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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 | ||
| 314315 | 2005-01-15 10:01:00 | True although it would be a start if they learned the rules and developed the skills in the first place. I'd be interested to see everyone in NZ take a proper driving test and see how many would pass/fail. In fact I'd be interested to take a practical test here myself, just to see how easy/hard it is compared with the British test. Having moved here with a British licence I only had to sit a basic theory test. The current system they have in place is probably good enough for newbie drivers, but could be a touch harder. The problem is the older drivers who didn't have to learn the rules, and just drove around the block to get a licence. When I first went for a licence at school I was in a room with about 15 others for the theory part. The instructor asked a question and someone intelligent answered and the whole class subsequently was given credit :D |
Raikyn (6293) | ||
| 314316 | 2005-01-15 10:24:00 | Driving down State Highway 1 a few days ago we were the rear car of about 5 all moving along nicely. We had been on the road about one hour and I had just made the comment that all the idiots seem to be missing off the roads when a women came up behind us overtook us and the car in front on a blind bend. The car in front had to brake to let her in and we had to brake to give that car some room. About 500m down the road she turns right down a side road. That action threatened several lives including the child sitting beside her for no gain in time whatsoever. What could possibly be going on inside her head | Dally (6292) | ||
| 314317 | 2005-01-15 11:45:00 | I personally don't think that drivers in NZ are any better or worse than those in any country in the world I have driven in. In fact, I used to think that Wgtn drivers were wonderful and clearly the best in the country in terms of courtesy, but Wgtn taxi drivers dispute that now, and I defer to their professional opinion.Gah! Taxi Drivers! Gah! "Professional road users" that drive for a living. Between them and StageCoach bus drivers you take you life in your hands in Wellington. Sometimes I like to think of my horn as a Wellington Cab/StageCoach feedback button. |
ninja (1671) | ||
| 314318 | 2005-01-15 18:41:00 | I don't know if it has been done yet, but the Govt MUST do something about international licencing in NZ. We have seen the problems caused (ninja seems to have been on the receiving end of some) by drivers who simply don't know what they're doing, who can't even pass a learner's licence, and yet can still drive around and carry passengers. Maybe a compulsory theory test for all drivers carrying international licences, intending on staying in NZ for more than 3 months, and intending on driving on NZ roads when they enter the country? If they pass, they get a temporary licence for the duration of their stay in NZ, or one year, whichever is shorter. If they fail, they cannot drive, simple as that, or have to go through the standard licencing procedures. |
somebody (208) | ||
| 314319 | 2005-01-15 19:29:00 | Secondly, in case Terry is implying (or I am inferring from his posts) that in his opinion, English drivers are superior to Kiwi drivers, I would have to strongly disagree. On the basis of a recent month's driving in Britain, I would have to say that they have far more aggressive and poorly behaved drivers than I have ever seen here. The only exception I found were professional truck drivers (well, except for Tesco drivers who seem to think they are King of the Road on A roads). I found that truckies were truly, deeply, madly, scary for a start by the way they ride your back bumper, but I learned that they were absolutely trustworthy and courteous, and always signalled what they were going to do, and signalled to let you know it was safe to join their queue or to pull out. And as for English roundabouts - they are insanity on wheels (no pun intended). We met an American couple who were so terrified of these perversions of road engineering they had given up their rental car. I soldiered on, but I think I may have brought back an ulcer. Shudder. As for English drivers signalling - what a joke. I prefer the system here that Terry abhors - at least you have a fair chance of knowing what Kiwi drivers are going to do when they signal like that at a roundabout. Not in England! It is probably as bad as you say now John in England, over the last 30 years there has been a massive invasion of aliens, road building from what I hear has gone mad, and everywhere is overcrowded. I was there on holiday in 1990, and couldnt get back here fast enough. I was more concerned with comparing road engineering and road safety education between the two countries in as far as it used to be. Ok there are bad drivers everywhere, but road courtesy back in the old days used to be a feature of English driving, on the whole. Roundabouts used to be very good indeed, so I dont know whats happened to change that. I will still maintain the signalling right is redundant because it doesnt impart any more information other than that the vehicle is travelling clockwise as indeed are all vehicles going round the island. "Give way to vehicles on the island, signal left when turning off" is all that is necessary Germany used to be good too, I used to go there on business a lot during the early 70s, and there were good because being Germans they obeyed the rules. Driving in France and Belgum was a nightmare, the Italians were just crazy and there didnt seem to be many rules , I couldnt work out why they all drove through red lights :) , the Swiss were very polite. |
Terry Porritt (14) | ||
| 314320 | 2005-01-15 21:14:00 | I don't know if it has been done yet, but the Govt MUST do something about international licencing in NZ. We have seen the problems caused (ninja seems to have been on the receiving end of some) by drivers who simply don't know what they're doing, who can't even pass a learner's licence, and yet can still drive around and carry passengers. Maybe a compulsory theory test for all drivers carrying international licences, intending on staying in NZ for more than 3 months, and intending on driving on NZ roads when they enter the country? If they pass, they get a temporary licence for the duration of their stay in NZ, or one year, whichever is shorter. If they fail, they cannot drive, simple as that, or have to go through the standard licencing procedures. I agree something should be done with international licences. Especially with those from countries with blatantly different driving rules (or no rules) and standards. But first and foremost, something should be done to improve the standard of driving by all in NZ. Just sorting out the few international visitors wont do much to curb the road toll when there are so many home-grown idiots like those mentioned by Dally. |
manicminer (4219) | ||
| 314321 | 2005-01-15 21:17:00 | ... at about 28 tons gross weight. Is that you or the semi? :D |
Tony (4941) | ||
| 314322 | 2005-01-15 21:18:00 | (snip) I will still maintain the signalling right is redundant because it doesnt impart any more information other than that the vehicle is travelling clockwise as indeed are all vehicles going round the island . "Give way to vehicles on the island, signal left when turning off" is all that is necessary You may be right in an ideal world Terry, but I think that the right signal still makes some sense to me . For example, if you drive into a roundabout at a simple cross roads, there are three possible exits - four if you intend to go back the way you came . I think that it is at least courteous and sensible to signal right as long as you are going around the roundabout and then left before you reach your selected exit . This leaves no doubt in the minds of those who are waiting to enter the roundabout and those following you . How many times do you wait at a roundabout for someone who seems to be intending to come round past your entry point only to see them (with no signals at all) exit left before they reach your entry point? You don't know whether they are coming or going and it is so irritating to this particular compulsive obsessive to realise I have waited for nothing . Logically you are probably right, but I will continue to signal that I am still going around to the right until I have reached my desired exit, and then signal that I am exiting . I somehow have the touching faith that if only I and others keep doing it, it will catch on . :rolleyes: BTW,why don't people signal? Is it really hard work to flick the indicator? :help: |
John H (8) | ||
| 314323 | 2005-01-15 21:22:00 | Driving down State Highway 1 a few days ago we were the rear car of about 5 all moving along nicely. We had been on the road about one hour and I had just made the comment that all the idiots seem to be missing off the roads when a women came up behind us overtook us and the car in front on a blind bend. The car in front had to brake to let her in and we had to brake to give that car some room. About 500m down the road she turns right down a side road. That action threatened several lives including the child sitting beside her for no gain in time whatsoever. What could possibly be going on inside her head Dally - this is the sort of thing I see daily. I spend about an hour a day driving to and from work. It's amazing the lengths people will go to get ahead of the car in front, only to turn off a few seconds later. I see some incredible nutcases fly past me, only to catch them up at the next junction or petrol station! This happens in Britain and anywhere else too. In Britain perhaps people dont get away with it so much with the number of fixed speed cameras, traffic lights and sheer volume of traffic. But here I can't understand it, the traffic volume is so light it's not as if you have to wait long for a safe place to overtake, or as if you really ever get stuck in a genuine traffic jam (with the exception of parts of Auckland and Wellington in rush hour). |
manicminer (4219) | ||
| 314324 | 2005-01-15 21:27:00 | Gah! Taxi Drivers! Gah! "Professional road users" that drive for a living. Between them and StageCoach bus drivers you take you life in your hands in Wellington. Sometimes I like to think of my horn as a Wellington Cab/StageCoach feedback button. ninja - I use taxis a lot on working trips, especially in Wellington. Whatever city I am in, I only use taxis from companies who are members of the Federation, thus I have no experience of the others who have come in since deregulation. Based on this selective experience ninja, I would disagree with your comments. In 10 years of regular use of Wellington Combined cabs, I cannot recall a single incident of bad driving by one of their drivers. As I say, I cannot comment on the others, and your bad experience may be with them. Anyway you can ignore my views because I am biased - my dad was a taxi driver for 20 years, 8 of which was in Wgtn so I am well and truly indoctrinated about respect for taxi drivers (apart from having to endure their freely given and usually appalling political views - hmmm, not much different to this forum sometimes is it?). :D |
John H (8) | ||
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