kshurey

"It was like a game of Dodge the Moron"

Stop dodging them, it will improve the gene pool and educate the others!

RobClubley

If I had a Landrover or something it might be tempting, though I suspect it would be considered my fault.

Tom H

Where do I start without being told to go back to England you pommy barsteward amongst other racist comments. Not forgetting the recent attacks about cyclists, I mean how hard is it to share a road. We're all going from A to B and want to get there safely. Safe driving and safe usage of the roads doesn't exist in this country

Sometimes it doesn't help that the roads and quality of junctions are utterly pathetic. Examples - Boys Road junction on Rangiora/Woodend Road and the Williams St junction by State Highway 1 just after Woodend. A lot of the right turn junctions here give you a right side lane that you should stay in to build up speed and then merge in turn - another thing the idiots behind the wheel fail to understand! The Boys Road junction to start with has a right turn, I'd say 10 meters away from the Rangiora/Woodend road and I've seen many near misses because drivers are indicating to turn right (that itself is a huge shock!) but are doing it before the Rangiora/Woodend road - leaving some to think they can pull out before they get there. Doesn't always happen

The Williams St junction that I've had 8 near misses so far (one very fortunate miss) because some drivers (mainly Kiwis) indicate to turn right, they make the turn but instead of going in the right hand lane to build speed up, they go straight into the left lane where traffic is going at least 80 - 100kmh. One 4 by 4 (they're generally the most common causers) pulled out into the left lane in front of me and had I not swerved sharply to the right, i'd have gone straight into him. Madness and yet I got a bunch of middle fingers because they were in the wrong.

State Highway 1 gives me many a incidents to shake my head in disbelief so has caused me to become a defensive driver. I go 100kmh in the left lane down to work and the speeders in their done up fords etc going 120kmh will be passed by the time I get to the Johns Road turn off. What is the point? We're all going to hit the queues at that time. It seems some though don't understand that.

There are two things though that really bug me about SH1. Tailgating and mobile phone usage (yes you truck drivers and females in your tiny cars). A crash that happened a few weeks ago on a Friday was mainly down to the idiot behind the car turning right tailgating, failing to notice that the car ahead was slowing down to turn right. Smash - the result a four/five car pile up. Luckily there were no injuries. Now had the car behind not tailgated and left a 2 second gap (what's one of those the drivers here ask), they would have noticed the car slowing to turn right - therefore move to the left to avoid a collision. Oh no, and the police won't say they were tailgating - it's all about speed here. Speed this, speed that. Christ sake get some education out about tailgating, merging, indicating and mobile phone usage instead of someone turning right colliding because a driver is going 108kmh.

As for my incident with the car and the traffic lights, I knew after 3 years something like this would happen. I've had plenty a near misses because they fail to understand the red flashing man. I admit it's a silly thing to have, especially on the roads by Fitzgerald Avenue. But they do. I was relieved the transport people finally saw common sense and installed an island by the Bealey Avenue junction. That itself was a death wish waiting to happen. But that's how they operate here and it's exactly the same in Australia - it must be a down under thing. It's not nice your legs connecting to a bumper but at least it wasn't going quick - otherwise i'd have been in hospital a lot longer than a few hours.

LauraNotts

I will admit I have taken to wandering EXTREMELY SLOWLY across the road when I see cars deciding they can't wait for me to finish crossing the road and start to turn into my path. If someone is polite and waits then I hurry over quick sharp. This is very passive aggressive but brings me great satisfaction.

Stormer999

I always make good eye contact and make sure they have seen me and stopped and then give them a wave as thanks after I have crossed.
if I am driving I always wave them across.
A smile goes a long way...

moving2NZ2013

Kiwi drivers frighten the shit outta me lol.
Were in canterbury it's idiot drivers causing these accidents

moving2NZ2013

And the really rural areas have a lot of awful drivers. They go into the big towns cities for a shop. They're used to pottering around. We live in methven we don't have the traffic then they go into ashburton chch and completely oblivious to the fact they nearly ran someone off the road.

Mark Smith

One for Tom. https://www.facebook.com/chchdrivers

Tom H

Made the papers back home

Illegal parking and crazy overtaking in Christchurch revealed on Facebook page | Daily Mail Online

Now the people of the UK who are thinking about coming to Orange Cone Capital can do their research on the driving standards of the city of Christchurch

I think they should also do a number of mechanic shops in ChCh as well. That would also give a very good idea as to what to expect

But at least none of these people are going 2kmh over the speed limit so they won't get into any trouble with Mr Police Officer

Bo-Jangles

Always makes me laugh when ever I'm out and about and I notice the outdoorsy healthy Kiwi lifestyle in full play ..... with cars parked on the pavement as close as possible to the front door of the chip shop.