Robbo25

By the way I really did enjoy reading your way to make the UK feel like NZ, very entertaining and a great way of relating how you feel.

Browner_

Even I cant really add anything to that succinct summary Genesis!

Well, maybe lets throw in a ludicrous give way to the right rule that at least half the country doesnt understand, and pedestrian crossings where pedestrians cross when cars have GREEN lights, ROFLMAO

Genesis

Can we add texting twats, tailgating tossers and general irritating idiots.....(the latter being way too many of the drivers over here)?? They are sooooooooooooooo getting worse. I want to go and live on the Isle of Scily (sp). No cars there. If I win the lottery tomorrow I might try to escape all this motoring madness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ITS SO NOT FUNNY ANYMORE. M25....A406....M1..........all is forgiven.

Robbo25

But do any of us believe driving anywhere in the world is getting easier or better?

TeamEmbo

So no-one remembers the terrifying driving in the UK? You know, where when you're on the motorway driving at the speed limit and cars come racing up behind you flashing their headlights for you to get out of their way, or when you were trying to join a queue of traffic from a side road and all the cars would stay bumper to bumper so as not to lose a place in the queue and let you in, and the constant cutting up, and the multi lane traffic from 5 different directions converging on one roundabout which as you went round every car 'waiting' was edging further and further out into your path, and the eternal queue on a Saturday to get into a multi-story carpark just to do your shopping in town and then the ensuing fight to find a space before the next b***d, or the buses that pulled out on you as you drew level with them, and the road rage and tailgating in the UK where if you annoyed someone they would actually speed past then pull in right in front of you and then slam the breaks on and continue this for a mile or so, or worse force you to pull over whereupon they set about your car/you with whatever hefty object they had to hand, whether you had kids in your car or not.

I'm not saying the driving in NZ doesn't leave a lot to be desired but I don't think its right to say 'kiwi drivers' are bad. There's plenty of immigrants here driving just as badly and remembering the above I know which country I'd rather be driving in

whitesand

Genesis, I don't detect a note of dissatisfacation with life in Pamy North, do I? This must be a first for you.

Genesis

No Palmy's great, life is fairly cool...BUT I am getting so pissed off with the road toll and the knobs I have to share the road with..coupled with the fact that Kate now has to ply SH1 from home to Levin everyday makes me VERY edgy. I am not the world's best driver BUT I do not take chances, I am not impatient, I don't use a phone whilst driving, I don't tailgate and I don't speed. All the latter are just normal expectations in my book of another basiically competent road user. Why are soooooo many kiwi drivers such pricks??????????????????????????? I hate the bad drivers...really hate them.

Genesis

You have twice the chance of dying on a kiwi road than a GB road. And it NOT just the types of roads..its the crap or non existant tuition.....driving at 15.....drink drive culture, and to be blunt the complete lack of any kind of consideration for ANY other road user. Kiwis on the road are all ME ME ME. I know where I feel safer. And yes there are shite UK drivers here, chinese too, etc etc. BUT the majority of shite drivers here were born in NZ.

janek

Thanks for typing all that, you have spoken for me.
The Billet Road roundabout near where I lived finally had to have traffic lights installed because there were so many crashes on it.

Bellasmum

No Palmy's great, life is fairly cool...BUT I am getting so pissed off with the road toll and the knobs I have to share the road with..coupled with the fact that Kate now has to ply SH1 from home to Levin everyday makes me VERY edgy. I am not the world's best driver BUT I do not take chances, I am not impatient, I don't use a phone whilst driving, I don't tailgate and I don't speed. All the latter are just normal expectations in my book of another basiically competent road user. Why are soooooo many kiwi drivers such pricks??????????????????????????? I hate the bad drivers...really hate them.

Is that really you Genesis? I don't think I have ever seen you post such sweeping statements before. Your posts tend to always be so objective and balanced.

Anyway please Sir I write to request you edit your quotes accordingly.

Kiwis on the road (with the exception of Bellasmum's family and all Medics she has worked with in actue surgery for 30 years) are all ME ME ME. I know where I feel safer.

Have you ever driven in the Howick/Pakuranga/Botany area ?

Most supped up NEW cars driven by so called boy racers are not of Kiwi heritage.

And neither of the same NEW car drivers not supped up who ding you in the car park or do U turns in front of you in a 70 k area.

Hope there is some warmth in your town today Genesis to brighten your day up

CarolineSwan

well said , the above is all far worse in the uk, also have some of you forgotten how much texting happens in the uk, and talking on mobiles and it took them about 15 , years over there to do something about it, this will happen one day here, omg it was sooooooooooooo bad driving in britain i used to park in a train station and get train into town... at least here you can drive through centre of town without hassle and get a space. I used to hate joining moterways cos no one would let you in i used to be soooo scared, also cos everyone sat bumper to bumper atleast here you have space... I remember one day while sitting on outside lane doing 70 because i was overtaking someone doing like 40 on inside, and this car coming right up my arse flashing and beeping cos they wanted by , i got fright of my life, turned out it was my sister in law, i went mad at her later ... i mean why cant you sit doing 70 thats the limit afterall

whitesand

Genesis, I feel your pain! No matter how bad the driving may be getting in the UK, and I still think it's far worse here, I've never had second thoughts about going somewhere there, but at times feel here that driving somewhere is not that pleasant and decided against going. That never, ever happened in the UK.

RobClubley

I've never had second thoughts about driving anywhere because of other road users - but I love driving, and cars!
Though every time I do drive here I see someone doing something stupid.

Like the MPV with L plates doing 85 in the outside lane of a quiet SH1 the other day who for some reason at the last minute chose to swerve across the path of another car to leave the the Johnsonville exit.

No thought for other road users, no planning ahead, wrong lane, apparently no use of mirrors.
Probably not really a learner but a "qualified" idiot who couldn't be arsed taking the L plates out of the windows

Genesis

I appreciate its a sweeping statement and probably unfair..my apologies if any offence caused. Are there places where most drivers are dilligent. I have to say much as I love Palmy my frame of reference as such with respect to driving is that way too many of the drivers in my locale are clueless. I know there are many, many kiwi drivers who are safe drivers....alas we only seem to note the knobs!!!!!

RobClubley

You don't tend to notice the good drivers - probably because they don't seem to be trying to kill you

The woman in front of me this morning seemed to have no clue how wide her car was or the distance in front of it and kept braking sharply. Maybe she forgot her glasses?