"New Zealand, we're not as good at driving as we think we are",

We are by and large awful drivers. Tailgating, road hogging, speeding, red light running, texting, racing to beat cars in merging lanes, cutting off when passing, the list goes on. I see it every day and its not tourists. Defensive driving courses need to be compulsory and police need to be more visible and a lot tougher on idiot drivers.

look at all the people on their phones-its a real issue and no ones doing anything about it.The costs to all of us is going to keep rising both in lives and $.Dont make it a rule or a law unless you can enforce it-simple really.

Some drivers are terrible here! I lived in Australia for 4 years and coming back I have realised how bad the drivers are here. The amount of people who have to speed to over take people just to get a couple of cars in front and people speeding up to inter sections and not looking at roundabouts is crazy! I know its not as bad as some countries where cars dont even stop for pedestrians but considering we are a pretty small population the amount of dangerous drivers is insane.

Are we a nation of bad drivers? asks the first paragraphDo you even have to ask?A huge percentage of New Zealanders know how to get into a car and start the engine. From that moment, everything that happens is just guesswork.

We are a nation of terrible aggressive drivers, aggressive to pedestrians, cyclists, learner drivers, slow drivers, caravans, trucks, horses you name it, kiwi drivers HATE ANYTHING being in their way.Being aggressive is a kiwi way of life.

NZders are atrocious drivers. We certainly over rate ourselves that is for sure.

Ive driven all over the world and NZ drivers are shockingly bad and I mean 3rd world bad.Tailgating, undertaking, crawling in passing lanes, driver aggression, texting and phoning whilst driving, terrible use of roundabouts and indicator discipline that makes BMW drivers look considerate. No one uses mirrors and there is no such thing as road manners or etiquette.But of course its all due to the tourists.......

Its not our skills we need to look at. Its our attitude.We think the cops shouldnt give us tickets for breaking the law for a start.

Why do so many drivers speed up on passing lanes? I think they just dont like being passed - some sort of ingrained competitiveness that has no place in safe and considerate driving. As the population grows these sorts of issues are becoming more relevant.

Keeping left would solve most of the problems.

What makes me laugh is drivers busting a gut to go fast only to be stopped at traffic lights or intersections while you casually cruise up behind them. Same goes for the motorway at home time, pulling into every gap of a lane thats moving and not improving their average speed on bit, just causing everyone else to brake to accommodate them. People should have to learn fluid dynamics before they step behind the wheel and they would soon realise all their efforts are futile, they are just another molecule stuck in a river of cars. Then go and get yourself a motorcycle.

Just stop tailgating please,especially when its headlights on time morning and evening I swear I want to kill people who fly up behind me ,Im doing the speed limit and no Im not going to exceed it so you go ahead and pass me ,Ill move over slow down and help you rush off to beat me to the next traffic light ,roundabout or whatever but you dont you just want to sit 10 meters behind me making everything dangerous and uncomfortable ,also please look out for road hazards dont just power on with the attitude that youve got right on your side and itll be their fault if you hit them ,I feel better having gotten this off my chest !

Good article and on the button. Driving standards in NZ are poor and people are very discourteous, I have lost count of the times I have allowed people out of other roads and very rarely get any acknowledgement

That woman who complained about getting ticketed for driving slowly on the fast lane just make you wonder where on earth did they buy their drivers license from? Do they just make up their own road rules thinking they are the center of the universe?Drivers blocking intersections when there are clear yellow lines warning them not to.At intersections with 4x Stop signs, you end up in an accident or near misses because drivers fail to bring their vehicle to a complete halt and show basic road courtesy. The list just goes on and on.

Ive been a driving instructor in more than one country, driven in many different places around the world and by no means are other nations free from poor drivers. However as a nation kiwis attitude towards safe driving is awful. Skill is one thing and we can all improve but attitude is harder to change.

Seems to me a lack of intelligence, bad manners and ill breeding. Driving skills can be learned, those other characteristics are inherited.

You sure are. Drive anywhere else and come back here and you realise just how bad.

What a well written article! Since age 17 I have been a full time driver on NZ roads! Started out as a Commercial Traveller, sorry (customer service representative for todays speak) went on to truck driving, ambulance, back to trucks and finally back to customer service driving on average 48000 MILES per year! YES todays drivers need to wake up! I am now 74 and have a clean record, NEVER had an accident but have had 3 serious crashes from other vehicles! My saving grace, I believe is the fact I have always complied with the road rules! It is not hard to be a good driver! KEEP LEFT! KEEP YOUR DISTANCE! OBEY THE ROAD CODE! SLOW DOWN IN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS!

Ive driven in the UK and NZ and Argentina and NZ is the worst by far. I feel lucky to be alive each time I get out of the car. Tailgating, not indicating, speeding, driving too slow, not slowing down at junctions/roundabouts, undertaking, talking on the phone, not using lanes correctly, running red lights because theres nothing coming, not stopping at pedestrian crossings, reversing onto main roads in busy traffic, and my all-time favourite: not getting out of the way for emergency services (man that makes me mad). I get the impression that up until quite recently the driving test was very easy with no formal lessons required... Id love to see Kiwis have to sit a UK driving test - they wouldnt make it through the first 5 minutes. Need to sort out driver education and the rest will follow.

Ive been driving in the UK for the last month. Kiwis are terrible drivers. Heres everyone shifts to the left lane to let faster cars past, they dont sit in the center lane, use their indicators, drives to the speed limit and lets others driver in from driveways, intersections, etc.75% of cars reverse into parking spaces which holds up queues at car parking buildings but not a peep on the horn, green light means go not put down your cellphone then go. Kiwis are terrible drivers.