might do it. Just like "we" pay taxes etc its the masses that ruin it.

[terbang]

This week there has been a comment about the NZ Herald's "Motorcylists Bleed Taxpayers"and of course this has touched on driving standards in NZ.

Got me thinking, is it just that the standard of driving is bad over here or is it a culture attitude?

Geographically, this is a wonderful place to be. 4 Million people in a country slight larger than the UK. Scenery to die for and great biking roads.

We are nuclear free, aware of our environment, she'll be right people etc etc.

Yet behind the wheel something changes. I have driven in Africa, America and Europe. Take UK for example. Fast pace of life, everyone in a hurry, lots of crime, subject to terrorist attacks......a pretty stressful place to be, yet I have been back to UK a few times in last 9 years and the driving standards are pretty good.

Why is it that in a pretty stress free country, we get behind the wheel of a vehicle and we change?

Is it just that we cannot drive, or is it that under our 'She'll be right" exterior we have a bad attitude.

We moan about being told what to do even though the end result is not that bad. We moan about 'Anti Spanking Law', we moan about the Police, we moan about this we moan about that, we knee jerk and seem to assume the worst without actually giving things a chance to work or fail.

Drinking and driving still seems to be part of our culture, driving without or outside our licence seems to be part of our culture.....we don't seem to care.

We don't need car insurance, we have ACC to cover us regardless of fault. You can drink and drive, have an accident and "she'll be right"

Never seem so much moaning lately. Must be S.A.D.

We don't say thank you when someone does something for us, we don't open doors or hold lifts open for people, we don't say sorry when we do something wrong.

So is it just that we are bad drivers or do we have a bad attitude. I mean driving a car is not difficult, most are automatics, and driving in a considerate and safe way is not difficult. I was just taught how to pass my test, I had to learn the rest so following on from what MSTRS said in a post maybe education will not work.........I let people in, I even let people out of side roads when it is busy and slow down to let people merge, I was not educated to do this it is just obvious..........no thankyou wave in most cases.

Good driving attitude is obvious. Why can't we understand that.

This country proclaims itself as a clean friendly nation, but is it? and does our hidden attitude reveal itself when we get behind the wheel.

We used to comment that the only jets on the Auckland ramp that were still whining after engine shutdown were the British Airways ones...! And we don't have mushy peas here either..

[sAsLEX]

And we don't have mushy peas here either..

Or warm beer!

[Grahameeboy]

We used to comment that the only jets on the Auckland ramp that were still whining after engine shutdown were the British Airways ones...! And we don't have mushy peas here either..

How things change eh.........

[Chisanga]

I agree with you totally Graham. Having lived in NZ for 21 years and being only 33 I learned to drive and have done most of my driving here. However I also have driven back home in the UK and in Africa and am frequently am amazed at the attitude of drivers here.

I think it has something to do with insecurity, too much of a drivers self-worth here seems to be attached to driving ability and what happens on the road. I am still working this theory out in my head. People take it personally when they are overtaken and nowhere else have I seen a desire to punish other drivers for silly mistakes.

An example: When I was repping and driving heaps in central North Island I saw more than once a driver make a silly mistake and attempt to overtake anotehr car when they shouldn't have... instead of letting the car back in I have seem cars speed up to prevent them merging back into traffic. So it seems some drivers are willing to cause head-on accidents at over 100km/h because someone made a silly mistake. Grow up. As a student of social anthropology I am fascinated by the behaviour of a lot of NZ drivers... as I said before I still haven't quite figured it out but there is definately something very wrong going on.

And yes I know a lot of this is hugely generalised but that's just life

Anyway Rant over... thanks graham - something I have been ruminating on for quite some time.

[terbang]

Pommie digs aside (I married one), I do have to go along with Grahmee about the driving over there. They drive fast, safe and courteous on the motorways in the UK as they also do in Germany and most of europe really. It is an attitude thing here.

Who are the bad guys here?

Driving to work a couple of days ago in my "looser cruiser" (It happens when you have kids) I got stuck in a long line of slow traffic doing about 70Kays on average. Way up ahead there is someone who has the cognitive function of a three toed sloth combined with the attitude of a rhinocerous. 'Its my goddam right to go as slow as I like' is the loud and clear message as his brake lights come on at every hint of a bend... On a shortish straight, a hotshot in his newish bright yellow Suzuki Swift two cars behind me, spots an opportunity that the rest of us dopey morons seemed to have missed. He's in a new car, she's got a bit of wick up front and he's a better driver than the rest of us. He makes his move 'Fuck this, I'm gonna take the lot of them'. With the veins on his red fleshy neck bulging, he accelerates past a whole bunch of us and soon runs into the old profile drag issue (thrust=drag), she won't go much faster while he's still got quite a few to overtake and a rapidly looming corner. Murphy enters and according to his law, Joe Bloggs who is tootling along in the other direction minding his own business, exits a bend and is presented head on with a 180 KPH bright yellow missile. I observe a quick flash of brakelights on the rear of the swift indicating Mr (not so now) Hotshots state of panic as he attempts to shift left back into the left lane. Unfortunatly for him, the overtakees who have been blissfully perfecting the art of tailgating, are not amused and no-one gives him a gap. In fact there are those that close it up just to make him pay for his folly!
Joe to the rescue...! What else could he do? Bloggs takes his Mitsy to the shoulder, does a bit of drifting and lives to tootle another day. I get to see his terrified expression as he goes by and fortunatly for Hotshot there are no other cars following.