Bo-Jangles

It's one thing to drink and drive, but the drinking whilst driving really takes the biscuit. Of all the things I can't reconcile, I find this just so utterly wrong; seeing people driving along swigging a can of Jack Daniels and Coke (or similar RTD) even seeing the cans sitting in the cupholder turns my stomach over.

DC10

I'd be prepared to wager that there's less drink driving in NZ than in rural Britain. Proper enforcement in the former means, in my experience, people are generally fearful of the legal consequences. Well the people I know, anyway...

Bo-Jangles

The single biggest deterrents in the UK have been shame and peer pressure not to be a dick, along with this would be the fear of loss of licence and inability to work if you are banned.

None of these deterrents exist in NZ.

scrubbedexpat094

That's what I've found to be the case too. Makes me mad when I see those police TV programmes here & even some police officers seem to take it as a bit of a joke too.

Bo-Jangles

Not forgetting of course that one of the major 'lifestyle' drawcards for many to NZ is the relatively free and easy availability of fresh homegrown herbs to stick in ones pipe. Recent 'advertising' seems to have shifted focus more onto the issue of 'Drug Driving'.

Charismatic

This is true, the distribution is skewed by some particularly bad drivers. After all if the probability of having crashes remained the same after the first one insurance companies wouldn't raise premiums (no risk change means no premium change).

I’ve always wondered if one day insurance companies might exploit anomalies. For example if failing your test first time significantly reduced your risk of an accident would they target people who failed their test first time with lower insurance rates?

Stormer999

Certainly drivers in the UK who take and pass their Advanced driving test get lowered premiums.

chocolate cake

Drink driving ain't exactly rare in the UK, but it's certainly way worse in NZ. There doesn't seem to be the same shame here.


I'd agree with the main title too, the standard of driving here in NZ is pretty poor. There seems to be tendency to blame the Asians, which is a racial and load of nonsense.

The general attitude to cyclists too is poor, particularly on the rural roads.

gazmfc

NZ drivers are quite possibly the worst drivers I have ever come across. I was hit from the rear while stationary for the second time in 3 months this afternoon.

On the first occasion I was in the outside lane of highway near Albany when a small truck drove straight into the back of me......the young lad was texting at the time and didn't even break! 100kmph into stationery traffic. My car was off the road for seven weeks.

The second (today) I was waiting in the centre of the road indicating to turn right whilst waiting for a car to exit the car park I was entering. I was hit by a car driving at well over the speed limit, the young lad "just didn't see me". He drove straight into the back of my car. The rear of my car is a mess!!




I love this country and would never return to the UK but God I wish someone would do something about the appalling driving standards here.

simonsi

This is certainly one area where the cultural change is 25yrs behind the UK, but that is all it is, there didnt used to be the shame in the UK that there is now....

BEVS

I've been here in NZ for 8 years. I spent considerably longer in the UK and did suffer a dreadful RTA back in the' 70's on a piece of almost empty open motorway due to others careless driving of 2 other vehicles..
I took and am an 'advanced' driver. I've driven all over the world.

The driving standard here is total shite. It really is. I am never endingly shocked by the driving standards & driving attitudes of the people here. It's not the tourist or the emigrants. It's the locals. Their standards. Their attitudes. Their drink driving. Their aggressive road behaviour. Yet they always try to pass the buck. Typical of here.

I've been on the receiving end so many times since being here that I wouldn't make this claim lightly, simply because I could . I mean it. I really mean it. It's hell out on the roads here every single solitary day.

The most busy cities in the world have more where withal about them than this lot.

Shocking & disgraceful. It cannot be defended as far as I am concerned. Disgusting all ways round.

sparkytoad

Are they any better on the water, do you need a boat licence. Seen a couple of boats advertised with tinny holders next to captains chair?

Bo-Jangles

It's not great!! Beside the road death toll we also have daily reports on the drowning toll. Like the roads, it's mostly down to 'macho' heroics; such as not wearing lifejackets and being generally irresponsible.

Drowning used to be known as the 'New Zealand Disease'.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=10781119

Stormer999

Nothing helped by stupid English rugby players throwing themselves off the Auckland ferry either....

Bo-Jangles

Let me remind you of his name; Manu Tuilaga