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Psychotown

thoughts of a relative newbie

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by
Psychotown
, 21st September 2010 at 08:30 (7176 Views)
just a couple of questions for you seasoned bikers out there (from a relative newbie):

1/ anyone know what the score is with a mature(ish) adult having to be restricted to 70km/h for the first 6 months of riding a bike, and limited to riding between 5am and 10pm for the first year (excepting for those that fast-track), compared to a 15yr old kid getting the keys to a god-knows how powerful car and being able to do what they want?

2/ in the UK, you cannot pay your roadtax on a vehicle without proving you've got at least 3rd party insurance. How is it that here we have bike roadtax going through the roof for ACC levies, yet anyone can drive a car without any form of insurance at all?
Please help me out on this one?
Do you not reckon that tax could be reduced all over, it you couldn't get your road tax until you'd insured your vehicle (ACC would have to cover less ground and wouldn't need to be so high)?

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Comments

  1. Gibbo89's Avatar
    firstly, a 15 year old in a car has exactly the same restrictions as a learner motorbike rider. the only difference is that they have to have a parent with them. i have had my car license for a few years now and am also stuck with the restrictions of a learner rider. but i take my l plate off for a weekend ride around the backroads etc. i avoid having to drive between 10pm and 5am. but i have to then i will do it.

    regarding insurance, you can drive your vehicle without it being insured, if a non insured person runs your bike over then they will end up paying a pittence each week to pay off their debts (if they cant afford to pay for your repairs).

    someone can clear these things up for you if i have got anything wrong.

    i dont think a mature rider can skip the 70 k speed limit, unless you wrote to ltsa or whatever it is and tried to plead your case and try get some form of exemption if you have to go on the motorway to work everyday etc.

    if that fails. remove your l plate when u will break the law...
  2. Psychotown's Avatar
    I know what you're saying Gibbo89,

    just thinking aloud about the fact that we are restricted to 250cc, but a new driver (and I should have qualified that as anyone under 18 really - many kids really are not mature enough to drive safely) can drive a 4 litre V8.

    I know about the insurance - it should make a difference though, if all had to be insured at the time of paying road tax - the cost of the tax should be lower for everyone if this was the case. Bikers would then not be penalised to the same extent as they are now.

    I'm not asking to skip the 70k restriction. Just think that it is more dangerous to do 70 than 85 on sh1, even through kapiti, as drivers come up so fast that they don't realise the speed you're doing. at 85 or so, you have a bit more of a chance.

    Quote Originally Posted by Gibbo89
    firstly, a 15 year old in a car has exactly the same restrictions as a learner motorbike rider. the only difference is that they have to have a parent with them. i have had my car license for a few years now and am also stuck with the restrictions of a learner rider. but i take my l plate off for a weekend ride around the backroads etc. i avoid having to drive between 10pm and 5am. but i have to then i will do it.

    regarding insurance, you can drive your vehicle without it being insured, if a non insured person runs your bike over then they will end up paying a pittence each week to pay off their debts (if they cant afford to pay for your repairs).

    someone can clear these things up for you if i have got anything wrong.

    i dont think a mature rider can skip the 70 k speed limit, unless you wrote to ltsa or whatever it is and tried to plead your case and try get some form of exemption if you have to go on the motorway to work everyday etc.

    if that fails. remove your l plate when u will break the law...
  3. p.dath's Avatar
    The insurance issue has been looked at before (just 12 months ago in fact). What was found is that the rate of insurance is so high in New Zealand that it was not worth the money to spend setting up a system to track it.

    Effectively the system would cost more than the tiny increase in the number of insured vehicles.
  4. p.dath's Avatar
    With regard to your first point - a motorcycle is just plain well more dangerous than a car. So it is more important that new riders take it easy.
  5. Psychotown's Avatar
    no reply - not worth it as you've totally misconstrued the comment


    Quote Originally Posted by p.dath
    With regard to your first point - a motorcycle is just plain well more dangerous than a car. So it is more important that new riders take it easy.