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Thread ID: 53359	2005-01-15 05:49:00	Kiwi Drivers...	manicminer (4219)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
314375	2005-02-01 09:03:00	I know you can fill in the "roadwatch" forms on the police website and/or phone *555 but I rarely get any feedback from those and often wonder whether the police really take them seriously. They definitely do, I've rung *555 several times while trailing bad/drunk/otherwise drivers and the police have kept me on the line and following the vehicle until they can intercept with a patrol car. I also filled in a RoadWatch form less than a fortnight ago regarding a boy racer who nearly backed into me, cut me off then drove the wrong way down a one way street. I received a written letter from the Police in less than 7 days stating they had written to the owner of the vehicle. In a batch of irony I was listening to a scanner the next weekend and heard the car I complained about getting impounded for boy racing - win!	ninja (1671)
314376	2005-02-01 09:05:00	I know im coming late into this discussion. But all of you who "critise" other drivers, have you taken a look at your own driving...bet you think you're a perfect driver, but no matter what someone else out there will think you are a bad driver. Fair enough point to make, I suppose. I bet every person on the road I've ever had a run-in with would think I'm a terrible driver. Only a couple of weeks ago I had to abruptly apply the brakes upon exiting a roundabout because the woman from the left decided not to give way. She promptly gave me the fingers, completely unprovoked. Now if there are alot of people like her who fail to recognise their own mistakes then there really is a serious problem on the roads. I bet all those people pushing the limits and doing suicidal overtaking manoeuvres think their driving is fine, and all those in front of them are probably incompetent. I happened to get chatting with a hairdresser on this particular topic a few months ago. We both agreed that there were alot of idiots on the road. However his attitude was that people were incompetent for only going a certain speed round a corner (eg. 85 round an 85km/h corner) when, in fact, it was perfectly safe to do about 20-30 k above that speed. He also said that when he sees a bad driver on the road he does his utmost to overtake them, thinking that he's much safer if they are behind him and out the way. (personally I'd rather have a bad driver in front of me, cos at least they are not tailgating me and I can see what they are up to so I can keep my distance and avoid them). I guess the point is people have completely different ideas of what is good driving and what is bad driving. Which is a worry.	manicminer (4219)
314377	2005-02-01 09:11:00	Fair enough point to make, I suppose. I bet every person on the road I've ever had a run-in with would think I'm a terrible driver. Only a couple of weeks ago I had to abruptly apply the brakes upon exiting a roundabout because the woman from the left decided not to give way. She promptly gave me the fingers, completely unprovoked. Didn't happen to be driving a taxi did she. The Wellington cabbies that park on yellow lines, block lanes, clearways, entrances to streets, u-turn in front of you etc toot and yell back if you honk at them even when they are clearly in the wrong. The argument that people might think you are a bad driver is valid. However, I know I personally have had professional instruction, done a defensive driving course (an absolute joke) and have done an emergency services driving course so I'm willing to bet that in spite of my age and all the stereotyping that my driving would be better than the average "middle-age drove the local cop round the block and got their licence" driver (that said I don't think I'll ever be able to back a trailer like my old man can). It's a hell of a lot more rigorous now than it was 20-30 years ago, yet they let these people drive 1.5 - 2 tonne 4x4's round narrow city streets. :groan:	ninja (1671)
314378	2005-02-01 09:12:00	Well I must have filled in about 20 or so of those forms over the past 2 years. I could have filled in a hell of alot more mind you. Generally I've had about 50% response rate from the cops. On one or two occasions they've given alot of feedback, like writing me a letter to say that they have verbally warned the driver. And on more than one occasion they let me know that the driver concerned was driving an unregistered/unwarranted vehicle. But on a few occasions I haven't had any acknowledgement. And on *555 they've often told me to just fill in the form, despite me warning them of an idiot on the road that a patrol car could pick up if they happened to be in the area. It usually has to be "really" bad for me to phone 555 though.	manicminer (4219)
314379	2005-02-01 09:20:00	The argument that people might think you are a bad driver is valid. However, I know I personally have had professional instruction, done a defensive driving course (an absolute joke) and have done an emergency services driving course so I'm willing to bet that in spite of my age and all the stereotyping that my driving would be better than the average "middle-age drove the local cop round the block and got their licence" driver (that said I don't think I'll ever be able to back a trailer like my old man can). Well I know my driving isn't perfect (whose is?), but I'm willing to bet I'm better prepared for the challenges on the road than most having done advanced driving courses in the UK. Hell - I even think that driving here has made me a better driver because I'm more aware of the dangers that exist on the roads and how to avoid them. Despite the low traffic volume, I find driving in New Zealand to be very challenging and I've learnt alot since moving over from the UK (where motorway driving is just like driving on autopilot). The main challenge in the UK are roundabouts! Having said that, it's been a while since I picked up the road code or made myself aware of any changes.	manicminer (4219)
314380	2005-02-01 22:15:00	...are some of the worst drivers in the world. 400-500 killed on New Zealand roads every year and I can see why. If any Kiwis here can shed some light on this, I'd be grateful. Well human kind is a mystery to me :rolleyes: and that includes drivers. I think its all about me me me. I am the most important driver on the road and I will drive the way I want to and everyone else can get knotted. I suppose we can be a bit like that to a greater or lesser degree. If I have decided that I have to right of way, I might push the point a bit if someone challenges that decision of mine. I particularly like these people that try to do as much as possible as they drive, like organise business meetings and their social life, catch up on txt's. Its crazy. I find when I talk on the phone and drive, I don't pay as much attention on the road ahead. So I avoid driving and talking on the phone. Many other people seem to think that they can (an odd few probably can but most of us can't).	dolby digital (5073)
314381	2005-02-03 02:28:00	Well I have a habit of having run-ins with drivers of white vans. Why white vans? Well they are generally business vehicles driven by people who are probably not driving their own vehicle. Apart from that I've no idea why. But most of these vans have the business name and contact clearly marked on them. I've phoned a couple of them up to complain after being the victim of particularly aggressive driving. One belonged to a company in Auckland, whose boss took the complaint very seriously and, I believe, would have have had given the driver a stern warning. The other was a local locksmith - who just gave me a load of verbal abuse despite me politely pointing out my concern at his apparent death wish and lack of consideration for my safety. I know you can fill in the "roadwatch" forms on the police website and/or phone *555 but I rarely get any feedback from those and often wonder whether the police really take them seriously. Apparently they keep the forms on record, then if there are 3 or more independent complaints from people within a couple of years they will impound the offender's car. All very well but I doubt many people bother filling in the forms or even know about them. They have coined the term "White Van Man" in the UK for these idiots. They really are a breed apart - in a bad sense. I have had physically aggressive encounters with these loons on more than one occasion (one time, this guy kicked in my car door.....), who seem to feel that they own the road.	LondonKiwi (6877)
314382	2005-02-05 23:28:00	I often read the Herald at work and occasionally at weekends . I can't help but notice at least 3 or 4 comments every week made about Kiwi drivers on the letters page . One on Friday caught my eye: "Murderous driving" I have just spent my holidays in New Zealand and drove about 2500km in the North Island . After driving usually about 35000km on European roads every year, I found New Zealand drivers the worst I have ever encountered . It seems that tailgating is the favourite sport among young drivers, and even drivers of large lorries . I am used to alot of traffic pressure, but the tailgating made me go off the road many times . Often when I looked in the mirror, driving at 100km/h, I found a lorry behind me flashing its lights and at the most 1m behind me . Sorry to say that there are a lot of potential killers on your roads . Some Dutch guy, Geertruidenberg, the Netherlands . There have actually been alot of letters recently in the paper, probably triggered by all the talk about the SH2 "killer road" near Auckland/Thames . Many of the letters complain about the idiotic driving along this road, not about the road itself . I drove along that bit of road a few weeks ago and I kept thinking to myself, "So where's this nasty bit of road? I'd better drive really carefully and be ready for it" . Of course, I never noticed that "nasty" bit of road and arrived at my destination wondering whether I had missed something . However, I did recall coming across a few taligaters and impatient nutcases .	manicminer (4219)
314383	2005-02-06 02:20:00	I drove along that bit of road a few weeks ago and I kept thinking to myself, "So where's this nasty bit of road? I'd better drive really carefully and be ready for it". Of course, I never noticed that "nasty" bit of road and arrived at my destination wondering whether I had missed something. However, I did recall coming across a few taligaters and impatient nutcases. i live next to and regualy drive on whats been voted as NZ's worse piece of roading. strangly enough it dosn't get much media attention mainly due to it not getting many deaths. its actually a very easy road to drive. however 2 things help....high volume of traffic now slows the speeds right down and transit has fixed a few of it mistakes (eg ending a passing lane at the apex of a very tight turn!). however the better you make the road the better idiots they make of themselves. they are always finding new stupid things to do. overtaking after the end of a passing lane into a very tight turn is comman (and it suprising how many sports car drivers can't keep up with a deisel ute/van/truck around these corners). the amount of scrapes on the concrete island (which helps stop them crossing to the wrong side of the road) show how many people leave things to the last minute! up north theres is proberly as many crashes on the big straights due to people hitting bidges, drving off the road etc all due to lack of attention. tho i must admit the road is very borring to drive (lack of fun corners).	tweak'e (69)
314384	2005-02-06 04:06:00	Pah! You think it's bad when you're in a car? Try it when you're on a bike! Yesterday I was biking down to Riccarton Mall. I was coming up to some traffic lights, and they'd just turned green. Naturally, there were cars turning left. On this occasion, there was this person in a car turning left just as I was about to go through the intersection. Not content with cutting me off, she almost hit a pedestrian down the road :@@:	Edward (31)
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