sky

Its rife in NZ the road is full of teenagers and adults driving dangerous bangers"

livewire

Is that why the guy on the right is praying?

That crash where the 4 teenagers were killed was pretty horrific - couldn't even recognise the car afterwards. They were driving a turbo charged Mazda and there were six of them in the car. I hope that the current discussion on raising the driving age is successful, may put an end to such a tragic waste of life.

This was taken from todays NZ Herald
"Mourners at funerals for two of the Hastings youths killed in Friday's car smash were shocked yesterday as the boys' friends revved their vehicles in tribute, oblivious to the pain they were causing to grieving family members.

As the hearse carrying the coffin of 17-year-old Michael Jeffries pulled away from the Hastings Racecourse, the driver of a vehicle carrying pallbearers pulled a "handbreaky" in the loose gravel in the car park in front of an upset crowd.

An upset woman approached the driver, telling him to stop.

The white souped-up car was embossed with the words: "In Loving Memory of Stephen Temperton, 1987 -- 2005", in reference to another friend who died in a crash just two weeks ago.

A similar incident had occurred earlier in the day at the funeral of 17-year-old Che Orbell-Pere, when Che's close friends - including his girlfriend Ashleigh Harris - climbed into a modified van and revved the engine before following the hearse from Hastings' Sacred Heart Church, out onto Heretaunga Street.

Funerals for Dylan Brittin, 16, and Alex Scales, 15, were to be held today.

The four boys were killed when their turbo-charged Mazda Familia ploughed into a tree on Hastings' Windsor Avenue on Friday night.

None were wearing seatbelts."

dustinthewind

Your point is??? Looking at this photo it would appear that this is an organised meeting of sorts as the people wearing the white coats look like some kind of security to me & the spectators are standing behind fences. Maybe someone is trying to get these car crazed kids off the roads??


I know this is off the subject but wonder if anyone can point me in the right direction to put a photo under my user name?? Open to suggestions if it isnt too much bother.

sky

Living in Ch.ch you must come across boy racers on a daily basis, this was an organised meeting but not to encourage kids off the roads more like to encourage them to go home and try it on the streets ... the roads are literally full of skid marks!
I don't care if you do or don't agree or see my point.
I know it is true and intend to show NZ warts and all!

livewire

It's endemic up here on the NI too. They've had to close Long Bay park in the evenings because of the boy racers using it as a race track.

Next time anyone goes over the little bridge in Albany village on the way to Dairy Flat have a look at the damaged concrete pillar on the RHS of the bridge. It was hit one night by a stolen car heading north, with no WOF, driven at 100K/hr by a drunk, unlicenced teenager. Both occupants of that car were thrown clear and survived, unlike the driver of the car travelling in the opposite direction who was killed.

I've never understood why that bridge hasn't been repaired. But I won't ever drive late at night because it's like a bloody death trap out there.

mumomonty

Near Hamilton we had 3 kids killed driving under the influence - they dove off of the bridge. This was in February. One poor girl was found floating by diners at a Valentines Day Cruise on the Waikato River. :scared:

sky

You really have to seriously consider whether a trip out on a dark evening is really worth it over here don't you?

mumomonty

Yeh and the fog we get up here is quite regular. Also my hubby commutes to Auckland and I do worry about him. He's been driving for something like 25 years and never had a crunch, etc in UK or Oz. We get here adn his car's been rear ended, door opened twice in the supermarket. They're lovely peeps here but blimey in the car they're terrible. They jsut tailgate adn that bloody left turn rule is a danger. Bugger me.

dustinthewind

Sky I sure do see a lot of it living in Christchurch but dont think its something that is only encountered in NZ. It is a world wide thing & fair enough that you want to draw attention to it to potential immigrants.
Personally its something that doesnt affect me, I can avoid parts of the city where its at its worse. Innocent people die all the time & if these kids dont have the mentality to know they are asking for trouble & putting their lives at risks there is nothing we can do about it. The Police really do have their work cut out trying to run them off the roads. I fear they may be fighting a losing battle though.
I noticed in one of your other threads that you make the point about NZ not being Uptopia....is there such a place on this earth today? Crime happens everywhere too, was only talking to a mate in Manchester yesterday when he told me about a youngman travelling home on a bus in England with his girlfriend after a night out. Some bloke on the bus starts throwing food at the passengers. Many of them left their seats & went downstairs on the bus. This bloke stands to defend his girlfriend because she has been bombarded with chips....the fool throwing the food stabs the bloke 6 times & kills him. Amazingly the offender was able to get off the bus & get away. So as you have to agree this crime thing is a world wide thing that just seems to get more & more out of control everyday.
If your so against NZ why are you still living here? Seems to me if you dont like it why not leave? Seems to me if I disliked somewhere with such passion as you do I would do everything in my power to get out & go somewhere I enjoyed being. Life is just too short to live in conditions you cant stand. You need to go somewhere will you will be happy again & make everyone around you happier too.

livewire

I'm sure that if Sky could leave she would do. From the reading her posts I can see she came to NZ with an open heart and open mind. She loved it when she got here and things started very well for her but sadly that didn't continue.

She is doing her best to survive here under very difficult circumstances. I think what she is trying to do is to help people. She doesn't want them to come here and have their dreams shattered.

If she can show NZ as it really is - good and bad then other people can make an informed decision about coming here. If it stops one person and makes them think twice then some good has come out of her situation.

Sadly people do not always want to hear the negatives but NZ is sold on it's "stunning scenery, lifestyle and low crime rate" because, let's face it - no one comes here to get rich. Where's the harm in telling people the reality?

Sega Mad

On the road safety and boy racer issue.

In the Uk we have a fair proportion of "joyriders" and lunatics in old bangers careering around our roads. I hear them on a daily basis. I think that the difference in the UK is that fatal accidents are not reported in the media as a matter of course as they are elsewhere. I have seen so many roadside flower arrangements in my travels I have lost count. They now put signs up on roads to tell you how many fatalities or casualties there has been on any particular stretch of road over the past few months. It really is quite alarming. I am quite sure the statistics may be higher in NZ but the car culture is more dominant there than in the UK since public transport is less viable. As I understand it you can legally drive a car in NZ as soon as you are out of nappies The car culture in NZ is reminiscent of that which I grew up with in Oz. I remember marauding gangs of juveniles racing around in high powered V8 motors doing 'Dukes of Hazard' style car chases around the suburbs. :scared:

I am rather worried about the apparently appalling road manners I hear about in NZ. It strikes me that some serious public education is required. If anything will deter me from going to NZ it will be selfish driving habits. I like driving here in the UK because it is generally civilised with only the occasional maniac to vex you. From what I hear all drivers in NZ are selfish, ignorant road hogs who don't care a jot for civility and safety. :scared:

I hope it is not entirely true, and if it is, I shall campaign to change it.

Regards

sky

I DO like NZ I just want to be able to also say some aspects of it are shitty without my comments being pounced on by over sensitive kiwis who prowl this forum and folk who have never been migrants and deleted by moderators
I loved so much about the UK too but also hated plenty as well and didn't feel the need to always see the rosy side of living there. Its just not normal to think like that as a Brit, we are on the whole a very tollerant race who see both sides of an arguement aren't we?
Why should the folk researching and investigating their future migration only be allowed to read the holiday brochure version of NZ ..... it's just not true as it wouldn't be true of any country!
I am feeling a little bit like a prisoner at the mo here yes due to circumstances very much beyond our control but it may get better in the future and I will not move my poor children from their schools again. You may not believe me but my kids are happy and thriving here and blissfully unaware that their parents are finacially struggling.

livewire

Just a a few points I'd like to make about this boy racer thing- just to show the differences between here and the UK

1. Children are driving at 15 here. Yes, they shouldn't have passengers in the car and not be out late at night but does that stop them? nope.

2. Children are driving high powered, sometimes turbo boosted cars. Why? because 2nd hand imports are cheap and because there is no requirement to have insurance, so the insurance companies are not pricing powerful cars out of the price bracket of the average teenager.

dustinthewind

Have to agree with both of these points which thankfully are now being addressed by the powers that be.

15 has been the legal driving age in NZ for as long as I can remember but back in our day we didnt have the high powered cars the young ones have access to today. There are moves to raise it to 16 which is a step in the right direction but realistically how much difference is a year going to make to some of these young fools?
Re the insurance thing I have never understood why it hasnt been compulsory here but have heard whispers that they are now thinking of making it law to have at least third party coverage. Not great I know but its a start & would at least cover the other drivers car which has to be good in some ways.
Personally I blame a lot of the parents for a lot of this trouble. Yeah I know a lot of you are already moaning with that statement but I know I have never allowed my kids to drive without insurance & they most definately did not & would not have access to high powered cars while they are living under my roof. I have no control over them when they leave home but while they are living in my home I set rules & make sure they are obeyed. Sounds hard I know but its the only way I know to keep them safe.
Same thing goes for those out there driving rust buckets....to me its like sending them out in a death trap. Kids think they are invincible but for some its time the parents stood up & made more responsible decisions for their kids while they still can!

Biddy

Cheery here isn't it?



On a happier note I saw a great sign today that I kicked myself that I didn't stop to photo

Big Orange sign entering Rodney district nth of AKL:

No road fatalities in Rodney this month followed by an equally big smiley