Aucklanders, compared to big-city folk in other English-speaking countries, generally act good naturedly – innocent and polite – until they get behind the steering wheel of an automobile. This phenomenon illustrates how members of a normally quiet, considerate population can suddenly turn — Jekyll- and Hide-like –- into creatures with demonic mentalities. Road rage, defacement of road signs, auto theft, illegal tailgating, reckless and drunken driving have become major social problems in Auckland, New Zealand.