Some decent traffic policing

[jrandom]

There's enough bitching on this forum that I thought it'd be good to give the traffic division their due when they *do* get something right.

Rode to work via Herne Bay this morning. Cops on STs with hairdryers parked right beside each of the two school zebra crossings I go through, pointing them at the cars as they went past with appropriately stern expressions directed at any potentially errant motorists.

Now, I'm pretty sure they'll get lean ticket pickings for the morning, given that the traffic mostly flows around 40kph there anyway, but goodness knows I can hardly think of a better place to put traffic cops than beside school crossings in the morning as the kids arrive. I rode past the second guy and gave him the thumbs up. Hope he noticed.

[James Deuce]

That is the sort of policing I am sure most NZers want. Nice thought Mr Random.

[SPman]

That is the sort of policing I am sure most NZers want. Nice thought Mr Random. Yep, we slag them when its bad, so we should acknowledge them when they get it right!

[Motoracer]

At one stage I was working in the residential zone of Otara. I did come across some nasty shit and when cops came to the rescue, I came to know what Policing is all about. I have full respect for them. :niceone:


HP guys can get stuffed though :bleh:

[sAsLEX]

HP guys can get stuffed though :bleh:

especially the ones who do this to you aye MR :finger:

[Motoracer]

especially the ones who do this to you aye MR :finger:

So true :laugh:

[Antallica]

Nothing to report in Whg... cops be slack.

[Motu]

Saw one the other morning sitting in The Mad Butchers forecourt on Richardson rd,watching for those going through the red lights from White Swan rd I expect.It's good to see them trying to catch people doing dangerous things for a change.

[DEATH_INC.]

Yeah,I give them a pretty hard time,but sometimes they go and surprise you and do good stuff. :niceone: Good job.

[Coldkiwi]

aye.. red light runners should get put in the stocks. There's a real epidemic out in Pakuranga on Ti Rakau Drive (nearly every intersection). the cops were out there on the waipuna bridge/Ti Rakau intersection for a few weeks last year which was neat to see but they've been scarce of late. Its odd really... I mean if the HP boys wanted to fill up their ticket 5 tickets per hour quota, they should just sit next to that intersection, book 5 stupid people in 30 minutes and go have a donut!

[Two Smoker]

I reakon that redlight running is worse than speed by all accounts..... it is by far more dangerous and there needs to be alot of tickets issued for it, on my way to work a little while ago, i nearly got taken out by a car after i had the green for about 2 seconds..... im glad i didnt have a quick takeoff otherwise it would have been a T-bone :crazy:

[marty]

unfortunately unless it is a state highway, HP units won't target it. their packet of money (about 90% i think) comes from Transit, which looks after the highways, therefore they have to deliver their time to the highways. STU units on the other hand, their packet of money comes mostly from the TLA (Territorial Local Authority), which looks after the city, arterials, and country roads that aren't highways. the TAG units are paid mostly by ACC, with input from TLAs and Transit, so they can pretty much set up where ever they want. Auckland motorways is probably funded by the council on top of the Transit cheque, hence the dedicated non-police highway units - they have very limited powers though.

that is the reason you won't see STU & HP working together much, but TAG will work with either.

[MikeL]

sometimes they go and surprise you and do good stuff.

I hope you don't mean that literally. It would be sad to think that the police get it right so infrequently that it surprises you. It should be the other way round. Despite what some may think, when I criticise particular actions or policies that I disagree with, I don't intend that people should infer that I have overall a negative opinion of the police. There are good things happening as well as bad things and I am reasonably confident that the good work vastly outweighs the mistakes and faulty priorities that I have criticised.

And talking about running red lights (which is an important priority), can someone explain what is happening with the red light cameras? I seem to recall reading somewhere that these have been defunct for some time? Why? Seems a commonsense application of technology to me...

One more point: in some more enlightened parts of the world left turns on a red light (or right turns in the case of the U.S.) are allowed when there is no danger of oncoming traffic. Why not here? Can't we be trusted?

[jrandom]

Can't we be trusted?

Probably not. The philosophy behind our road regulations seems to center around the assumption that we, as a nation of drivers, are more or less incompetent. As things stand, I suspect that is not an erroneous assumption.

I can just imagine the havoc at intersections if left turns at red lights were opened up 'when safe'. [Ethnically handicapped drivers] turning left in front of other vehicles turning right is already pandemic. If you adulterated the clarity of a big fat red light shining straight at them, we'd have to deal with it through traffic lights as well as uncontrolled intersections. No thanks.

[Ghost Lemur]

Probably not. The philosophy behind our road regulations seems to center around the assumption that we, as a nation of drivers, are more or less incompetent. As things stand, I suspect that is not an erroneous assumption.


I agree. I remember reading an article years ago. It was a survey of regular motorists who use the Autoban, about whom were the worst drivers. The top two were the Dutch and NZers. In both instances, they had no respect for others on the road, flouted the rules (ie drove at 150kph in the fast lane - where speeds can be ~250 - changed lanes erractically without indicating).

What I'd like to see is encouragement for further education of motorists. Ie things like renewal of licences which include a refresher course (could be subsidised by govt), the ability to have demerit points remove through doing advanced driving courses (the more comprehensive the course the more points could be removed). I think these type of things could encourage NZ motorists to realise that no matter how long they have been driving, they are not perfect and can improve.

Maybe then we'll see a bit more maturity on our roads. As far as govt subsidising all this, I personally believe it would be a better spent dollar than on the stupid ads.

[MikeL]

What I'd like to see is encouragement for further education of motorists. Ie things like renewal of licences which include a refresher course (could be subsidised by govt), the ability to have demerit points remove through doing advanced driving courses (the more comprehensive the course the more points could be removed). I think these type of things could encourage NZ motorists to realise that no matter how long they have been driving, they are not perfect and can improve.


Exactly. Some positive ideas here. Why have similar suggestions always been rubbished as too difficult, too expensive, too impractical??
We'll never grow up if we're always treated as children.

[Posh Tourer :P]

I agree. I remember reading an article years ago. It was a survey of regular motorists who use the Autoban, about whom were the worst drivers. The top two were the Dutch and NZers. In both instances, they had no respect for others on the road, flouted the rules (ie drove at 150kph in the fast lane - where speeds can be ~250 - changed lanes erractically without indicating).

Damn I'm both.....does that mean I'm twice as bad, or do two wrongs make a right?


What I'd like to see is encouragement for further education of motorists. Ie things like renewal of licences which include a refresher course (could be subsidised by govt), the ability to have demerit points remove through doing advanced driving courses (the more comprehensive the course the more points could be removed). I think these type of things could encourage NZ motorists to realise that no matter how long they have been driving, they are not perfect and can improve.

Yep.. its a bit ridiculous when people who learned to drive 60 years ago, when the traffic was like it was at that time. Refresher courses are a very good idea, and before people get to the age of 80 too....

[Motu]

I think I found the cause! I had to go to a couple of malls on Anzac Day...this is where it all starts,totaly aimless wandering,not looking where they are going - no objective! random stopping for no reason,erratic lane changes,they are just not aware that there are others around them - transfer this into a car and onto our streets - duh,let's paint yellow lines and instal traffic lights in the malls.

If at all possible I don't go near a mall,and like to ride my bike out of the city.

[Coldkiwi]

so how do you determine the nationality of a stupid driver at over 150kmhr? Not surprising us antipodeans get lost on an autobahn given that we come from a 'speed kills' culture.

man, auto bahns sound great!

[Two Smoker]

Personally i would be staying out of the fast lane on the autobahn, i dont want some Merc hitting me from behind at 250 kmh whill im doing 190 :no:

[wkid_one]

I've been 300 odd kph down the autobahn - and the silly thing was - for all the speed references - I coulda been doing 100kph.....talk about designed for speed.

We need one of those between Auckland and Wellington - would almost make the trip a daily commute if you had the right tool.

[k14]

Personally i would be staying out of the fast lane on the autobahn, i dont want some Merc hitting me from behind at 250 kmh whill im doing 190 :no:

Thats what the medium lane is for :2thumbsup

[Ghost Lemur]

I think I found the cause! I had to go to a couple of malls on Anzac Day...this is where it all starts,totaly aimless wandering,not looking where they are going - no objective! random stopping for no reason,erratic lane changes,they are just not aware that there are others around them - transfer this into a car and onto our streets - duh,let's paint yellow lines and instal traffic lights in the malls.

If at all possible I don't go near a mall,and like to ride my bike out of the city.

I've noticed and thought the same thing. These people who can't even watch where they're going getting groceries and walking around a mall are put in charge of vehicles. It's scary. I'm actually as carefull in the supermarket as I am on the road, just because the last thing I want is to be blindsided while getting some milk.

[Lou Girardin]

LTSA not only considers us incompetent, but also killers and worse than vicous dogs according to their latest adverts. That makes well over 2 million vicous dog like killers in NZ. ( 1.3 million recipients of speeding tickets and those that got away with it).

[SPman]

...
What I'd like to see is encouragement for further education of motorists. Ie things like renewal of licences which include a refresher course (could be subsidised by govt), the ability to have demerit points remove through doing advanced driving courses (the more comprehensive the course the more points could be removed). I think these type of things could encourage NZ motorists to realise that no matter how long they have been driving, they are not perfect and can improve.

Maybe then we'll see a bit more maturity on our roads. As far as govt subsidising all this, I personally believe it would be a better spent dollar than on the stupid ads. But it has been publicly stated by the dickheads in charge that they are not in favour of advanced training because drivers would then get "overconfident"!!
WTF. http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/14/14_6_6.gif

[Two Smoker]

I've noticed and thought the same thing. These people who can't even watch where they're going getting groceries and walking around a mall are put in charge of vehicles. It's scary. I'm actually as carefull in the supermarket as I am on the road, just because the last thing I want is to be blindsided while getting some milk.
But i hoon around the supermarket sliding the trolly around the aisles doing wheelstands with the trolly etc, but i dont act like a complete idiot on the road like i do in the supermarket hehehe.....

[dangerous]

And I'd like to see the HP doing somthing about the 'wankers' that cut the right hand corners on the open rd. These people realy piss me, I dont know about you guys though cos bikers are rather bad at it too.

Last weekend I did a ride up to Nelson for the night and I crapt me jocks twice cos of a car comming around the corner on my side of the rd and one prick towing a trailer dident see me passing him as he cut right over the line were I was...... not good :mad:

And I always thought that road code adds on tv would do more than blood and guts does.

[FROSTY]

I think maybee we have the right Idea with this driving being a corriculum activity at school.
Mind you Im keen for even more graduations being added to drivers licences.
I think a driver needs to prove they are actually conpitent to drive on the open road before they can venture off of suburban roads

[spudchucka]

LTSA not only considers us incompetent, but also killers and worse than vicous dogs according to their latest adverts. That makes well over 2 million vicous dog like killers in NZ. ( 1.3 million recipients of speeding tickets and those that got away with it).
Which add has the dogs Lou. I haven't seen that one.

[DEATH_INC.]

I hope you don't mean that literally. It would be sad to think that the police get it right so infrequently that it surprises you. It should be the other way round.

Yeah,I do.
Most of my contact has been either negative (tickets ect for stupid shit,like spluttering through wellsford at 6 am doing 60-something k's on the 12) or of the no bloody help (like when work got broken into,or home,even after we found out who and told them,or when my mates bike got stolen and we got told 'we don't have time to veiw the security tape' ect,ect)variety.
And getting prosecuted twice for cars pulling in front of me......
I could go on for hours.......

[El Dopa]

I've been 300 odd kph down the autobahn - and the silly thing was - for all the speed references - I coulda been doing 100kph.....talk about designed for speed.

Just the point I was trying to make on the other thread. It's not all that interesting being on a big motorway/autobahn, there's nothing to test your abilities.

Unless of course you ride on one like ghostrider.....