Somehow I have been very careful in driving here in Auckland, I don't feel safe while driving as well. Agree with Kiwieagle that people sometimes jump queue at high speed and particularly on SH1 heavy trucks drive in the fast (3rd) lane (its quite worrying to see huge truck at 100 kmph especially with family in the car). I find lanes on SH1 very narrow as well.
This morning I drove OH to Birkenhead, while waiting at a signal saw one motorcyclist that drove from between the cars, stopped in front of us with his leg just about 10 inches away from my front wheel (also I must mention that there were just 2-3 cars waiting for the signal
) - well this didn't happen to me for the first time.
9 out of 10 times I have been out, I have come across people overtaking (or undertaking as Steve just mentioned above) at full speed immediately after the signals or first given opportunity/whenever the lanes split (they hardly go 10 meters ahead, I don't think its worth the risk).
One concept I like is the lanes split before signals and join after the signals to reduce long queues but people wanting to drive past the car in front of them just defeat the whole idea behind it. Another incident from boxing day, there was one huge van which overtook (from left) us in Manukau city in a single lane road just before one roundabout - fortunately I was just turning left so that didn't matter but it was still risky (I just hate going towards that side of Auckland for such reasons).