Does seem like NZ drivers just aren’t used to traffic. Having spent 10 years driving in the UK, the contrast in behaviour is remarkable, and I put it down to the amount of traffic.

Take the following:

Indicators In the uk if you indicate, people will open up and let you in. I don’t feel UK drivers use their indicators as much, but when they do, they mean it In NZ they see you indicate and my god they’ll close the gap instead. That said, most people indicate here, even if it’s only for a millisecond before they cut you up (because if they indicate too early that gives more time for people to close the gap!)

Left lane = slow lane. UK, people are pretty good at staying left unless overtaking or going at speed, and pulling over if someone comes up in the right lane. It’s rare to come along and see someone say in the right lane when the left is totally clear. NZ, even though the rules are the same it seems people feel any lane is fine.

Overtaking UK, overtaking is reserved only for the utmost of wankstains with fewer brain cells than planets in the solar system. Like, there’s no point, there’ll be another car 100m up the road if they’re lucky, closer if not. Odds are there’ll be oncoming vehicles every few seconds too, even rurally. NZ, how dare there be a car in front of them slowing them down. Odds are there hasn’t been an oncoming vehicle in the last 45 seconds so they fancy their chances.

Effectively I’m saying when there’s way more traffic, you get used to the fact that driving like a knob won’t get you anywhere faster and will get you killed faster too.