Let's have a conversation about stopping at stop signs
Today an opinion piece was posted on Stuff.co.nz about NZ being terrible drivers.
www.stuff.co.nz...
The video at the top talks about a Massey University study showing one in three drivers don't stop at a particular stop sign.
This was only a snapshot, and I contend that this is not an accurate representation of all stop signs, as dash cam footage I have collected over the past 18 months shows 99 in 100 drivers don't stop at signs! And that's only the ones recorded in front on me. The drivers behind me don't stop either.
For the record, in my 34 years of driving - despite not being a saint on the road - I have ALWAYS stopped at stop signs. And in my younger days, so did almost everyone else. Now, almost everyone DOESN'T. So, what's changed?
What reasoning do you use for not stopping?
- you're running late?
- the car in front stopped already and you had to stop too, so you didn't need to stop again?
- you drive a big car so so what if you have an accident - you'll be fine?
- you can clearly see there's no traffic to the right?
- nobody else does, so why bother?
- stop doesn't really mean stop?
- there are no Police around these days, so nobody's going to catch you anyway?
- you're more important than all the other drivers on the road?
- you can't be bothered?
- the roads are really quiet, so need to look out for dangers?
- something else... please elaborate...
Please share why you don't stop at stop signs... I'd really like to know.
Poll: Do you think NZ should ban social media for youth?
The Australian Prime Minister has expressed plans to ban social media use for children.
This would make it illegal for under 16-year-olds to have accounts on platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X.
Social media platforms would be tasked with ensuring children have no access (under-age children and their parents wouldn’t be penalised for breaching the age limit)
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Do you think NZ should follow suit? Vote in our poll and share your thoughts below.
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85.5% Yes
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13.4% No
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1.1% Other - I'll share below
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.
scumbags
There are some really awful people around at the moment. This is what happened on Sunday.
We live in Hinemoa Street opposite the Waiwhetu Stream. At around 3.40 in the afternoon I was looking out my window and saw a car pull up and start to feed the geese and ducks out the window. Then The passenger an asian man jumped out and threw himself onto a goose. he picked it up and put it the boot of the car.
I immediately ran over and stood in front of his car to stop him moving I also called my husband to help. A lovely man was riding his bike and saw it and stopped to help me. The driver tried to drive into me but I didnt move. He tried telling us it was his pet. These are wild geese.
They had a cage in the boot and some wire all ready to catch the poor bird like they have done it before. My husband took the bird from the car and released it. I then moved out of the way and after lots of abuse from the driver they drove off threatening to come back and get more.
No one should be allowed to take these beautiful birds and certainly not like this. they are all starting to have wee babies at the moment the whole thing was so upsetting to me. Another neighbour further down the road also saw it all happen.
Please keep a look out for this car and if you see them by the stream go over and watch them lets all stop this happening.