bunnyphobia

My partner works in the hospital here in Rotorua, and he said the main difference between people coming in from RTAs here, compared to UK (Sunderland) is that everyone here is far more mangled because they don't wear seatbelts.

And it seems to be true of elsewhere in NZ - the number of kids who die unnecessarily because they didn't have their seatbelt on and fly through the windscreen is probably one of the key reasons there's such an issue.

It's a mentality thing, - a false sense of invincibility, for whatever reason. I understand the idea behind boy racers, and can tolerate it, but the no seatbelts thing (+alcohol, drugs etc) is just frightening.

I mean, that's just stupid.

Droidling

It's quite a small problem when coming from the UK on the scheme of things,I really wouldn't let it ruin your plans. When I was in CHCH I lived in Cashmere but used to go into town a fair bit. They were there,but you can screen it out,they reminded me of Southend in the 80's - boys in their XR3's and GTi's,there to be laughed at !!! . It wasn't a threat in any way. Enjoy !!

simonsi

Boxing day just passed. We were on the way down to Rotorua from Auckland on SH18a near Gordonton. Car coming the other way clips an armco barrier (no idea why, no other cars involved). In the resulting 2 rolls and 2 end-to-end flips the car did, he came out through the windscreen (which had already completely detached from the car), once the drivers airbag had started to deflate. His seatbelt was fully stowed in the wreck (I looked afterwards). He landed in the middle of the road and was lucky, despite head, mouth, stomach and leg injuries he didn´t appear on the holiday fatalities list (I checked). Although basic signs were ok when I handed him over to the St John´s crew you never know.

Seatbelts, it makes sense.

RobClubley

On a related subject - why do so many people set off the put their seatbelt on as the're driving down the street?
So desperate to set off they can't spend 5 seconds doing it up first?
Same with making phone calls. Finish the call, then set off FFS!

JohnThePom

I'm not sure about the phone calls, but I'd put the first one down to forgetfulness rather than impatience. At least that's what it is when I do it.

Aidy and Clare

Thanks for the replys guys.

Well, we have our EOI in so fingers crossed next Wednesday we get selected.
Unfortunately we only had 125 points with no job offers, but we're hoping it will be enough.


Cheers

Browner_

I think this a massive problem in NZ, but as Rob said, it depends on what you define as a boy racer.

First lets looks at some fairly well accepted points.

Kids can drive at 15 and there is no compulsory insurance whatsoever and a pretty casual driving test. There is a massive culture of drivers modifying their cars to make them seriously loud for no particular good reason and its not just the kids who do it. Young teens are often seen in suped up Subaru Imprezas and regularly kill themselves in the mid of the night in the process.

If you can imagine one in ten of the people in your street driving round with no muffler system whatsoever, then thats whats its like.

So street racing and round and round cruising for hours on end is definitely part of NZ culture. The roads rarely feel a safe place to be as the general standard of NZ driving is appalling but its even more scary after dark. And there is also a massive drink driving culture.

Whether they are boy racers or not, there are massive numbers of cars being driven around that can only described as noise bombs, they may not be going fast but it sounds like you are living next to Brands Hatch.

But the amazing thing about all this is that it is widely tolerated. Newspapers and Government occasionally have a beat up about it but they never do anything to change it. There seems to be no noise control standard that is ever enforced. Im sure if you removed your exhaust system completely no-one would bat an eyelid. The police and justice system here is laughable and kids are running up tens of thousands of dollars fines (each!) and just never pay them.

Personally I think this make NZ a completely horrible environment to live in, and again personally I have NEVER seen another country that tolerates whats goes down in NZ.

Good luck to you if you want to live amongst all that.

Aidy and Clare

Wow, pretty strong opinion there.
Are you still living in NZ? To be honest though, with regards to the noise issue, depending on where you live in the UK you come across this quite a bit too. I do, however, see the 15 age limit as a problem.
It is interesting that some people have no problem whatsoever with "boy racers" (by that I mean people doughnutting etc) and others do.

When we do eventually move we will be renting for a while, hopefully not near the main town of Tauranga. But at least with renting it gives us the option of moving easier than if we buy.

simonsi

As with most things, the scale of it depends on where you live, NZ isn't the same throughout just like any country. The North Shore doesnt have a huge problem with it, I find motorbike noise more noticable tbh and at night it goes quiet, not scary. Occasional noisy car drives past but no worse than Leicester and we live on a main road....

Persephone

I live in Chch and I must admit I have not noticed any boyracers in the area I am in. As Simonsi said it all comes down to where you live; for some people boyracers may be a BIG problem for others it may not be an issue at all. I'm sure there are problems in Chch but not round here so it doesn't affect me day to day.
My take on NZ driving standards- they drive as if there is no one else on the road, pull out when they like, cut corners and drive as fast as they want. After all it doesn't matter as there couldn't possibly be another car in their way
Use of indicators is generally good even when it's a completely redundant exercise such as having overtaken a car and you now want to return to the left side of the road.

bunnyphobia

and at roundabouts. Because we must always signal right when we're going straight on. Or left....

RobClubley

Yeah WTF is that about!
And when you indicate right and turn right they pull out in front of you 'cos they expect you to go straight on!!

BEVS

That's because this person has been subjected to the problem.

BEVS

I know.

Then there are the ones that do stop because you are indicating right and just as you are about to do so, some wazzock from behind them overtakes straight at you.

Stormer999

Simple to teach at islands......you signal the direction you want to go.....so if you are intending to go straight on then you indicate right to show that you are not going to take the 1st exit left then signal left to show you are exiting left, if not you continue signal right until your exit when you signal left. I do not think the UK has even 10% of road users that know or care to abide by this simple rule of thumb.....