Hmmm- NZ seems to want to do the opposite

[Bassmatt]

The Department of Transport is to launch a consultation on increasing the speed limit on England and Wales' motorways from 70mph to 80mph.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-15116064

[Bassmatt]

More

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said the current limit, introduced in 1965, was out of date due to "huge advances in safety and motoring technology".

[riffer]

British motorway is a vastly different proposition to NZ's Open Road. Our State Highways are analogous to UK's B-Roads. Also, to paraphrase Ralph Nader, a significant proportion of NZ road users are unsafe at any speed.

[Bald Eagle]

introduced in 1965, .


we'll catch up in another decade maybe

[Bassmatt]

British motorway is a vastly different proposition to NZ's Open Road. Our State Highways are analogous to UK's B-Roads. Also, to paraphrase Ralph Nader, a significant proportion of NZ road users are unsafe at any speed.

So British roads were better 45 years ago than ours are now?

[pritch]

British roads were possibly better in 1965 than they are now. Their government has cut funding for maintenance of B roads and the condition of some is declining both markedly and rapidly.

My brief experience of British motorways indicated that they are a much more serious proposition than those around Auckland. Wellington's would only approach joke status and we have no others worthy of mention.

[Bassmatt]

So British roads were better 45 years ago than ours are now?

Oh,I can answer my own question :yes:
I forgot about our fairly new 4 lane highway with concrete median barrier north of Tauranga :
80 km/h limit :facepalm:

[Berries]

I've not seen Auckland motorways but I don't suspect they are up to the same standard. With so few motorways here the drivers are not up to the same standard either. While the UK will I am sure raise the legal speed limit on motorways closer to the de facto speed limit of 80-90mph they won't lift it on A and B roads. Most of the state highway network here fits somewhere between the two, predominantly B roads down this way.

Unfortunately the huge advances in vehicle safety and technology have not been matched by improvements in the road infrastructure in NZ meaning they will never lift the speed limit here. As the title suggests, it is more likely to be dropped from 100km/h either nationally or on the best bits for riding a bike.

[Urano]

130kmh is the widely adopted limit nowadays in europe.

didn't even know uk has a lowest one...


i find 130 fair: moreover consider that here in italy you can go roughly to 140 and still have no fines. it's well enough.

[Bassmatt]

So far the opinion seems to be our roads are second rate if not third rate.
Why do tptb expect a first rate road toll?

[riffer]

So far the opinion seems to be our roads are second rate if not third rate.
Why do tptb expect a first rate road toll?

Because if they publicly announce that they realise that we have shitty roads and we can't really expect a decent road toll, then the road toll will most likely go up.

Haven't you ever learned about goal setting? Or self-fulfilling prophecies?

[Morcs]

Difference is UK motorways are quite vast, and part of the reason in comparison to say auckland motorways is the sheer distance of just road. with no intersections, on ramps, off ramps etc..

the M6 for example, is 373kms long, with only 45 junctions, so on average theres over 8km between exits - makes a huge difference when you havent go cars increasing / descreasing speed, changing lanes getting on and off every km or two,

[cheshirecat]

One thing they could sort out is that roads in Euro (at least) are graded ie a grade A road has say a limit of 70mph, meaning its built for doing max speed limit ie 70mph. Here as I found out, the fact a road is called State Highway 1 means diddly squat. One of my earliest misconceptions was asuming a road called SH1 was of A grade throughout. I think this trips a few foreigners.

[Metastable]

For you guys that have to drive on the Kiwi divided motorways on a daily basis, what do you think of the 100kph speed limit?

From my experience in NZ, the divided Motorways especially those in Auckland, but noticeable in Wellington and Chch seem incredibly SLOW at 100kph. Especially ..... after being on your state roads doing the 100ish limit. I say 100ish, because it is often hard to even get to the limit. :D

Dunno, I think if you have a divided roadway with paved shoulders 120 - 130 kph is a very reasonable and safe speed to travel.

[george formby]

For you guys that have to drive on the Kiwi divided motorways on a daily basis, what do you think of the 100kph speed limit?

From my experience in NZ, the divided Motorways especially those in Auckland, but noticeable in Wellington and Chch seem incredibly SLOW at 100kph. Especially ..... after being on your state roads doing the 100ish limit. I say 100ish, because it is often hard to even get to the limit. :D

Dunno, I think if you have a divided roadway with paved shoulders 120 - 130 kph is a very reasonable and safe speed to travel.

"Lane Discipline" needs to be added to the NZ motorway users vocabulary regardless of how good the motorway is. Some jerk in the outside lane sitting at 75 kmph in their Hi-ace is the king of the road, sadly.

Motorways in Europe & the UK do not operate a slalom system.

[YellowDog]

I don't know what the UK is like now however when I lived there, you could drive the motorways at 140Kph all day and not have any problems.

The road standards are certainly better, but that's because the don't have ACC as a fall back to for accountability purposes. e.g. If you trip over a paving slab whilst on foot or fall off your bike due to a pot hole, you have a legal system to kick into place and sue the arse off the local council. Many people have jobs looking for pot holes and damaged pavents. It's nuts :blink:

Too many people die in New Zealand. More than in any country I have ever been to. French and Italians drive like maniacs, but less die due to the standards of their roads. You don't have NZ Road tyres designed for cheaply constructed NZ Roads.

For me the main surprised in NZ is the absence of a central barrier on SH roads; hence saying, they are like UK 'B' roads. How many deaths per year would be avoided if you couldn't vere on to the wrong side of the road (for whatever reason)?

Personally, for the very low amount of traffic NZ roads have, the roads are pretty good. The accident fatality stats are however are horrendous and perhaps the generally poor driving standards are a more significant factor than has been appreciated :yes:

[darkwolf]

"Lane Discipline" needs to be added to the NZ motorway users vocabulary regardless of how good the motorway is. Some jerk in the outside lane sitting at 75 kmph in their Hi-ace is the king of the road, sadly.

Motorways in Europe & the UK do not operate a slalom system.

I've recently had 2 experiences with bikes doing this too, but as a group. Doing 70-80 in 100 zones and then spreading across both lanes in passing lanes or general passing opportunities.

Basically more education needs to be given to people that it's ok to drive less than the speed limit, but if there is someone behind you clearly travelling faster than you re, be courteous. Most drivers seem to think they own the road, given the cost of registration etc I can understand that sentiment. But I pay that fee too.

[Swoop]

NZ road users are unsafe at any speed.
Aint that the truth.


Yay for NO training and PATHETIC testing standards.:facepalm:

[Berries]

be courteous.
That is the one word missing from the NZ driving vocabulary. It would make a huge difference if people thought about other road users.

[slide]

It always amazes me that we spend huge amounts of dollars on tar seal and then turn half of it into a breakdown /pick-nick lane while making head on traffic travel as close to the center line as possible !

[jasonu]

...Also, to paraphrase Ralph Nader, a significant proportion of insert any country name here road users are unsafe at any speed.

It doesn't matter where you live there will ALWAYS be a larger than it should be percentage of muppets on the roads.

[haydes55]

Basically more education needs to be given to people that it's ok to drive less than the speed limit, but if there is someone behind you clearly travelling faster than you re, be courteous.

If you travel at 80km/h in a 100km/h zone and hold up 5 cars (no safe passing areas) for 15 minutes then you are wasting 25 minutes of peoples time because you can't pull over for 10 seconds....... Why do police ticket speeders going a safe respectable speed (if a truck can take a section of road at 100km/h surely a car can handle 120km/h through there and a motorbike even more) when slow drivers are a drain on the economy (people who drive as a job like myself would be getting a shitload more work done in the same amount of time).

TICKET INCONSIDERATE ASS WHOLES!!!!!!!!! I usually cruise around at 100km/h or close enough, if I see someone catching me I pull over for 2 seconds slow down a bit and pull back in behind them. (In my personal car that I care very little about I have contemplated ramming these fuckwits off the road).

Bet you a large number of deaths could be attributed to people getting fucked off at slow drivers and trying to overtake when they normally wouldn't.

[superman]

Bad time to talk about this. If fuel prices keep going up and the government do anything it will put the motorway speeds down to 80km/h like they did during the 70s fuel crisis

[Paws]

a significant proportion of NZ road users are unsafe at any speed.
Which makes speed irrelevant, so why not a 130 Kph limit.


surely a car can handle 120km/h through there and a motorbike even more
Really?

[SMOKEU]

Which makes speed irrelevant, so why not a 130 Kph limit.


Really?

You'd be surprised at what modern sports bikes are capable of WITH A GOOD RIDER.

[Paws]

WITH A GOOD RIDER.
Exactly my point, 10% of us are good riders, 70% of us think we are. And not to start the car vs bike thing but I know I (emphasis on I) could tackle a twisty road much faster in a $5000 MX5 than I could on a $15000 sports bike. Just trying to say you might be a brilliant rider on an extremely fast bike, but not all cars are toyota corollas either and not all car drivers are grandmas.

[Mungatoke Mad]

Bad time to talk about this. If fuel prices keep going up and the government do anything it will put the motorway speeds down to 80km/h like they did during the 70s fuel crisis& just wait 4 them to bring back those lovely coloured stickers 4 our windscreens with 7 colours 2 choose 4rom :no: