Deal with tailgating drivers on NZ roads.

Forums › Off topic › Deal with tailgating drivers on NZ roads.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Mad Scientist
29760 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#690740 24-Sep-2012 17:07

seriously if you are repeatedly tailgated at 120kph one of two things must be happening

1) there are many drivers in that area that really want to do 130 clicks

2) they are getting annoyed at your driving style (whatever it may be)

no offence, just stating my thoughts

oxnsox

1923 posts

Uber Geek

#690745 24-Sep-2012 17:18

richms:I hardly ever see actual tailgating on the roads here, just like you never see actual cutting off of people despite what some people will tell you.

And this is a good summary of the why of the problem...

We all have different perceptions and tolerances to these things which distorts our own views on whats acceptable or not.

I can't agree with your comment.

kingjj

1728 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#690764 24-Sep-2012 18:02

richms:
mattwnz: If people are tailgating you, you can report them to *555. I had a friend who got a warning letter because they were traveling to close behind someone.

Those letters mean nothing.

While its true they have no punitive function they are a useful tool it reminding people that their behaviour has been observed. And if nothing else it does make one feel better by putting their frustrations into words and sending it away to someone else. I would still encourage people to use the service, which can be found on the NZ Police website under "Do It Online - Report a Bad Driver", it is free and anonymous.

*555 or 111 if the driving is a great concern are both good options, but you you will need to know your location, direction of travel and as much info on the offending vehicle as possible (a rego is a must if possible!). If the Police do catch up with the driver than most of the time they will require you to make a formal complaint before they can deal with the behaviour. You can also report to your local police station if you feel strongly enough and make a formal complaint.

Kiwi's are some of the most dis-courteous and aggressive drivers in the world (in mine and I'm sure a lot of other peoples opinions). Tail-gating, running red lights, failing to give way and failing to indicate are just some of the endemic driving failures you will observe during your time on the road OP. Just remember, drive to the conditions, follow the road rules you have by now had drummed into you and don't let other vehicles bully you. If you can safely let a vehicle pass than do so, otherwise as mentioned keep your eyes focused on the road and carry on.

bluedisk

226 posts

Master Geek

#690792 24-Sep-2012 19:10

I can see the frustration of the OP. NZ'ers are generally terrible drivers with tail-gating very common on our roads.
Its part of our passive/aggressive approach to driving.

It happens every day to me on the open road, I always travel at the speed limit when it is safe to do so but I often get tail-gated. I slow right down and let them pass, only to find when they do pass and get in front they end up driving the same speed! Grrr, you've just got to be in front don't you....

As part of my job, I travel a lot around NZ and the world, usually driving some distance.

Whats with trying to push in on the clear lane of a two lane highway when there is clearly a queue for merging back to a single lane? This kind of "queue jumping" drives me nuts, it just shows impatience.

Life is a daring adventure or nothing at all...

shrub

775 posts

Ultimate Geek

ID Verified

#690798 24-Sep-2012 19:23

Most nz drivers are hopeless on the open road. The throttle is not being used properly to slow down and speed up. Brakes should only be used in an emergency on the open road. I travel quite a bit through the south island and the best drivers are further south. Christchurch drivers are the worst.

DonGould

3892 posts

Uber Geek

#690810 24-Sep-2012 19:56

shrub: Most nz drivers are hopeless on the open road. The throttle is not being used properly to slow down and speed up. Brakes should only be used in an emergency on the open road. I travel quite a bit through the south island and the best drivers are further south. Christchurch vehicle users are the worst.

There you go... I corrected it for you. :)

To call vehicle users in Christchurch 'drivers' really is a bit insulting to people who do actually know how to drive.

I've driven a little bit in Auckland and Wellington and a lot in Perth and drives are very different in those places to Christchurch.

I generally find people in cars in Christchurch to be very aggressive and rude.

Promote New Zealand - Get yourself a .kiwi.nz domain name!!!

Check out mine - i.am.a.can.do.kiwi.nz - don@i.am.a.can.do.kiwi.nz

Linuxluver

5828 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Subscriber

#690824 24-Sep-2012 20:30

Chaitanya: Hi Geekzoners and New Zealanders,

I recently earned my Restricted License ( in 3rd attempt ) and drove from Auckland to Rotorua ( via Matamata ) last weekend to celebrate. I had a great time.

I believe I am a good driver and I make it a point to stick to all road rules including speed limits.

However there was one thing which concerned me.

I am aware that nobody should drive faster than 100 kmph ( +10 kmph) on any NZ road and that one needs to stick to safer speeds displayed on state highways where applicable.

When I was driving on SH 2 / SH 27 / SH 5 I noticed that people were tailgating me. They do so even when I am driving at speed limit. I try to let people in haste go but I can't do it every time because there may not be enough space on the side of the road and passing lanes are not everywhere. Where there is some space, I stop sometimes and let people go but sooner or later some other cars tailgate me. And I cant stop every time. I noticed people overtaking me even when I am doing 120 kmph sometimes. But in the safety of myself and others I don't do 120 always.

Given that state highways are not multi-laned, this whole thing makes me feel bad and uncomfortable because it looks like I am blocking the road for many cars behind me by simply observing safe speed limit. And despite other drivers over speeding and not following 2 seconds rule.

This is not the case on motorways because there are 2 lanes I usually stick to left lane.

Can some experienced and responsible Kiwi drivers let me know their thoughts on this matter. It will help me greatly.

Thanks heaps,
Chaitanya

If someone comes up behind me, I will usually pull over within 2-3 minutes and let them pass. If there is nowhere to pull over.....then on a straight bit I will indicate I'm pulling over....and just slow waaaayy down so they can pass easily at a lower speed.

I have no ego in it...I'll pull over 60 times / hour if I have to. I let the police deal with the speeders. Often I pass such people a few minutes later and they are parked behing flashing red and blue lights. Or we all catch up to a great big truck...and they gained absolutely nothing for all their efforts.

The principle I'm employing is that I would rather have the askhole in front of me than behind me. It's a principle that works well for me.

_____________________________________________________________________

I've been on Geekzone over 16 years..... Time flies....

Equinox IT

Cloud spending continues to surge globally, but most organisations haven’t made the changes necessary to maximise the value and cost-efficiency benefits of their cloud investments. Download the whitepaper From Overspend to Advantage now.

guyz

232 posts

Master Geek

#690863 24-Sep-2012 21:44

i hate tail gaters also-- best way i have dealt with them is i call *555 and file a complaint- if the are nice and close behind me - then i pull the hand brake on...as no tail lights illuminate the following offender craps themselves , drops their mobile phone, spills there drink or burger and goes into evasive action trying not to rear end my 4x4..i quickly release the hand brake and accelerate... i no longer have problem with said tail gator as they have other things on their minds such as rather uncomfortable underpants that have suddenly filled with unpleasant substances

richms

28168 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#690865 24-Sep-2012 21:48

Friend has an 80's landcruiser with some wicked as bumper/towbar on it. a missed gear change into 2nd not 4th will get it slowing down heaps and the one time they hit he only had to deal with getting a bit of paint flakes off the bumper. And hose all the antifreeze off ;)

Richard rich.ms

blakamin

4431 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#690867 24-Sep-2012 22:14

I'd tend to say that if people are passing you when you're doing 120, your speedo is miles out.. Most drivers in NZ are lucky to do the speed limit unless there are double lanes. (based on being a truck driver. 10-14hrs a day spent driving all over the nth island).
As for slowing to the posted speed on a corner, like other people have said, that's based at a reeeeally slow speed...
Most trucks that do the turangi 500 every night (b-trains, semis) will do 10 k over that, loaded, with no issues at all.. if a truck is carrying liquid or has a higer CoG, then they'll do that speed or 10 under.

I've actually seen such bad driving I've been able to overtake a car, going up-hill, in a loaded semi. It was safer me being in front of some completely random-braker than being behind and risk them jumping on the anchors for no reason at all and running them over.

JimmyC

726 posts

Ultimate Geek

#690941 25-Sep-2012 09:06

oxnsox: Folk also forget Truck (and Bus) drivers are on the road everyday and have a lot more experience behind the wheel than most car drivers. Often they travel the routes regularly so know them well, they're driving professionals. But it's easy for flocking drivers and others to blame their poor driving skills on truckies by sniping at them.

Hmm... taxi drivers also spend all day driving in traffic around cities, but in my experience in and out of taxis, are some of the worst drivers on the road. Hours in the cab does not equate to skill or professionalism I'm afraid.

DoggNZ

437 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#691220 25-Sep-2012 15:59

I don't really understand the "Let them pass" thing with regard to tailgaters. If you're driving at the speed limit and someone is tailgating, it's their problem. Of course if you're driving slow for whatever reason and genuinely holding up traffic then definately make all reasonable effort to pull over. I used to drive from Christchurch to Invercargill and back 2 or 3 times a month and the amount of time I spent stuck behind Campervans and Horse Trucks etc made me glad I didn't have a gun in the glovebox.

kingjj

1728 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#691234 25-Sep-2012 16:29

DoggNZ: I don't really understand the "Let them pass" thing with regard to tailgaters. If you're driving at the speed limit and someone is tailgating, it's their problem. Of course if you're driving slow for whatever reason and genuinely holding up traffic then definately make all reasonable effort to pull over. I used to drive from Christchurch to Invercargill and back 2 or 3 times a month and the amount of time I spent stuck behind Campervans and Horse Trucks etc made me glad I didn't have a gun in the glovebox.

What's the point of getting more and more frustrated just because you are in the right? Yet its a hit to our ego's letting someone pass us when we feel they should fall into step behind us, but at the end of the day you'll get over it and life will go on. Better the short term annoyance then it building up to boiling point with the possibility of something stupid and rash being the result. If you can't safely let someone pass than just continue on until you can.

Us Kiwi's are very self focused and don't like the thought of someone doing something which we don't approve of, hence the reason we are so dis-courteous on the road! The guy going slower than me on the road is a 'bloody moron' and the guy going faster than me is a 'reckless idiot who's going to kill someone", I'm the only safe and courteous driver out there

Batman

Mad Scientist
29760 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#691247 25-Sep-2012 16:56

guyz: i hate tail gaters also-- best way i have dealt with them is ... i pull the hand brake on...as no tail lights illuminate the following offender craps themselves , drops their mobile phone, spills there drink or burger and goes into evasive action trying not to rear end my 4x4..i quickly release the hand brake and accelerate... i no longer have problem with said tail gator as they have other things on their minds such as rather uncomfortable underpants that have suddenly filled with unpleasant substances

can i suggest to the OP do not try this ... if you do it wrong (wrong steer, wrong speed, wrong amount of handbrake, wrong weather, wrong car ...) you will spin, or worse, roll your car!

DonGould

3892 posts

Uber Geek

#691252 25-Sep-2012 17:01

joker97: can i suggest to the OP do not try this ... if you do it wrong (wrong steer, wrong speed, wrong amount of handbrake, wrong weather, wrong car ...) you will spin, or worse, roll your car!

Should I ask how you know this? ;)

I do have to agree with any suggestion that it seems like a very childish thing to do and not to mention very unsafe and inconsiderate of the driver behind and anyone who might be following him and get equal fright when the breaks come on suddenly for no apparent reason.

Promote New Zealand - Get yourself a .kiwi.nz domain name!!!

Check out mine - i.am.a.can.do.kiwi.nz - don@i.am.a.can.do.kiwi.nz

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5