Aziz Al Sa'afin, who moved to Sydney recently to become TVNZ's Australia correspondent, has been trying to get to grips with the driving habits of those behind the wheel in NSW.
As I steer my way through the chaotic labyrinth of Sydney's streets, a familiar sensation grips my steering wheel – anger, rising like the mercury on a summer's day in New South Wales.
I've driven in many countries, but Sydney drivers, I'm afraid, are the worst, tyres down.
Sure, I’m generalising (because I can’t speak for every single driver) but I'm more than happy to own that statement. I realise I could be run out of town for these words.
Context? I’ve driven A LOT in the short time I’ve been here. Admittedly I take the train to work in North Sydney every day, but if a film shoot is on (which there have been many lately), there I am with my three bags of gear driving myself around.
I spent most of last week travelling to Penrith for all things NRL – it’s like driving to Hamilton and back to Auckland every day. So lots of rubber on the road.
And what have I seen? A symphony of chaos where lane discipline seems to be a foreign concept.
Sydney drivers manoeuvre their vehicles like they're auditioning for roles in a Fast and Furious remake. However, they're no Vin Diesel, and their skills are far from great.
They cut you off without a second thought, change lanes without the courtesy of a blinker, and exhibit a unique brand of road rage that's second to none.
I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve been in the wars with other drivers for following the rules and sticking to the speed limit – it’s mad.
It's as if they're all driving with an imaginary emergency siren blaring in their heads, cutting people off, tailgating like it's an Olympic sport, and hogging the overtaking lane.
But here's the kicker – it’s both extremes. Most of the time if they’re not attempting a Scott Dixon, they’re crawling along at a pace that suggests they're on a leisurely Sunday picnic.
And every set of traffic light seems to reveal a new plot twist -- are they suddenly fascinated by their own genitals, or is there an impromptu phone conference happening in their laps?
I've always considered myself a pretty good driver -- don't we all? But Sydney's roads have a peculiar talent for turning even the most zen-like of drivers into rage monsters.
Remember that viral video of the guy surfing on his car roof in the middle of a traffic jam? Well, in Sydney, the epic stunts I’ve witnessed have become a common frustration outlet.
Almost every other day there’s a viral video released of drivers weaving dangerously through traffic or driving into on-coming traffic just to pass the person in front of them.
And the chaos isn't just an annoyance; it has a dark side. Twelve lives lost on the roads in just 11 days. Monday morning, I woke up to news of a passenger meeting a fiery end in a head-on crash that left a ute in ruins. It's a stark reminder that beneath the surface of aggressive driving, there are real and tragic consequences.
The statistics paint a grim picture too. Sydney suburbs wear the crown for some of the worst traffic jams in the country, as hapless Aussies waste precious hours stuck in maddening gridlock.
But let's not point fingers without more context. Bad driving habits are a global epidemic, and Kiwis, for instance, share their own gripes about mobile phone use, lack of indicating, and tailgating, much like their Australian counterparts.
Driving in Sydney often feels like navigating a battlefield, where the casualties are sanity and patience.
So, next time you're stuck in a traffic jam – particularly one down under, remember this – you're not alone in your frustration, and it's not your imagination. Sydney drivers are indeed a breed apart, for better or worse.
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