What should the open road speed limit be in New Zealand?

[Swoop]

This is the current Herald poll (as of this date) on the front page.


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/

[Steam]

What's the problem they see with the speed limit? Isn't the road toll the lowest in 30 years or somthing like that?
EDIT- What the Herald said yesterday: "The road toll for 2006 could finish below 400 deaths for the first time in 43 years..."

[Ixion]

Hey ho. It just uses a cookie to determine if you have already voted. I just clocked up a dozen votes for no speed limit. Get clicking guys

[justsomeguy]

I doubt any of the general crotch rocket crowd give a rat's left ventricle, given the tendency to do at least twice the current open road limit with every effort made to get as close as possible to three times it.

[James Deuce]

20km/hr to cope with the lowest common denominator.

With the Death Sentence for more than 5km/hr over the limit.

[Paul in NZ]

20km/hr to cope with the lowest common denominator.

With the Death Sentence for more than 5km/hr over the limit.


Well with the number of sirens that just flew down shw1 there must be a very bad accident between raumati and Pukerau Bay so kinda ironic really.... Geze most people can barely cope with 100kph

[Marmoot]

20km/hr to cope with the lowest common denominator.

With the Death Sentence for more than 5km/hr over the limit.


There is only 1 punishment to stop testosterone-driven road racers from commiting second crime: castration.

No hormone = no motivation

[Motu]

60kph should be fine for Auckland's motorways,that's about the maximum speed you can get up to in off peak times.

[Toaster]

Gee, and I got flak for doing a poll on this a while ago!

Unlimited speeds would be cool (resulting in a boost in road death numbers aside), but a tad impractical unless we had german engineers building our roads instead of the muppets in charge at the moment. I reckon 110 is fine for the decent motorways and 120 for those sections with median barriers.

[fatnold]

It's not the speed, just the standard of driving.

[Jantar]

I reckon 110 is fine for the decent motorways and 120 for those sections with median barriers.
Yes, I'd agree if you are driving a Toyota Echo, but it should only be 80 kmh if you are in an old Morris Oxford. For those on a Busa or Blackbird 200 would seem more appropriate.

One speed does not fit all vehicles and all roads.

[sunhuntin]

Well with the number of sirens that just flew down shw1 there must be a very bad accident between raumati and Pukerau Bay so kinda ironic really.... Geze most people can barely cope with 100kph

i read on tardme earlier its closed. so must be a biggie.

as far as speed limits...remove all the dumass drivers and riders, and then have it open. only a select few get the ability to drive/ride, and thats only after being proven to be a good driver.

[Toaster]

Yes, I'd agree if you are driving a Toyota Echo, but it should only be 80 kmh if you are in an old Morris Oxford. For those on a Busa or Blackbird 200 would seem more appropriate.

One speed does not fit all vehicles and all roads.

Yeah, but the problem is getting all those vehicles and roads with all their differences to work together (including all the drivers and riders out there of so many varied levels of skill and common sense).

[Lou Girardin]

Unlimited. In 5 years time, traffic congestion will be a thing of the past.

[James Deuce]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/3911885a10.html

*Gasp* killer highway strikes again. And after "they" "fixed" it and lowered the speed limit too!

[Shadows]

I went for 110. That translates to a defacto limit of 120. That's a nice cruising speed. A limit of 120 would be too high, as the consequential defacto limit of 130 would be too much for 90% of the people on the roads to handle (who are also the people who shouldn't have been granted licenses in the first place, I should add, but that wasn't what the poll was about).

[James Deuce]

Most people, about 98% of the population including a big chunk of motorcyclists can't handle 100km/hr. Including me.

I want it dropped so that the worst thing that happens is a sore arse or slightly stiff neck. 20km/hr is about right.

110km/hr is waaaaaay too fast for our aging population.

[NighthawkNZ]

Most people, about 98% of the population including a big chunk of motorcyclists can't handle 100km/hr. Including me.

I want it dropped so that the worst thing that happens is a sore arse or slightly stiff neck. 20km/hr is about right.

110km/hr is waaaaaay too fast for our aging population.



huh... my aging mother got a speeding ticking the other day (so I found out) doing 140...

[James Deuce]

Yes, but was she actually driving within her skills and capabilities?

Bear in mind that your response will probably leave the door open for a scathing comment about the fact the most NZ drivers pass one test in their teenage years and then think they know it all.

[scumdog]

Yes, I'd agree if you are driving a Toyota Echo, but it should only be 80 kmh if you are in an old Morris Oxford. For those on a Busa or Blackbird 200 would seem more appropriate.

One speed does not fit all vehicles and all roads.

One speed does not fit all drivers either - not by a looong way!!!

Some will still bin their Busa at the present speed limit.

30 kph I say - then there would be more survivors!
(Of course there would be a certain segment of driver/riders that we WOULDN'T want to survive)

[scumdog]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/3911885a10.html

*Gasp* killer highway strikes again. And after "they" "fixed" it and lowered the speed limit too!


I laugh at the 'killer highway' name used by the media - I suppose 'dumbfuck drivers' is a little insensitive and the papers etc would lose sales.....

[NighthawkNZ]

Yes, but was she actually driving within her skills and capabilities?


Actually she was she a competent driver... :gob: and I do know she sees bikes... shes like me going... ohhhh very nice... :)

[James Deuce]

She's a competent driver in your opinion. When was the last road craft course she went on? Were the other drivers she was driving around up to her standard? Did she care?

My last road craft and handling skills course was two years ago so it's time to book one again in the New Year.

[NighthawkNZ]

She's a competent driver in your opinion. When was the last road craft course she went on? Were the other drivers she was driving around up to her standard? Did she care?


I beleive about 6 months ago... (I could be wrong she was talking about not 100% sure if she actually went on it tho... but she does alot of driving a heck of a lot) Its not just my opinion many people have said the same thing (many of my friends... many who use to be hoons in there younger days and now I would class as *mostly* responsible)

At the time there was no one else on the road within veiwing distance... on a road she drives regularly and yes she did and does care, (as do I) and if there were other vehicles I am sure she wouldn't have been speeding, but rather driving with the flow of the traffic...

Im not defending her actions, (and mother doesn't want me to either) My point basically is that it very easy for your speed to sneak up with out realising it, modern cars (and bikes) (hell i've done it we all have) the roads although could be better and a hell of a lot better than even 20 years ago...


One speed does not fit all drivers either - not by a looong way!!!

Some will still bin their Busa at the present speed limit.

30 kph I say - then there would be more survivors!
(Of course there would be a certain segment of driver/riders that we WOULDN'T want to survive)

Totally agree... driver education would do more than then the money gathering tatics they use now. Deterrants don't work if the did there would be less people in jail and we wouldn't need to be building more)

[mstriumph]

One speed does not fit all drivers either - not by a looong way!!!..................

too right!

there should be a system of graduated licences -

pass a more stringent test and
do a series of prescribed courses [that the licencing authority could use as a revenue raiser] and
survive accident/infringement free for a prescribed no of years in the class you are riding
and you'd get, say, a licence authorising you to do an additional 20kms ph in non-metro areas

........... pass a FURTHER set of similar requirements and get ANOTHER 20kms ph added to that .................

this'd bring you up to 140kph which is a reasonable country cruising speed under reasonable conditions for an experienced rider? [or am i a nana? yep - possibly i am, but you get the idea.....]

the flip side of this is that, if you have an accident or get an infringement you automatically lose your advanced licence priviledges and cop DOUBLE the standard penalty/fine ---- now THAT would be a real deterrent.............

it really IRKS me that authorities think only 'stick' and never 'carrot' ..:angry:

[James Deuce]

Im not defending her actions, (and mother doesn't want me to either) My point basically is that it very easy for your speed to sneak up with out realising it, modern cars (and bikes) (hell i've done it we all have) the roads although could be better and a hell of a lot better than even 20 years ago...

She'd be one of the 1 percenters then. Does her work pay for it?

Letting speed "creep up" is bad driving or riding and is not an excuse.

[Finn]

60kph should be fine for Auckland's motorways,that's about the maximum speed you can get up to in off peak times.

What about the rest of us with modern bikes?

[NighthawkNZ]

She'd be one of the 1 percenters then. Does her work pay for it?

Letting speed "creep up" is bad driving or riding and is not an excuse.

not sure who paid for... and I know letting speed creep up is bad and not an excuse... just pointing out how easy it is to do...

[rwh]

too right!

there should be a system of graduated licences -

pass a more stringent test and
do a series of prescribed courses [that the licencing authority could use as a revenue raiser] and
survive accident/infringement free for a prescribed no of years in the class you are riding
and you'd get, say, a licence authorising you to do an additional 20kms ph in non-metro areas

........... pass a FURTHER set of similar requirements and get ANOTHER 20kms ph added to that .................

this'd bring you up to 140kph which is a reasonable country cruising speed under reasonable conditions for an experienced rider? [or am i a nana? yep - possibly i am, but you get the idea.....]

the flip side of this is that, if you have an accident or get an infringement you automatically lose your advanced licence priviledges and cop DOUBLE the standard penalty/fine ---- now THAT would be a real deterrent.............

it really IRKS me that authorities think only 'stick' and never 'carrot' ..:angry:

It would certainly make life interesting - all those chicanes!

Imagine cruising up SH1 at 100, weaving in and out, trying to figure if the vehicle in front is doing 20 or 40 - and likewise for the one coming the other way that you've got to get in front of :) Oh - and not getting hit from behind by the guy doing 140 ...

Richard

[James Deuce]

not sure who paid for... and I know letting speed creep up is bad and not an excuse... just pointing out how easy it is to do...

No it isn't. You have to be actively negligent to let that happen.

[Pixie]

I love the old chestnut :"our roads aren't like the ones in europe - we can't have european speed limits"
Yeah the difference being our roads have kiwi drivers on them and the ones in europe have european drivers on them

[scumdog]

I love the old chestnut :"our roads aren't like the ones in europe - we can't have european speed limits"
Yeah the difference being our roads have kiwi drivers on them and the ones in europe have european drivers on them

"It's worse than that Jim"

We have the worst of both - non-European roads AND non-European drivers....

[Dai]

"It's worse than that Jim"

We have the worst of both - non-European roads AND non-European drivers....

I dont miss the European drivers one little bit. At least here you know everyone is going to be a twat and cut you up. Over there you had know idea who was an idiot or not.

Try the ring road around Paris. Absolutely manic. The M25 round London, aka the largest carpark in the world.

Northern Spain where thery have taken a truck with tar pouring out the back, driven it through a field and called the result a "road".

Italy where every driver owns the road and will do exactly what they want to.

Greece where I do not even think they sit a test. Eastern Europe where they all sat their tests in Travans and now drive real cars.

Over here I assume the worst and am never supprised.

[Lou Girardin]

Try the ring road around Paris. Absolutely manic.
Italy where every driver owns the road and will do exactly what they want to.



It works for the Parisians, put them on the Panmure roundabout and they'll think we're mad. (They'll be right)

The Italian drivers I saw were in a completely different league to NZ'ers. They actually concetrate on their driving, treating it as a skill to be proud of.

[Brian d marge]

It's not the speed, just the standard of driving.
agreed , roadcraft is a skill , but when it all goes pear shaped ,,,a lower seeped reduces the damage , and as the cost is from the public purse ,,they want the damage to be as low as possible , hence the cost...

I feel 100 is to fast i some places , 50 is way to slow in some places ( and the argument that a kid could run out in front ,,,they would have to be jet propelled!!) , but past a school bus, 10 kph...

The thing that DOES need to change is/are the poeple in contoll if the driving policies. They are in need of renewal !

Stephen

PS
Google the 80/20 rule when applied to speed limits , then see what Canada has done in response to this ,,,,,