ACC and NZ Police announce new levy and licencing.

[rustyrobot]

Monday 25 October 2010

In the wake of a dismal result from the lower 4kph national speed tolerance levels set by police for this Labour weekend, ACC and NZ Police have reviewed crash statistics and enacted bold new legislation.

By comparing the crash results from this sunny Labour weekend to the single fatality in this years rainy Queen's Birthday weekend, they have identified an alarming new factor in increasing road fatalities.

Coming into effect from December 1st this year, ACC will be charging a Sunshine Levy for drivers who wish to operate their vehicles on fine sunny days. ACC Chief Executive Rob Thepoor explains that "the escalating costs of sunshine driving accidents cannot be ignored but ACC wants to work with you on improving safety".

"Setting these levy rates has been a difficult balance of minimising the cost increases on families and businesses, keeping the pressure on ACC to better manage its costs," he says.

All drivers planning to drive on sunny days will be expected to pay the new levy cost of $212.72, and will be required to display a sunshine levy sticker.

Along with the new levies, Transport minister Steven Joyce has also announced changes to driver licensing. Mr Joyce says the Government’s changes are aimed at improving training for novice and returning sunshine drivers, which will coincide with the end of the long rainy season.

Mr. Joyce explains "Sunny day drivers are 20 times more at risk of being involved in a fatal or serious injury crash than rainy day drivers per kilometre driven. With more sunshine every day, these steps are vital to keep drivers safe on the road."

This initiative will introduce a new 'S' licence class. Current licence holders will have one year to pass a 'S' class licence extension, with drivers over 25 able to reduce this time to 6 months with a Sun-Shine Driving (SSD) course.

Drivers wishing to drive only on rainy days or after dark will effectively be exempted from the law changes. Should these drivers be caught out and about on sunny days however, the new legislation will give police more power, including the confiscation of vehicles.

Police minister Judith Collins explains that "three offences over four years means the car is heading to the crusher. That's for offences like sunny day drives to the beach and refusal to upgrade licences."

"Every new offence will now bring them closer to the crusher," says Collins.

The new Sun-Shine Driving campaign is a joint operation by police, NZTA and ACC. “Our main target audience today are those returning drivers, so they've perhaps driven in the sunshine last summer and are coming back to sunny day driving now,” says Eileen Dover of the ACC Prevention Centre.

“Make sure their skill level is up to date, know how to handle the sunshine and know the sun.”

Police say those at risk fall into two clear age groups: 25-30 year olds and those over 50.

And the message was simple:

“Wear good sunglasses, keep your levies paid, keep your licence legal, and just obey the rules,” says senior constable Jack Haas.


222091

[bogan]

:lol: and a survey is underway to determine whether wet and rainy conditions require levies as well as the sunny and dry, due to the lower amount of grip available. ACC have stated that there are plenty of not sunny and not rainy days to travel, senior counstable Jack Haas said "as long as it's mildy moist, go for it"

[Ocean1]

"as long as it's mildy moist, go for it"

Noted.

Cheers.

Gone for it.

[schrodingers cat]

I was certainly interested when conclusions were drawn about the 4kph inititive last time. A sample group of one is always going to be subject to statistical inaccuracy inversely proportionate to the size of the sample

The good news is that now they have 100% more information to base their decisions on. I would suggest that paying attention to the third trial will be sufficient information. Too much data always throws up the possibility of groups with a strong bias manipulating the figures to say whatever they want.

That is why you should totally trust government agencies because they know what is best for you.

I applaud the impending levy increase. It is wonderful when the rich can do what they like by paying for the priviledge. The poor can just fuck themselves

It is also exciting that the expensive crushers purchased to solve the boy racer problem will finally be used. A family crying as their car is crushed will be a heart rending media image and useful to drive the message home. A hooded, inarticulate, pimpled youth grunting fuck you'se to the camera has never been ideal.

222098

[Mom]

I am resurrected :yes:

I may have exceeded the posted speed limit over the weekend. I must died and have come back to life as spped kills :yes:

The discretionary limit needs to be lowered, I obviously slipped under the radar. Saw a heap of signs telling me that more cops were out and about. Saw 2 speed camera vans and 3 cops all weekend :wings:

[Mully]

Well, on the bright side, TPTB will stop crowing about how the Police's rigid enforcement of the 4km/h tolerance saved many lives this past holiday weekend.

On the sucky side, 6 people wont be going home for various reasons.

[yachtie10]

Well, on the bright side, TPTB will stop crowing about how the Police's rigid enforcement of the 4km/h tolerance saved many lives this past holiday weekend.

On the sucky side, 6 people wont be going home for various reasons.

Sorry but it is 7

but Paula Rose is setting us up for more bad news

"We may have lost this battle to stop people dying needlessly on the roads but the war will continue," she added.

[FJRider]

I exceeded the posted speed limit ... by more than the known 4 km tolerance.

Even after notification by various means that more police were on the roads ... I was not stopped by any law enforcement authority.

I will write a letter to the Minister of Police, and the Police Commissioner ... giving details of my offending. And ask why the officers in those areas were not aware of my wanton abuse of our traffic ledgislation ... and take steps to see those officers never become as lax in their duties again.

My god ... I could have killed someone ...

[Mully]

Sorry but it is 7

OK then:

"On the sucky side, 7 people wont be going home for whatever reason."


I exceeded the posted speed limit ... by more than the known 4 km tolerance.

My god ... I could have killed someone ...

You probably did kill somebody. Or yourself. Have you checked?

[FJRider]

You probably did kill somebody. Or yourself. Have you checked?

I'm still riding an FJ1200 ... I guess I have died and gone to heaven ... :innocent:

[WuZards-Eugene]

I am resurrected :yes:

I may have exceeded the posted speed limit over the weekend. I must died and have come back to life as spped kills :yes:

The discretionary limit needs to be lowered, I obviously slipped under the radar. Saw a heap of signs telling me that more cops were out and about. Saw 2 speed camera vans and 3 cops all weekend :wings:

Sorry Mom, we were hogging all the police attention on the rimutaka's, six police cars in the space of 300 meters, sitting around waiting for the unsuspecting queue of traffice traveling at 30kph, and then another six attending a car vs car accident in kaitoke about 10k down the road, then 3 in Te Marua doing, well, i dont know, something i guess. I was begining to think the signs were lying. Maybe it was because it was sunny.

[Mom]

Sorry Mom, we were hogging all the police attention on the rimutaka's, six police cars in the space of 300 meters, sitting around waiting for the unsuspecting queue of traffice traveling at 30kph, and then another six attending a car vs car accident in kaitoke about 10k down the road, then 3 in Te Marua doing, well, i dont know, something i guess. I was begining to think the signs were lying. Maybe it was because it was sunny.

DANG! That is a shed load of plod in a confined area. Guess the signs did read right, we stayed off SH1 for the most part, I wonder if that is the reason why we saw so few :pinch:

[ynot slow]

Well spied 4 cops between Woodville(north of town)and Norsewood,then another on SH50 about 4km along from SH2,never ticketed,and was travelling at 105-111km,overall didn't take a hell of time more than normal,but on passing lanes cars speeding up to 120km plus,then slowing at end was a piss off.

[schrodingers cat]

My god ... I could have killed someone ...

Sometimes it takes a while for the effects of speed to be obvious. Keep checking back. I assure you that you will die...sometimes it takes years

[Swoop]

Well, that was a roaring success. Senior plod need to thank Mother Nature for doing their job on Queens' Birthday weekend.
Fuckwits.

Glad to see that "keep left at all times" was heavily enforced as well... not.

[MSTRS]

OK then:

"On the sucky side, 7 people wont be going home for whatever reason."



Sorry. 8. A female motorcyclist in Southland - headon with car - one of them crossed the centreline.

[Ocean1]

Glad to see that "keep left at all times" was heavily enforced as well... not.

At ALL times? No shit?

And all these years I had "as long as it's not really really inconvenient" burned into my brain...

[Swoop]

At ALL times? No shit?

And all these years I had "as long as it's not really really inconvenient" burned into my brain...
:facepalm:

Yup. Don't want to wear out the left hand lane. (http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/roadcode/about-driving/keeping-left.html)
Where there are two or more lanes on your side of the centre line:

keep in the left-hand lane as much as you can

The lane closest to the centre line should only be used when:
you want to pass another vehicle
you want to turn right
the left-hand lane is full with other traffic or is blocked.


Ohh. Looky here (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10681442)...

The road code, as written on the New Zealand Transport Agency website, states that "motorways are designed so that traffic can flow with as little disruption as possible and do not have intersections, turning vehicles, parked vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists" or dorks (my addition).

It also goes on to say that drivers "keep left, unless you are passing" on motorways. So why the bloody hell do most Kiwi drivers feel they have a God-given right to sit on their fat butts in the outside lane doing whatever dawdling speed they see fit?

Listen up all you numpties who ponce along at 60km/h in the outside lane - you don't own the road so move over. It's called the fast lane for a reason you fools, and just in case you can't work out what fast lane means, it's also called a passing lane.

What do you people not understand about the word passing? Here's the Oxford Dictionary definition just in case you've forgotten - "Passing, adjective eg going past: passing cars."

Do you get it now? Or is there some sort of dislocate in your collective heads? The act of passing means going past another car, NOT sitting alongside it matching its speed kilometre after kilometre.

Could those that get a perverse pleasure from disrupting the flow of traffic for no good reason please email me and explain why you think you have this right to ignore the road code.

Also, please enlighten me how bad your life must be to want to ruin everyone else's day by such inconsiderate behaviour.

I'd like to hazard a guess it's an ego thing, in that drivers who won't pull over into the inside lane - even when there's no one there - don't like the idea of being passed.

I'm used to truck drivers hogging the entire motorway, racing each other side-by-side, as I know they get pleasure from stuffing everyone else up. Before any truck people get on the phone and complain, explain to me why, when all trucks are supposed to stay at 90km/h, you feel the need to pass another truck also travelling at 90km/h?

I've come to the conclusion it's just being sheer bloody-minded to see how many other drivers lane-hogs can piss off. I'll bet there are even some sad dorks out there who keep count of how many other road users they manage to hold up each day.

The Government should introduce a law along the lines of the German Government. On their autobahns, you get a ticket if you sit in the fast lane and hold traffic up.

It's no wonder New Zealand drivers are ranked among the worst in the world - there's no respect for each other on the road. It's not up to one driver to dictate how fast another can go. That's the job of the police.

So PULL OVER fool and let the rest of the world get on with its life. We're not all duffers who've got all day to idle along. Some of us have a life.

[Ocean1]

Could those that get a perverse pleasure from disrupting the flow of traffic for no good reason please email me and explain why you think you have this right to ignore the road code.

It's 'cause I want to turn right some time in the next half hour or so.


The Government should introduce a law along the lines of the German Government. On their autobahns, you get a ticket if you sit in the fast lane and hold traffic up.

They've already got one. It's called failure to keep left. :weird:

[Buellluva]

I may have exceeded the posted speed limit over the weekend. I must died and have come back to life as spped kills :yes:

The discretionary limit needs to be lowered, I obviously slipped under the radar. Saw a heap of signs telling me that more cops were out and about. Saw 2 speed camera vans and 3 cops all weekend :wings:[/QUOTE]

Was out and about also in Hazzard county, SH16, SH1, SH17 & Kahikatea Flat, saw 1 ploddy the whole time, wonder where they were all hiding. Saw lots of their signs stating they'd be everywhere........

[NighthawkNZ]

Becareful what you wish for... :blink:

[Bald Eagle]

Saw lots of their signs stating they'd be everywhere........

They weren't anywhere, they just got a really good deal on the signs. :rofl:

[Swoop]

wonder where they were all hiding. Saw lots of their signs stating they'd be everywhere........
Yes, everywhere there is a Dunkin' Donuts!!:woohoo:

[bogan]

It also goes on to say that drivers "keep left, unless you are passing" on motorways. So why the bloody hell do most Kiwi drivers feel they have a God-given right to sit on their fat butts in the outside lane doing whatever dawdling speed they see fit?

I'm in two minds about that one, in my experience there are a lot of drivers who are incapable of indicating before a lane change, as well as incapable of checking their blind spot, or even just a rear view mirror, now you want them to have to do more lane changes :gob: god help us all.

[Swoop]

I'm in two minds about that one, in my experience there are a lot of drivers who are incapable of indicating before a lane change, as well as incapable of checking their blind spot, or even just a rear view mirror, now you want them to have to do more lane changes :gob: god help us all.
Just wait until you see the retarded fuckwits suddenly decide they want to use a motorway exit (on the left) and they are in the right hand lane...
I have watched several retards jink HARD left and cross 3 lanes to get to the offramp.
The good old kiwi "fuck everyone else, I'm alright" attitude.

[Bald Eagle]

Surely in Orkland that would be spelt chinked hard left :lol:

[oldrider]

If speed kills, does riding at half the posted speed limit resurrect anyone? ....... :confused:

[bogan]

If speed kills, does riding at half the posted speed limit resurrect anyone? ....... :confused:

nah, thats what reverse is for, and why bikers get charged so much, no reverse gears to resurect anyone!

[LBD]

Coming into effect from December 1st this year, ACC will be charging a Sunshine Levy for drivers who wish to operate their vehicles on fine sunny days. All drivers planning to drive on sunny days will be expected to pay the new levy cost of $212.72, and will be required to display a sunshine levy sticker. 222091

But what becomes of us little rays of sunshine with the sun shing from :shake: when we want to drive on an otherwise wet day...?

[FJRider]

If speed kills, does riding at half the posted speed limit resurrect anyone? ....... :confused:

NO ... you just die slower ... or at least it feels like it ... :yes:

[Fatjim]

I'm thankful no bikers got prosecuted for ramming a u-turning cop car.