Genesis

When is someone going to do something that has teeth attached to it to bring down the road death toll in NZ? Its bloody ridiculous. What on earth happens to the average charming kiwi when they enter a vehicle and have access to the steering wheel? Kate drives all over the Manawatu now for work and I am frankly quite aprehensive of her plying SH1 so regularly.

The govt. must take some blame as must the average shitty kiwi driver ( I appreciate there are exceptions and some kiwis know how to drive responsibly). There are many things that could be done to reduce the road toll. Over here you get just 6mths average ban for drink drive. In the UK its a mandadtory 1yr. There is no offence of using a moblie whilst driving to my knowledge. If there is everyone is breaking the law. The police need to have laws that allow them to impound cars for ever.

Strangely there is little road rage over here..maybe because they vent their crap whilst doing the daily drive whereas in the UK we are all way more civil on the road I guess the bile builds up..not excusing road rage just theorising.

For me its the worst aspect of living here as you can only make yourself so safe by driving carefully to the speed and conditions whilst not fiddling with a phone. I have heard of sooooooooooo many awful deaths as a result of texting and driving..why is it not outlawed??


UPDATE>>>>>>>>>One hour later and its 9 now..I rest my case.

Batty

This is why I don't want to drive. It's not that I'm afraid TO drive - it's all the others out there! I got a lift home from work yesterday - it was just before 6 and we met a car coming up our road with no lights on It's not just Kiwis though - at least not in Auckland!

love30stm

I didnt drive in the Uk for 20 years, since being in New Zealand, took up driving again, just have your wits about you, I like that there is no road rage.

accidents can happen anywhere, I know they drive like crap here but I find it easier and with less traffic.

love30stm

Scary I know thats why I only drive around Wanganui, outside wanganui leave that to my husband

lapsed kiwi

But what could you do about these recent deaths? Most of them were caused by a single, presumably careless, driver who crossed to the wrong side of the road. Would you want crash barriers on all roads? A 50kph speed limit? Only cars with 5* NCAP safety ratings allowed? Compulsory speed limiting by GPS?
I think we have to realise you can't legislate against stupidity, carelessness or bad luck. Road travel has an inherent risk level. The UK limit is soon to be lowered nationally to 50mph - I would not like that to happen here, even if it would save a proportion of the annual road deaths. A shocking number of road deaths in NZ are caused by people not wearing their seat belts - as far as I'm concerned, this is pure Darwinism in action. Also, why do so many of the deaths seem to happen in the Waikato area - are people just more stupid there?

daisy blue

Really? I've seen a that a consulatation document was released last week, canvassing opinion on the idea that local authorities can set their own speed limits - probably leading to more 20 mph zones in residential areas (a really good thing as far as I'm concerned). I didn't know that a 50mph nation wide speed limit was being introduced soon as well.

Here (in the big city) I am scared by other drivers. I dread being offered lifts by friends, as i spend the whole time sitting on my hands and flinching as we skid round corners, drive too fast (quite often with speedos obscured - one person i know keeps his 'windscreen wiping cloth' in front of the dashboard), we speed up to within an inch of the driver in front, come out on junctions with other speeding cars just yards away....And they seem to drive faster on 'quieter' residential streets (which they usually turn down as a 'short cut' when there are more than, say, 3 cars waiting at the red traffic light ahead). These are streets that kids play on and people are speeding up to 70 kph to 'miss the lights'. So 20 mph residential zones - a good idea in my opinion.

And don't even start me on the drink-drive culture. As someone relatively () young, I still like to go out at the weekend, see live music, have a sociable drink with friends. Due to the dreadful public transport, this usually means someone has to drive. And stay sober. This seems to translate as only drinking perhaps 5 or 6 drinks instead of getting blind drunk. And these are my responsible friends. I've seen people who can't stand up in pub car parks get into their cars and drive off, I've seen cars all over the road (and still driving too fast), I end up staying sober (and by that I mean no drinks) and driving everyone home, while scared to death of the other cars on the road. Not a fun night out. And I complain, of course I complain. I threaten to phone the police (although apart from phoning 111, I don't think there's a 'crimestoppers' or similar anonymous number). 'It's normal here, don't whinge' says everyone, 'and its $40 for a taxi home, and I've never had a crash, so it's fine.'

In the UK, yes, people do still drink and drive and its deplorable, but it is much less accepted in the general public. I've had a half glass of wine in the UK with dinner, and people I'm with have said 'you're not going to drive, are you?'. Almost all my 'peers' in the UK will not drink and drive, and one drink at the very most would be their limit. Here, i've heard people say 'oh I'm only a youth fail, it'll be fine' and everyone agree when they are quite blatently half drunk. Or, 'are you driving? But it's ok, you can have a few beers'. These are mostly well educated and reasonably well-off people in their 20s and 30s.

Driving (or other people driving) is one of the things that scares me more here. And I used to drive in London with no problems - so I don't think its a volume of traffic thing and I don't think it's just me - it's the way everyone, just everyone, thinks that it's their right to get there first and the unpredictable nature of thier actions in their bid to be first.

db. (no doubt the designated driver again tonight)

Trenchfoot

On SH1 just north of Whangarei there is a state sponsored bill-board. The poster on it says:

Texting whilst driving is dangerous!

Dangerous? Sticking your fingers in a rotating fan is dangerous. Standing on a stool to change a lightbulb is dangerous. Texting while driving is somewhere between downright bloody suicidal and coldly homicidal.

It would be interesting to know how many of this weekend's tragic deaths have involved mobile phones and/or booze

Oh, and to report a drunk driver, call *555 from your cell phone. It goes direct to the local traffic cops I understand.

Persephone

That is a terrible loss of life in such a short time. I don't know what the answer is, maybe more education as to the dangers that exist when driving? Unfortunately the high death toll doesn't seem to be waking people up to the fact that driving can kill.
Does anyone know what the number of deaths per unit of population is here compared with the UK?
I have begun to assume that my car is invisible due to the number of cars that just pull out in front of me. I am also sick of cars driving so close to my rear bumper that I can see the lack of fear in their eyes. A quick foot on the brakes or turning my lights on and then off doesn't seem to get the message across over here. At least in the UK this usually resulted in the offending driver backing right off with a look of panic
Another thing that drives me mad is the way I see drivers behind me cutting across blind corners-all it takes is for someone to be coming the other way...
I am certainly not a "Sunday driver" type but I do try and consider where other cars are on the road and whether I can cut a corner safely and what may happen should the car in front have to make an emergency stop.
The law on not using a phone when driving seems to have little effect in the UK given the number of drivers I used to see using one. So I doubt it would have much of an effect here either. I don't care if they kill themselves, they only have themselves to blame but the point is that "innocent" drivers are getting killed as well.
At least there doesn't seem to be a road rage culture here, I have yet to see any hand gestures or flashed lights. The majority of drivers are OK but there appears to be a larger minority here [compared to UK] who shouldn't be allowed behind a wheel!

whitesand

Yes, the poor driving gets me mad as well. I think you can judge a person by the way they behave on the road. The scenery here is being unappreciated, I feel, as it's simply not pleasant to drive around in the country with always having to be aware of the poor driving. I hate that road up north from Auckland as it's like a race track and unpleasant to be on, and that's the main road up North too!

Sunday drives are simply not the same here as they would be in the UK or many places in Europe. A shame!

Genesis

[QUOTE=Sue R;7512461]That is a terrible loss of life in such a short time.
Does anyone know what the number of deaths per unit of population is here compared with the UK?


Roughly 400 die per annum in NZ. We have a pop. of 4.5 million.

In the uk about 3800 a year die so I believe. The UK has a pop. of about 65million.

VERY roughly 6000 or so would have to die in the UK per annum for the figs to be similar. As you can see the uk has some 25-30% less fatalities per capita than NZ.

ALAS AT THE END OF THE DAY WHICH EVER WAY YOU LOOK AT IT DRIVING IN NZ IS WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY MORE RISKY THAN IN THE UK. SORRY FOR SHOUTING.

P2L

We were having a conversation earlier tonight about the standard of driving here, compared to the UK.

The overriding difference between the driving here and the UK is the way people learn to drive. The majority of Kiwis are taught to drive by other family members NOT a driving instructor. So cr*p parent driver is likely to result in a cr*p learner driver.

Another influencing factor of accidents here has to be the long straight roads!!! My DH made the comment today about roads here having being built by the Romans!! The fact there is also very little traffic on these long straight roads, must be a factor in driver fatigue.

Lastly, how many people, especially here on South Island drive into town once a month to shop, visit the doctor, bank etc, turn around and go home and never go near a public highway again until the following month.

Now how do we deal with that lot??

nelsonpom

Allowing kids to drive at 15 is just plain stupid. A lack of insurance is also stupid. But I have to say I still prefer driving here then I ever did in UK. Accidents happen and NZ could easily prevent some but not all. Lack of traffic makes people lazy here and thats something that can't be helped.

Genesis

[QUOTE=nelsonpom;7513312]Allowing kids to drive at 15 is just plain stupid. A lack of insurance is also stupid. But I have to say I still prefer driving here then I ever did in UK.


Yes I know what you mean about prefering to drive over here, it may be more deadly but its way more pleasurable..empty roads and all. As for allowing 15 yr olds to drive..especially 15 yr old males..its suicidal (under deveolped frontal lobe facts). Add to that they are allowed (once with a full licence) to drive ought they like coupled with the fact they are not obliged to have ins. it leaves the child (yes we are talking about kids in 300bhp Skylines and the like) with a bit of a lack of responsibility in the driving dept..."whoohoo..I've got no restrictions on the car I drive and I don't need ins....what a laugh..plus I can have my car running as loud as shit!!". Thus I doubt many take it seriously and see the driving permit as something that is a God given right rather than something you earn and need to cherish if you wanna keep it.

southerner

A lot more driving (proportionately) is done on open roads in NZ which are not motorways/dual carriage ways like they mainly are in the UK. That is one contributory factor.

Petals

We have had eight here in Victoria as well. Just another day on the roads.