Stats, stats, oh how we hate them, but?

[terbang]

Yup we are slow and yet our current kill rate is the highest for 13 years!
Two examples for a different perspective.

I spend a lot of time in the UK and the speed limit is 70 MPH (around 110K) for the motorways. And yet the tempo on say the M1 is anywhere up to 90 MPH and there are those going faster. It seems to be all flowing in an orderly fashion (they aren't allowed to undertake there) and drivers are generally courteous. There is a distinct impression that if its all flowing along nicely, albeit above the speed limit, the police leave well alone.

I drive in Saudi Arabia, which is nothing short of disorganized chaos. They drive fast, they tailgate and generally have poor skills as there is no driver education. Yet oddly enough, they are courteous and patient with each other. You can miss your turn in heavy traffic, flick on the hazards, do a youey right in front of everyone else, and they will all give you enough slack (often with a wave) as they realize you made a mistake and its only going to cost them a few seconds. I don't see that many accidents on the highways there either, though the do have them and the penalties for stupidity are high too.

One would like to think that we have some good heads at the top of our "road safety" who will take heed of what has happened this weekend and do something realistic about it other than the old speed/drunk/boi racer chant.

[Hitcher]

Mmmmmmh, not according to this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_limits_by_country

Read that again, Sam.

[MSTRS:Me]

One would like to think that we have some good heads at the top of our "road safety" who will take heed of what has happened this weekend and do something realistic about it other than the old speed/drunk/boi racer chant.

Yep. That's definitely a pig flying past my window...

[ManDownUnder]

I'm glad we have independant thinking people at the top that care for motorist welbeing rather than being overly contrained by budgetary and political influence.

[imdying]

New Zealand's speed limits are amongst the world's lowest.

No, they're not.

[MSTRS:Me]

In this utopia of ours, contrained is definitely a word

[oldrider]

On the subject of lies, damned lies and statistics, there is a difference between driving too fast for the conditions and "speeding".

New Zealand's speed limits are amongst the world's lowest. Why then are our road accidents higher than other comparable countries? Absence of driver training, I would postulate.

Absence of "personal responsibility" I would postulate!

Like Jim said above, we will each be issued with our own personal police officers soon!

Who will watch the watchers, when the watchers are not watching?

[ManDownUnder]

Who will watch the watchers, when the watchers are not watching?

Rolex.....?

[Genestho]

It's been said already, heres my version:

Cops have got nowt to do with road toll's or fatalities...

There are not enough cops to sit with you when your'e over the drink/drive limit, they cannot tell you to chill out and be patient...they cannot tell you to indicate at roundabouts, don't pass on blind corners because you're in a hurry.
Even if there were enough cops, why should they be directly responsible for stupid driver activity? All they can do is enforce it when they see it..

The people that could really teach us, are dead.

Wonder of wonders, that's down to us to think about!

I do await the 10 year road safety plan...

With the amount of politicians done for drink driving, I wonder if that has much to do with past inactivity and mere chants...
However there is a big pause down in Welly on drink driving, and I await to see the outcomes

I know of many fatalities where the driver was being a dick on the roads, forewarning, *555, or 111, you never know who you might save.

[Edbear]

Mmmmmmh, not according to this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_limits_by_country

Most fast roads here are highways, not motorways.

Having said that, I agree with the absence of driver training.

I don't think it is "driver training" in NZ, as from what I've seen the new young drivers are being well educated in this, especially insofar as the driver training schools go.

The stats show three problem areas - youngsters, that is under 25's driving recklessly and irresponsibly, drink-driving and showing off, and older drivers, that is over 30's and particularly in the 40's, being racidivist drink drivers.

The other biggie is that too many people simply cannot drive and this is nothing to do with age, race or gender. I've seen drivers of all types driving erratically, unable to cope with cornering, oncoming traffic, varying road conditions, etc. The surprise was that many of these incompetents are white European males in their 30's!

The problem for authorites is not in ensuring adequate driver training, though using a registered driving school should be mandatory, but in what to do about so many older drivers who have had their licences for years, but are simply incompetent.

The drink-drive message is just not getting through and many fatal accidents are caused by stupid overtaking moves and loss of control on bends.

How do you regulate against that?

[MSTRS:Me]

.... many fatal accidents are caused by stupid overtaking moves and loss of control on bends.

How do you regulate against that?

The problem here is just that. Over-regulation.
Lowered speed limits, increased yellowline areas and draconian enforcement have all led to generally lower open road traffic speeds. It is entirely normal (now) to get stuck behind some tool doing 80kph, who will not move over to allow overtaking and who will almost always speed up when passing lanes etc present. I'm obviously talking cars here. The end result is FRUSTRATION and ill-advised manouevres on the part of many drivers who wish to travel at the speed limit, but are prevented from doing so by the aforementioned 80kph turkeys. The simmering frustration does not dissipate entirely once clear, either. It simply gets racheted up each time one meets another slow driver, until it gets to the point of "Fuckit, the road seems clear, I'm just gonna pass right here without slowing down". The space/time continuum will only allow this so many times, before....

[Swoop]

Yep. That's definitely a pig flying past my window...

It must be a supersonic piggy. It just flew past my window as well!
Perhaps they migrate north during winter?

[Genestho]

The stats show three problem areas - youngsters, that is under 25's driving recklessly and irresponsibly, drink-driving and showing off, and older drivers, that is over 30's and particularly in the 40's, being racidivist drink drivers.

The drink-drive message is just not getting through and many fatal accidents are caused by stupid overtaking moves and loss of control on bends.

How do you regulate against that?

Using alcohol related fatality stats via MOT ( "Speed or other factors" are not what I research)

43% are full license holders
The other 57% are:

Learners license holders
Restricted
Disqualified
"Other" IE wrong license classification or have never held a license.

57% of alcohol related fatalities will not be avoided by simply lowering the limit!

The same stats also show, MOST fatalities are 2 and 3 times over the current legal limit.
Oh AND! I have information via the Information act that only 5% of all dd's are sent off for assessment.

As far as recidivist drink drivers, that behaviour (according to a wide range of research I own partial copyright to) is symptomatic of wider issues.
I can see that if we treat the symptoms (or at least put more effort into that area) we reduce the behaviour. Just my view..

I know a guy who intends to get loud about crushing drink drivers cars, so we shall see how that goes.

I have also invited Tui to do a "YeahRight" Billboard for B.A.D.D (DB Breweries sound keen at this point!) and we have a few things coming up that will hopefully encourage awareness of the consequences of drink driving, and promote responsibility!


Mstrs - Frustration is a fair call mate.

I followed a campervan pootling along, about 15 of us cars behind, I could see at least 5 cars were chomping at the bit to get past, so I pulled waaaaaaaaay back....

All avoidable if Campervan guy looked in his mirrors, and gently pulled over every now and then.

I recon I see at least an average of about 5 close calls, everyweek!

I clock up alot of k's.

Drivers should remember, all we have is a whiteline protecting us.

[Edbear]

Using alcohol related fatality stats via MOT ( "Speed or other factors" are not what I research)

43% are full license holders
The other 57% are:

Learners license holders
Restricted
Disqualified
"Other" IE wrong license classification or have never held a license.

57% of alcohol related fatalities will not be avoided by simply lowering the limit!

As far as recidivist drink drivers, that behaviour (according to a wide range of research I own partial copyright to) is symptomatic of wider issues.
I can see that if we treat the symptoms (or at least put more effort into that area) we reduce the behaviour. Just my view..

I know a guy who intends to get loud about crushing drink drivers cars, so we shall see how that goes.

I have also invited Tui to do a "YeahRight" Billboard for B.A.D.D (DB Breweries sound keen at this point!) and we have a few things coming up that will hopefully encourage awareness of the consequences of drink driving, and promote responsibility!


Mstrs - Frustration is a fair call mate.

I followed a campervan pootling along, about 15 of us cars behind, I could see at least 5 cars were chomping at the bit to get past, so I pulled waaaaaaaaay back....

All avoidable if Campervan guy looked in his mirrors, and gently pulled over every now and then.

I recon I see at least an average of about 5 close calls, everyweek!

I clock up alot of k's.

Drivers should remember, all we have is a whiteline protecting us.

Good post!

[terbang]

So it seems, Education vs Legislation is an issue.
What about the good old kiwi can do attitude. "I can do anything, I'm the worlds best driver I don't need to be told by a namby pamby politician how to drive safely". Or is it the old "get outta my way you idiot I own this piece of road" and "how dare you hold me up" mentality that needs moving along..?