Speed kills?

[SPman]

In the Northern Territories, there used to be no speed limit outside towns, no traffic police and no demerit points. That all changed at the beginning of last year, in the interests of "safety".
Now the figures are in for last year with it's introduction of speed limits, demerit points and a police traffic branch... and the doubling of speeding fines.
Road deaths
2000 - 51
2001 - 50
2002 - 55
2003 - 53
2004 - 35
2005 - 55
2006 - 44
2007 - 57 - average over 8 yrs - 50
2008 - 75 - increase of 50% over the 8 yr average rate.
Population growth is about 2%/yrSo, what'll the authorities next campaign be....."Road Safety costs lives people, but it'll be worth it. For your safety. We're raising fines again." ?

[Jantar]

This has happened in many places around the world. Decrease the open road speed limit and increase enforcement and the road toll has increased. Increase the open road speed limit and decrease enforcement and the road toll has dropped.

[Grahameeboy]

Interesting stats....

I remember in the UK, forget where now, they used to have the Police directing traffic and decided to see what would happen if they removed them...well less congestion, less accidents.

[Naki Rat]

I suspect that wasn't meant to happen. Perhaps whatever happened in 2004 might be worth repeating?

[musicman]

This has happened in many places around the world. Decrease the open road speed limit and increase enforcement and the road toll has increased. Increase the open road speed limit and decrease enforcement and the road toll has dropped.

That's interesting, I wonder why that is? Any reason?

[Hitcher]

This has happened in many places around the world. Decrease the open road speed limit and increase enforcement and the road toll has increased. Increase the open road speed limit and decrease enforcement and the road toll has dropped.

Which is why I believe that the limit on Wellington's Centennial Highway should be raised to 100kmh, now that it is littered with many km of cheesecutter median barrier. People only drive into the barrier because they're bored shitless or mesmerised by it. Indeed, increase the limit to 120kmh and remove the barrier entirely.

[Trouser]

That's interesting, I wonder why that is? Any reason?

The cocoon of speed limit safety?

I'm doing the speed limit so I don't need to concentrate. Or this is soo boringly slow that I'm nodding off.

[KiwiRat]

This document echoes your views regarding the focus solely on reducung speed.

[ElCoyote]

That's interesting, I wonder why that is? Any reason?

Yep, when you artificially regulate everybody to an arbitary limit it only takes one Pillock to religiously adhere to that and you have a plethora of vehicles occupying the same space and only chaos can ensue. Let water find it's own level and do not stifle traffic flow and suddenly NO PROBLEMS. Pity the shiny bums in Gubbmint can't see that but then again if Alan Clark wasn't aware that he/she was doing more than 100kph then I guess that say's it all. :Police::Police::Police:

[Richi]

This is truly amazing. It makes not much sense but interesting all the same. The only problem i can see is on the 1 lane motorways round nz people will STILL do 80kmph and u may get silly passing manouvers. But then again you cant argue with statistics

[MSTRS]

That's interesting, I wonder why that is? Any reason?


The cocoon of speed limit safety?

I'm doing the speed limit so I don't need to concentrate. Or this is soo boringly slow that I'm nodding off.

Yep. When 'you' are responsible for setting 'your' limit, you pay attention to what you are doing.
Of course, if/when 'you' get it wrong, the outcome can be just that bit worse...
The idea of reducing speed to reduce seriousness of crashes is sound. The problem lies with the human factor. Bored inattention. Can't legislate on that.

[Dare]

I think it is because not having a speed limit basically forces people to drive at a speed/in a way that is exactly comfortable for THEM and not for the law/their perception of rebelling against the law. Much like the difference between 16 year olds drinking in italy and NZ, they both get drunk but the italians have been drinking wine since they were little so there is no reason to 'rebel' to the point of lying in a ditch throwing their guts up every weekend.

[TLDV8]

One reason for the increase is the intervention.

<img src=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/57/Alcohol_and_Pornography_warning_sign.jpg/400px-Alcohol_and_Pornography_warning_sign.jpg>

[KiwiRat]

No porn?????

WTF?????

[Mystic13]

Maybe it means no liquor or pornography while driving or riding. lol.

[MotoGirl]

The only problem i can see is on the 1 lane motorways round nz people will STILL do 80kmph and u may get silly passing manouvers. But then again you cant argue with statistics

It may do, but removing the speed limit would also allow those paranoid people to pass without fear of being stung for speeding (you know, by doing 105kph). I'm sure we've all been stuck behind some old biddy who refuses to pass that vehicle doing 80kph.

[musicman]

I'm doing the speed limit so I don't need to concentrate. Or this is soo boringly slow that I'm nodding off.


The problem lies with the human factor. Bored inattention. Can't legislate on that.

In that case they should have naked female picture billboards every 500m along all the highways/motorways/open roads. Ain't nobody getting bored then!

[Max Preload]

Maybe it means no liquor or pornography while driving or riding. lol.

Bloody nanny state! :angry2:

[cold comfort]

This document echoes your views regarding the focus solely on reducung speed.

Excellent research-totally backs up other independant US studies. The fact there is no credible evidence to support the draconian imposition of speed cameras/demerit points beggars belief. The approx $350mil extorted from the long suffering motorists in the last decade would have nothing to do with it of course...

[NighthawkNZ]

Speed kills?

no... why the shuttle and the astronauts can get up to 18,000 mph and if we did in theory we would be dead...


Applying our circular orbit velocity equation and using the values yields an answer of about 29,795 m/s. In other words, our little planet is whirling around the Sun at an astonishing 66,645 mph! I hope you're wearing your seat belt!

oh wait

But the sudden stop can be a killer... so my theory is just keep going... don't stop... :mellow: and all will be good.. :confused::shifty:

[Fatjim]

Interesting. 6% of fatal accidents are directly atributal to speed, where the speed was in excess of the limit. Not all these accidents would have been avoided if the parties weren't speeding. So applying that stat to NZ, if everyone obeyed the speed limit 100% of the time we would save around 5% of the road toll or 15-20 lives a year.

However, if we didn't allow foriegners from europe and America, women, asians and drink drivers on the roads we would save a lot more.

I think speed cameras are far more PC than we give them credit for.

[swbarnett]

I think speed cameras are far more PC than we give them credit for.
Pile of Crap?

[Paris]

Amazing stats ... should fire them into the government ... speed can be a problem, isn't it all about control of the machine you are driving .. put a lid on a boiling pot and it bursts off ... impose legislation and fines and stuff over driving speeds and the result could be said to be the same! It's like the 70kmh learner rule .. that's just dangerous I reckon:argh:

[Maki]

Just goes to prove that speed DOES kill. It´s just that slow speed is more of a killer than fast speed.

The biggest killer is boredom and inattention. If you are going as fast as you are comfortable with you will be paying attention to are doing. If you are traveling at a speed that feels too slow your attention will inevitably waver with potentially deadly results.

As soon as this basic fact is understood and acted upon road safety will increase. We need to move away from arbitrary speed limits and law enforcement that concentrates on revenue collection more than increasing road safety.

The police need to crack down on incompetent drivers who do not obey traffic rules, those who drive under the influence of drugs and those who can no be arsed to concentrate on what the hell they are doing and talk or text on cell phones instead. That kind of driver is 100% more dangerous than someone who occasionally opens up the throttle on a straight with clear visibility for miles around.

[Maki]

Interesting. 6% of fatal accidents are directly atributal to speed, where the speed was in excess of the limit. Not all these accidents would have been avoided if the parties weren't speeding. So applying that stat to NZ, if everyone obeyed the speed limit 100% of the time we would save around 5% of the road toll or 15-20 lives a year.

However, if we didn't allow foriegners from europe and America, women, asians and drink drivers on the roads we would save a lot more.

I think speed cameras are far more PC than we give them credit for.

6% are attributable to speed. That makes 94% not attributable to speed. So you think there would be 5% fewer fatalities if no one speeds? I suspect the road toll would be higher if everyone slavishly sticks to the speed limits. A boredom induced coma would soon arise and the thing they know they could be waking up in hospital or worse.

What about the other 94%? How many of those could have been avoided if the drivers were speeding? I suspect many of those accidents happened because the drivers were not paying ATTENTION to what they were doing. Maybe they would have been more alert if they had been speeding.

[Monsterbishi]

It doesn't matter who quotes what statistic, Speed Kills, the faster you go, the less capable your vehicle becomes at both stopping and turning.

The faster you go, the more damage you will suffer, and cause.

This retarded thread pops up every few months, supported by those who seek justification for their speeding, where there is none.

[Pumba]

Speed Kills

Ive never had a problem with speed, its generally the sudden stopping that causes issues.

Nothing new in the information posted, however legislaters continue to ignore facts, surprise, surprise.

[Daffyd]

Below is a letter I wrote to NZ Autocar a few years ago, that won the letter of the month. The editor's reply was that I was right on the mark!
Some of you may remember the case.

"I watched CSU on TV recently where a cyclist was fatally injured when he was hit from behind by a car. The outcome was that while the motorist was not charged with speeding, he was convicted of careless driving. He admitted that he took his eyes off the road to check his speedometer and veered off course enough to hit the cyclist. This is a perfect example of a normally safe driver being so afraid of being pinged for speeding that he spent too much time looking at his speedo instead of the road. If he had kept his eyes on the road his speed may have crept up a little, maybe to 110k/h, but he would have seen the cyclist.
This backs up a theory of mine that many accidents are caused by this problem and that most drivers drive at a safe speed. The odd lunatic that drives way too fast will do so anyway, regardless of road conditions. I believe speed limits should be much more relaxed, so that drivers aren't looking over their shoulders all the time watching for big brother.

One US state (California, I think) has raised the speed limits and the road toll immediately came down. I understand one Australian state is considering doing the same, as there has been little or no improvement in the road toll since they introduced the current limits.

Comment has also been made in the UK that the lowered speed limits are not working. In fact the road toll has increased significantly since then."

[Jantar]

It doesn't matter who quotes what statistic, Speed Kills, the faster you go, the less capable your vehicle becomes at both stopping and turning.

The faster you go, the more damage you will suffer, and cause.

This retarded thread pops up every few months, supported by those who seek justification for their speeding, where there is none .

Everything you say is correct. Yet more accidents happen at lower speeds than at higher speeds. Yes when a high speed accident happens, it is more likely to result in death and injury, yet all the research shows that fewer accidents occur. By reducing the number of accidents that occur in the first place there is a much greater effect in reducing fatalities.

I am not advocating that we should blast around everywhere at 160 kmh plus, but rather that a speed appropriate to the conditions is safer than an arbitrary limit.

[Max Preload]

It doesn't matter who quotes what statistic, Speed Kills, the faster you go, the less capable your vehicle becomes at both stopping and turning.

The faster you go, the more damage you will suffer, and cause.

What a load of regurgitated fucking brainwash drivel. You have to crash, not just speed, moron.

[mstriumph]

It doesn't matter who quotes what statistic, Speed Kills, the faster you go, the less capable your vehicle becomes at both stopping and turning.

The faster you go, the more damage you will suffer, and cause. i take it you are advocating a return to the 5mph limit with a man with a red flag walking in front of every vehicle? :confused:


This retarded thread pops up every few months, amazing, that, since the latest stats quoted have only just been released over here ............... we'd better get hold of whoever 'popped them up' last time and ask him/her for next week's winning lotto numbers methinks :shifty:

......... supported by those who seek justification for their speeding, where there is none. you know, i'm a basically law-abiding, upstanding, tax-paying, community-minded member of the motoring public but that doesn't mean that i'd jump in the lake if the lawmakers decided to pass legislation making jumping in lakes mandatory ..... my personal view (and, i suspect, one shared by many) is that it is totally laughable that ANYONE can seriously impose an arbitary 'one size fits all' limit for a stretch of road that represents a 'safe' driving/riding speed for ALL drivers/riders in/on vehicles of ALL age & capabilities at ALL times of day, in ALL weathers, ALL road/visibility conditions and ALL traffic densities and expect to retain both their credibility and the support of the general public ....

- i'm certainly glad i have sufficient power to get myself out of trouble when the crazies drive erratically and unpredictably in front of me or around me .... it's laughable that you should think i give one second's thought to 'justification' if i have to exceed the posted limit to avoid or pass them - self-preservation is adequate defence, methinks .... and if some knob of a policeperson thinks it ISN'T well, at least i'm still alive to get fined or whatever.

however - it is your right to think differently - it is your right to believe whatever you wish to believe ........

:shifty: hey - wanna buy the Auckland Harbour Bridge? ... i'll give you a GREAT discount.................

[LBD]

It doesn't matter who quotes what statistic, Speed Kills, the faster you go, the less capable your vehicle becomes at both stopping and turning.

The faster you go, the more damage you will suffer, and cause.

This retarded thread pops up every few months, supported by those who seek justification for their speeding, where there is none.

The faster you go, the bigger the mess....If you have an accident.

However the evidence seems that a degree of more speed could reduce the accident rate.

I am not a slow rider, but by the same token I am not a stupid rider either. Limited to 100kph on wide, quiet country roads is stupid, getting booked on one at 115 is nothing short of revinue raising.

[Jantar]

From http://www.ibiblio.org/rdu/sl-irrel/index.html

"Contrary to public perception that accidents decrease when speed limits are lowered and increase when speed limits are raised, the accident rates in table 9 indicate that this perception may not be true. The data actually indicate that accident rates were reduced at sites where speed limits were raised and increased at sites where speed limits were lowered, assuming that the comparison site accident history reflects what actually would have occurred at the experimental sites."

[SixPackBack]

It doesn't matter who quotes what statistic, Speed Kills, the faster you go, the less capable your vehicle becomes at both stopping and turning.

The faster you go, the more damage you will suffer, and cause.

This retarded thread pops up every few months, supported by those who seek justification for their speeding, where there is none.

Occupation STMS=Site traffic management supervisor!?...........naturally we can rely on you to regurgitate the same cash-flow inducing ad nauseum as the rest of the gubberment sheep. Unfortunately as you are undoubtedly aware repeating simplistic lies does not create a truth. Simpleton.

[Jantar]

From http://www.investigatemagazine.com/july00speed.htm


"The latest statistics," says National Motorists Association spokesman Eric Peters, "should provide some tasty garnish for the crow sandwich now being placed in front of such doomsayers as former NHTSA chief Joan Claybrook and Clarence Ditlow, her cohort from the Centre of Auto Safety.

"Of the 36 states to set higher-than-55-mph interstate speed limits, the majority showed an improvement in traffic safety.

"In California, where interstate speed limits are [now] set at 70 mph, the fatality rate declined 4 percent between 1995 and 1996 - the best record since 1961. In Mississippi, the fatality rate dropped an impressive 21 percent after the highway limit was raised from 55 mph to 70 mph."

In Montana, where speed limits were abolished entirely, the number of road deaths dropped by five percent

[Maki]

The response from a certain gubbmint official here just goes to further prove that most law enforcement on the roads is about revenue collecting and they could care less about road safety.

Does anyone remember police making a U turn in an area with very limited visibility because they thought they saw someone speeding?

http://www.bikermates.co.nz/biker-mates-forum/1165.html

[SixPackBack]

The response from a certain gubbmint official here just goes to further prove that most law enforcement on the roads is about revenue collecting and they could care less about road safety.

Does anyone remember police making a U turn in an area with very limited visibility because they thought they saw someone speeding?

http://www.bikermates.co.nz/biker-mates-forum/1165.html

One of the advantages of owning a radar detector is being aware of patrol cars in the area that are sometimes driving dangerously. We have all seen or experienced the glazed officer driving at high speed,lights blazing, cutting corners to catch the dangerous speeding motorist, sometimes the lights are not on!?......a recent experience on SH16 may well have resulted in injury if not for pre warning.

There is something seriously wrong with our current manic approach to nailing speeders and seemingly ignoring red light runners etc. The general public is well aware it revolves around money.

On a side-note my wife expressed a desire to join the force [working presently in local bylaws], however it was the 'revenue collecting' side of the job that eventually scared her off; pity really she would have made a good cop!!

[Pixie]

Here's some research that explains why making roads too "safe" and vehicles too automated,won't achieve safety targets

[Hitcher]

In Montana, where speed limits were abolished entirely, the number of road deaths dropped by five percent

Montana has speed limits. 70mph on the Interstate, 55mph everywhere else.

[Forest]

I'd take those stats with a grain of salt.

In 2004 the number of deaths was 20 below the long-term average. A figure of 20 above the long term average might well be a similar statistical blip.

[swbarnett]

It doesn't matter who quotes what statistic, Speed Kills, the faster you go, the less capable your vehicle becomes at both stopping and turning.
Only if you're out driving your own speed limit. Not if you happen to be above some arbitrary number set by those with no idea of YOUR driving ability. For some drivers or riders their own speed limit will be above that currently posted, for others it will be below. Arbitrary speed limits compact drivers to a narrow band where some can't handle the speed and others get bored.


The faster you go, the more damage you will suffer, and cause.
WRONG! The faster you HIT ...

[roy.nz]

Speed doesn't kill its the sudden stop that does :yes:

[The Pastor]

Hang on guys the goverment said it makes it better so it will be, we dont even have to think about it!