I’m French and I learnt how to drive in Paris. I drove on icy roads, in the snow, in the worse traffic jams, in the worse Parisians conditions that only Paris can offer. During lots of my trips, I drove all over Europe, ride a bike in Indonesia, Thailand and drove boats in the Caribbean. I am not pretentious but I am an excellent driver. So why you will tell me I think driving in Paris is a piece of cake comparing Sydney?
Why Driving In Paris Is A Piece Of Cake Comparing Sydney
First, let me explain this: When you are French with a French driving licence and you want an Australian driving licence, based on the complexity of the French driving levels, French people don’t have to pass the Australian driving test, only the computer test is necessary. So why on earth, with my 20 something years of driving I say: “Driving in Sydney it’s hell!”
I live and drive in Australia for over 15 years and I can say Australian are terrible drivers, plus the roads are in terrible shape without naming the very logical logistic: such as putting a bus stop two metres in front of a busy intersection creating slow traffic and major frustration. I asked myself are road engineers are on drugs in this country?
No matter where you travel or the length of your drives, avoiding annoyances on the road, such as other drivers’ irritating habits, mind-numbing traffic jams, or maddening backseat drivers can seem almost impossible – but what is it that gets us most riled up on the road?
Navman Technology recently asked its customers what frustrated them most when driving.* A whopping 98 percent of people said the number one thing was other drivers not indicating at all or indicating too late, highlighting the fact that we’d appreciate more courteous drivers on the road. However, there were also many other frustrating driving scenarios that rated highly annoying among drivers – this included:
- 96 percent of drivers agreed they found drivers going too slow in the fast lane
- 93 percent of drivers agreed they found not knowing the directions of where they are going
- 88 percent of drivers agreed they found traffic frustrating
- 84 per cent of driver agreed they found the speeding of other drivers frustrating
- 76 percent of drivers agreed they found disruptive passengers (i.e. kids being noisy etc) frustrating
- 64 percent of drivers agreed they found cyclists frustrating
While Navman doesn’t have a solution for everything that makes us fume in the car such as the habits of other drivers, it does offer a number of solutions to make driving a more pleasant and happy experience. It’s current EZY and MY Series ranges offer features including Live Traffic Updates that automatically calculates your new estimated arrival time and can even find an alternate route for you.
Also, Landmark Guidance uses local landmarks to provide directions, for example “in 200 metres, turn right at the petrol station into Smith Street” so you can look out for the landmark and know exactly where to turn as well. While Free Lifetime Maps ensure you always have up-to-date directions and safety camera alerts on the road. Navman’s
Navman’s EZ260LMT device comes with a one-year warranty and is available at all major electronics retailers from $169 RRP. Navman’s MY650LMMT has a very generous two-year warranty and is available at all major electronics retailers for $199 RRP.
For more information or a list of retailers visit www.navman.com.au
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