Skills tune-up called for locals

Tailgating, texting and using cellphones are some of the driving behaviours that make others on the road mad. Photo / File

Some Rotorua drivers need to take a refresher course to tune up their driving skills, according to those who drive for a living.

A Colmar Brunton survey, which revealed the top 10 driving behaviours most disliked by others, has been backed up by a Rotorua taxi driver and a driving instructor, as well as readers on Facebook.

More than 120 people commented on the Rotorua Daily Post Facebook page with a mix of behaviours they disliked, but the "tailgater" was one that hit a nerve. Followed by "non-indicators" and "texters".

"Sometimes when I get a tailgater I feel like flicking the boot and letting them in," wrote one.

For Rotorua Taxis chairman George Melrose it's people who don't know how to use roundabouts that grinds his gears. "At roundabouts you're supposed to merge like a zip, but people just sit there," he said.

"Not signalling is probably one of the worst too. I've been a taxi driver for 20 years. I've only ever had one accident that's my fault when I reversed and hit a pole. But I've had many others from people pulling out in front, or crashing into the back."

Mr Melrose said he drove about 300km a week around the city, not as much as he used to but enough to notice annoying behaviours.

One Rotorua driving instructor, who didn't want to be named, said he thought Rotorua drivers were some of the worst he had encountered.

"Not knowing how to indicate at roundabouts, following too closely, impatience ... People don't indicate but it's not that hard. It's all learned behaviour, or not learned behaviour in this case. There's a lot of people who get through their licence without any professional supervision."

Rotorua police road policing manager Senior Sergeant Nicky Riordan said many of the behaviours listed were related to crashes causing serious injury. If you didn't like the way someone was driving then call the police.

"If drivers have identified poor driving behaviour, such as speed, following too closely, crossing the centre line or anything that could lead to a crash involving serious injury, then phone us," Mrs Riordan said. "Call *555 or 111, advise us of location, registration number and as much information as you can as soon as you can."

She said police followed up on every driver complaint.