Stormer999

I am an Observer with Canterbury Institute of Advanced Motorcyclists and most likely a crap car driver. Our test Examiner in Canterbury for cars and motorcyclists is ex UK driving schooled and runs his own driving school here. One of his biggest concerns for driving standards in NZ is the poor levels of some of the driving instructors that are in business in Chch. To lift the standards of defensive driving some concern has to be as to what level are trainee drivers being taken to. I have been driving for many decades but still rely on my basic driving skills taught in the UK. I realised to stay safer on two wheels I had to learn more advanced techniques and to quickly hone the skills to meet NZ road and traffic conditions. Unfortunately all of the riders that come to us to raise their riding standards onto a safer plane are ex Brits, when I say unfortunately I mean no Kiwi's as the training gene seems to be missing or pointed more to risk taking thrills!
It will always amuse me that all of us think we are above average drivers Think about it.......

LauraNotts

Stormer, what school did he found. I have just picked up a small company but what little I know my instructor seems to be pretty level headed and teaches well. I just don't know what a good one and bad one would look like at this stage.

Stormer999

Hi Laura I will send you his details and you can ask him yourself as he is very straight forward northern lad and I am not going to advertise his business..

MrsFychan

think half the problem is that lots of people don't have a full licence and have the licence that states they are only allowed to drive at certain times during the day. I know a kiwi lady who drives at all times on this licence and says she has no intention of paying the additional cost to get a full licence.

Stormer999

I rode up to Nelson a couple of weeks ago to assist with a bit of motorbike training work and went up the middle via Lewis pass. I was very impressed with the road markings laid down by the transport peeps, either side of every rest stop big white arrows were laid down to show which lane drivers from abroad should be in and absolute example to French/British road safety.
The country roads in the Nelson region are a motorcyclists dream.......

Blade Down Under

Funny how I bought this up, I almost had a smash myself today

On the way down from Amberley, before I get to Deadend, there's a turn off for Pegasus. I can't believe this idiot in a 4 by 4 pulled out to go left with me very close to the turn. This is a 100kmh road - I'd have thought anyone with a brain would have waited but this woman decided not to. Luckily my brakes are in good condition and I managed to slow down just in time since she crawled to Deadend doing 50kmh on a 100kmh road. Unbelievable Jeff!

I do see the tailgating a lot on Highway 1. It makes me laugh that the speeders dash as fast as they can, only to meet Mr traffic jam just after the Kainga, Christchurch turn off. You pass them and for the ones turning right towards the airport, you may get there before they do

I'd never have thought I'd hear someone being run over when crossing on a green man.. Are they really that bad????

mickey_d

There is a time limit being implemented for learner and restricted licences on 1st December.

LauraNotts

Yes people DO zoom around corners really quickly without looking when the green man matches a green traffic light (why the code them that way I'll never know). They do it so much that I asked my instructor if they were allowed to do that (thinking the road rules might be different in NZ) she assured me not.

MrsFychan

there is a time limit in which they are not supposed to drive, doesn't stop them

LauraNotts

I think mickey meant how long you're allowed to hold one before you must try for the next class. I heard about that too.

MrsFychan

yes I know, are they actively going to go looking for these people who have been driving on restricted licence for more than the 5years they are now stating ?

Mark Smith

Pretty sure i read that you have 5 years to go from restricted to full. Failure to do so put you back at the very start on a learners.

Stormer999

Yes good point give the motorist the green light at the same time as the pedestrian gets the green light....recipe for disaster. OK for the city dweller of many years that are used to them but for us (not they!) newbies being immigrants and visitors from foreign lands who have not been trained on the system
Imagine being confronted by one when you are on the wrong side of the car on the wrong side of the highway and can't read English

Mark Smith

And we dont seem to be learning from past tragedies. Driver's second time in fatal cyclist crash | Stuff.co.nz

RobClubley

I drove into town today as the weather was yucky. On the Terrace in Wellington I had one pedestrian wander out between two parked cars, about half a metre into the road (Beats headphones on) THEN he looked for traffic and was somewhat surprised to see my bright red car heading towards him at about 25kph.
100m further down there was a guy standing in the centre of my lane waiting to cross, and he refused to step back.
I had to stop behind a turning car, then as I was setting off a guy ran across the road 5m in front of me. This was 20m from a pedestrian crossing.

It was like a game of Dodge the Moron.