Will radar detectors become illegal?

[Winston001]

I'm a bit worried about the raft of transport law changes being introduced by the government. For example the discussion went very quickly from banning texting to imposing alcohol limits on boaties.

It would be very easy to slip in banning of detectors.

Has anyone come across any reports or comments which might give us a clue? Often such policies are leaked a few weeks beforehand to soften up the public.

[Naki Rat]

Something is afoot as there seem to be many police cars that now appear to not be using radars (according to by RD). Choice of RD for me included the undetectability of the Bel 65 with future banning possibility in mind :shifty:

[nadroj]

Harry had it drafted....
He lost.......
So did they.....
?????????

[ynot slow]

Something is afoot as there seem to be many police cars that now appear to not be using radars (according to by RD). Choice of RD for me included the undetectability of the Bel 65 with future banning possibility in mind :shifty:

Noticed similar with the rx55 last time on highway in the naki.

[Cajun]

Something is afoot as there seem to be many police cars that now appear to not be using radars (according to by RD). Choice of RD for me included the undetectability of the Bel 65 with future banning possibility in mind :shifty:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/2590438/Police-vehicles-losing-radars

'Frontline officers told The Southland Times they had been told up to 400 Stalker detection units, which are leased, were to be removed from police vehicles as part of efforts to cut $21 million from the police operating budget.'

[MaxB]

Not yet at least.

At election time someone made the point that if the Nats got in a large number of their supporters run large executive type cars on the open road and wouldn't take too kindly to the ban.

I guess you have to be of a certain income level to afford a top of the line unit.

[Hiflyer]

is this still on the way??

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10483863

[CookMySock]

This is notable alongside the recent upgrading of automatic speed cameras.

So much of the mobile units' operation can be drawn into question in the courts, where the automatic units seem to be much less costly in terms of the experts that are required to operate them.

Maybe its just not worth the police time to chase speeders down, only to argue the point and lose in court.

Steve

[Big Dave]

Doooon't know where, dooooon't know when.......but it is inevitable.

[nadroj]

Doooon't know where, dooooon't know when.......but it is inevitable.

As are transponders & in road sensors.......:Police:

[MaxB]

is this still on the way??

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10483863

20 months is along time in politics. Different time, different Government.

[Naki Rat]

Noticed similar with the rx55 last time on highway in the naki.

I did a return trip to Tauranga returning via Hamilton a couple of weeks back and the radar alerts were conspicuous by their absence :Police::ride:

[Hiflyer]

20 months is along time in politics. Different time, different Government.

yea I know, but a guy at work seems to think that it's in place?

Is it?

[Ixion]

Nope. Mr Wozzaname drafted a rule, then Labour gotted beatened, and the rule got losted .

Mr Thingy says that use of radar detectors will be considered as part of the great Road Safety Strategy 2020 document due out later this month.

Which will propose LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of new rules and finez.

[Morcs]

Even failing to wear a seatbelt will attract 25 demerit points as well as $50 fines.
what about all the passengers that dont have licenses? do they get 25 demerits aswell?


So less fines, more demerits. This is their answer to the calls of revenue gathering. So the country is going to fall apart as lots more people will be suspended and unable to get to work for offenses not worthy of disqualification. huh.

How about, less policing? Policing isnt the answer to a lower road toll. How about spending money on better roads eh?
More education and more emphasis on drink driving I agree with.

I can see the quota changing from how much $ to how many licenses they take per shift.

[MSTRS]

... Policing isnt the answer to a lower road toll. ...

Nothing is THE answer. It's too complex an issue for any one thing to make much of a difference. I will say that appropriate policing would be valuable.

[SMOKEU]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/2590438/Police-vehicles-losing-radars

'Frontline officers told The Southland Times they had been told up to 400 Stalker detection units, which are leased, were to be removed from police vehicles as part of efforts to cut $21 million from the police operating budget.'

I believe that, because once I was bouncing off the speed limiter in front of a traffic cop and no disco lights or sirens were observed.

[chef]

what about all the passengers that dont have licenses? do they get 25 demerits aswell?


So less fines, more demerits. This is their answer to the calls of revenue gathering. So the country is going to fall apart as lots more people will be suspended and unable to get to work for offenses not worthy of disqualification. huh.

How about, less policing? Policing isnt the answer to a lower road toll. How about spending money on better roads eh?
More education and more emphasis on drink driving I agree with.

I can see the quota changing from how much $ to how many licenses they take per shift.

dam straight!

[Winston001]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/2590438/Police-vehicles-losing-radars

'Frontline officers told The Southland Times they had been told up to 400 Stalker detection units, which are leased, were to be removed from police vehicles as part of efforts to cut $21 million from the police operating budget.'

I saw a more recent news article which said new radar units were due in soon. Looked like the old Stalkers were being replaced rather than the police giving up on radar.




Mr Thingy says that use of radar detectors will be considered as part of the great Road Safety Strategy 2020 document due out later this month.

Which will propose LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of new rules and finez.

Ah - thanks Ix. So we should be looking for a report in the next 10 days or so?

[Swoop]

I can see the quota changing from how much $ to how many licenses they take per shift.
So, Hazzard County is the trial area for this proposal??:done:

[Morcs]

So, Hazzard County is the trial area for this proposal??:done:

Has been for a while ;)

[crazyhorse]

They've been talking about this for a number of years. Not sure how well it could be policed, as some Navmans (etc) have them built in as well. :Police:

[humphrt]

I personally dont see the problem with radar dectectors(altho i dont have a quote to fill). I found in the short time i had one that i was much more consious of the speed i was going. Every beep had me checkin my speed and i was riding much more conservatively.

[Swoop]

Every beep had me checkin my speed and i was riding much more conservatively.
Quite true.

[Taz]

My detector fell off the bike and I never did find it. Haven't really missed it tho it was comforting to have when doing the Grand Challenge especially along the Napier-Taupo highway.

[Pixie]

Nope. Mr Wozzaname drafted a rule, then Labour gotted beatened, and the rule got losted .

Mr Thingy says that use of radar detectors will be considered as part of the great Road Safety Strategy 2020 document due out later this month.

Which will propose LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of new rules and finez.

Here's the discussion document:

http://images.tvnz.co.nz/tvnz_images/news2009/politics-generic/saferjourneysfull_web.pdf

[SVboy]

Well, thats a frightening document!

[Boob Johnson]

The single biggest contributing factor to our road toll HAS to be education, or should I say, the lack of it!


WHEN WILL OUR FUCKING GOVERNMENT WAKE UP & PUT A FEW MORE HOOPS IN PLACE TO OBTAIN A LICENSE!!!



Sorry bout that, rant over :done:

[Swoop]

The single biggest contributing factor to our road toll HAS to be education, or should I say, the lack of it!

WHEN WILL OUR FUCKING GOVERNMENT WAKE UP & PUT A FEW MORE HOOPS IN PLACE TO OBTAIN A LICENSE!!!

Sorry bout that, rant over :done:

Yup. The idiot's at the helm have targetted speed, cars and conditions. Same result every time... "how unusual".
They missed the common factor in all of them...
The Driver.

[Boob Johnson]

Yup. The idiot's at the helm have targetted speed, cars and conditions. Same result every time... "how unusual".
They missed the common factor in all of them...
The Driver.
It just BLOWS me away that it hasn't been looked at! They made a few changes just prior to me getting my full (in one foul swoop) in 1987 at the tender age of 15 & have done nothing since! In Germany you have to have driving lessons with an instructor & you don't pass & move to the next one until you can show an instructor that you understand everything & display an excepted level of competence. They even make you drive at a cracking pace on the autobahn!! Good lord, according to our gubbermint your head will explode if you travel over 100km/h!! It costs around $2000Euro to do it & takes quite a bit of time. They actually value their license over there.

The amount of convo's I have with tourists about how shit NZ drivers are is embarrasing. They come to a civilised, first world country & get met with troglodytes behind the wheel of every 2nd car!

[Swoop]

An issue that arises, is the quality of driving instructors in NZ...

I never see a driving school car sitting in the left hand lane, always in the centre lane on the motorway. If driving instructors cannot learn to "keep left unless passing" then what chance has the student and theoretically, the remaining road users.

They come to a civilised, first world country...
Well, there is a misconception! We are a Banana Republic.:blip:

[Boob Johnson]

An issue that arises, is the quality of driving instructors in NZ...

I never see a driving school car sitting in the left hand lane, always in the centre lane on the motorway. If driving instructors cannot learn to "keep left unless passing" then what chance has the student and theoretically, the remaining road users.

Well, there is a misconception! We are a Banana Republic.:blip:
Yeah that maybe where part of the problem lies but I just cannot except that with all this fuss being made over the road toll that it isn't compulsary to at least attend a course. It's being left upto mum & or dad neither of which would of had any formal lessons themselves. A self fulfilling prophecy. Surely the pilot in command holds the greatest control over any incident?

[Naki Rat]

An issue that arises, is the quality of driving instructors in NZ...


Like the AA instructor that was invited to assess the levels of driving skills of our staff a while back. (Part of the safety BS demanded of us by the same client that now has our vehicles wired for permanent lights on. Don't get me started :brick:)

Two of many 'faults' he found in my and others driving:
*Using the right lane of two 'straight through' lanes as I was failing to keep left. So why are there two lanes then??
*On driving past a local high school at 11.00pm I failed to slow (to 30kmh) from 50kmh as we passed a parked school bus. WTF??

These guys seem to exist in their own little world where practicality is a foreign concept :weird:

[Swoop]

Using the right lane of two 'straight through' lanes as I was failing to keep left. So why are there two lanes then?
To allow another vehicle to overtake. Courtesy dictates that a road user will keep left.
NZ appears immune to that courtesy though.

(Yes, I know it is legal to undertake on a multi lane road...)

[Naki Rat]

To allow another vehicle to overtake. Courtesy dictates that a road user will keep left.
NZ appears immune to that courtesy though.

(Yes, I know it is legal to undertake on a multi lane road...)

This situation was at a traffic light controlled intersection where the left lane finishes and is forced to merge right 150-200m further on due to a narrow bridge. Locals in the know use the right lane at the lights for this reason as New Plymouth drivers are resistant to allowing merging traffic in :mad:
Northgate heading west through Mangorei Road lights for those that know New Plymouth.

[Boob Johnson]

This situation was at a traffic light controlled intersection where the left lane finishes and is forced to merge right 150-200m further on due to a narrow bridge. Locals in the know use the right lane at the lights for this reason as New Plymouth drivers are resistant to allowing merging traffic in :mad:
Northgate heading west through Mangorei Road lights for those that know New Plymouth.
Ha ha, yeah I know the stretch you speak of :laugh:

Not just NP drivers, that's the country over <_<

[funky monkey]

and back to the radar issue

I was told by a shop they tried to ban radars, but couldnt because the law covers navmans aswell, and they couldnt justify banning all of them, so no changes

But that may have been just to sell me the 1000 dollar radar... which worked.

[pritch]

Northgate heading west through Mangorei Road lights for those that know New Plymouth.

Aaaaaah all becomes clear.

The instructor was an idiot. Basically, it isn't marked thus but the left lane is for people turning left. If you try to go straight nobody will let you into the queue for the bridge...

[ready4whatever]

as far as making the road toll go down, sometimes we just have to accept that things go wrong and people die. you will never stop it from happening no matter what law you bring in

[Naki Rat]

Aaaaaah all becomes clear.

The instructor was an idiot. Basically, it isn't marked thus but the left lane is for people turning left. If you try to go straight nobody will let you into the queue for the bridge...

Pretty sure the left lane has a double arrow (left & straight through) so essentially two straight ahead lanes. But you're right about the bridge problem.

[Naki Rat]

as far as making the road toll go down, sometimes we just have to accept that things go wrong and people die. you will never stop it from happening no matter what law you bring in

Natural selection like.... and the young 'uns these days are increasingly lacking the smarts necessary for survival :doh:

[nadroj]

Pretty sure the left lane has a double arrow (left & straight through) so essentially two straight ahead lanes. But you're right about the bridge problem.

Yes you are right. The cause of problems at the bridge is peoples reluctance to merge like a zip with que jumpers that speed thru in the left lane at much greater than the mean 60kph. They have been stymied by the left turn red arrow allowing pedestrians to cross before vehicles can turn left (or go straight ahead) - another reason traffic prefers the right lane!

[Winston001]

Two of many 'faults' he found in my and others driving:
*Using the right lane of two 'straight through' lanes as I was failing to keep left. So why are there two lanes then??

*On driving past a local high school at 11.00pm I failed to slow (to 30kmh) from 50kmh as we passed a parked school bus. WTF??

:

The traffic regs do say "keep left" somewhere in their depths. But sounds like you had a good reason on this piece of road.

I got a ticket a little while ago for not slowing past a parked school bus. Thems the rules.

[Swoop]

The cause of problem is peoples reluctance to merge like a zip...
Another thing that kiwi's cannot do.

In the words of Billy Connelly when touring NZ, "merge like a zip? you fuckers merge more like fucking velcro!".