Law change - Daytime headlights and ban on handheld devices

**Max Preload** · 18th August 2009, 12:41

Originally Posted by Swoop

It appears that more rules are appearing, especially so for psyclists.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=10591473

Banning hand-held phone calls while driving and requiring motorcyclists to ride with lights on at all times are just two of a raft of road-user rule changes.

Eighteen other changes coming into force on November 1 will run the gamut of life on the road, from towing speeds to child-safety locks in taxis and the use of motorcycles on footpaths to deliver mail or newspapers.

Don't rely in the Harold - journalists are fuckwits. Go to the source.

Originally Posted by Swoop

Veteran motorcycling safety consultant Alan Kirk is pleased with a change allowing riders to use lights on both sides of their machines to offer greater visibility than single headlights.

He's a fuckwit too.

**MSTRS:Me** · 18th August 2009, 13:01

Originally Posted by Max Preload

He's a fuckwit too.

That he is...but in this case he is right. Could never understand why side-running lights were out.

**Max Preload** · 18th August 2009, 13:08

Originally Posted by MSTRS

That he is...but in this case he is right.

Indeed. I have to admit that as soon as I saw his name, I didn't read the rest of the sentence!

**FastBikeGear** · 18th August 2009, 14:18

Originally Posted by sleemanj

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/2749...vers-confirmed

(From November 1)

Most everybody does anyway, but worth mentioning.

I am well ahead of the game on this one already. I have wired my stebel air horn through my light switch. It now comes on with the light switch so it's on permanently.

I do seem to be getting noticed.

Hopefully the car drivers won't catch on to this and start doing it too - because then we won't be able to tell the difference between, bikes, cars and locomotives at level crossings.

**FastBikeGear** · 18th August 2009, 14:24

One very good side effect of this law that I heard two cops joking about outside court yesterday is that they can now proesecute riders who flash their lights to signal a traffic officer

**MSTRS:Me** · 18th August 2009, 15:22

Originally Posted by Wobblyas

One very good side effect of this law that I heard two cops joking about outside court yesterday is that they can now proesecute riders who flash their lights to signal a traffic officer

I think you will find that they've always been able to do that. The charge is something like 'Interferring with an officer of the law performing his duties'.
Has always been a contentious issue, that one. Because by doing the flash-thing, it slows down the approaching motorist...which should be helping the cops to keep the roads safe.

**Ixion** · 18th August 2009, 15:47

Originally Posted by Max Preload

Don't rely in the Harold - journalists are fuckwits. Go to the source.

.

Unfortunately, that's the draft from last year. Does anyone have a link to the revised version - ie as of now

**Motig** · 19th August 2009, 09:31

So I guess I've got to stop holding the torch as a headlight ?

**Genestho** · 19th August 2009, 10:34

Sheesh, here was me searching in a rush, under a completely different search string!

Diverted Attention stats

**Genestho** · 19th August 2009, 14:21

Originally Posted by Ixion

Unfortunately, that's the draft from last year. Does anyone have a link to the revised version - ie as of now

Have had a nosey, can't find it myself, doesn't mean it's not in the public domain though, have just asked someone in the know to point out, where this final paper could be found.

Will post a link or the paper, if I can get the info. Or the answer if I can't get either!

**James Deuce** · 19th August 2009, 14:33

Originally Posted by Motig

So I guess I've got to stop holding the torch as a headlight ?

Yes. You'll have to tape it to your helmet.

**Big Dave** · 19th August 2009, 14:36

Originally Posted by James Deuce

Yes. You'll have to tape it to your helmet.

http://kiwiriderproducts.blogspot.co...light-kit.html

**Badjelly** · 19th August 2009, 14:45

Originally Posted by Ixion

Unfortunately, that's the draft from last year. Does anyone have a link to the revised version - ie as of now

No, but here's my take on the relationship between the proposals put to consultation in September last year and what's now being talked about:

Originally Posted by Badjelly

Oops. The documents I've been linking to on nzta.govt.nz date from September 2008 and refer to proposals for public consultation, the consultation to finish on 16 October 2008.

The government's announcement on 13 August 2009 is a further step in (some of?) the proposed rules coming into effect. From the Stuff article most of the changes originally proposed appear to have come through unchanged. However (as far as I can see) the priority for buses rule was dropped, and they've added a couple I didn't notice in the original proposal:

* The maximum speed for towing a vehicle with a non-rigid towing connection (such as a tow rope) will be 50kmh.

* Rules will be clarified for the use of shared pedestrian/cycle paths. All users will have to use the paths in a way that does not present a hazard to others. Where signs or markings give priority to either pedestrians or cyclists, users without priority must give way.

Oh, and they've dropped the 50 km/h speed limit for mopeds.

...

**90s** · 19th August 2009, 14:52

Originally Posted by PrincessBandit

Apparently Nov 1 marks the start of the ban on use of hand held mobiles for talking and texting while driving. Handsfree are exempt due to a number of businesses "needing" them as an important business tool.

I was involved in a fair bit of the research carried out on driver distraction in the mid-90s which is now being cited, and have kepot abreast with New Scientist's reports on things since, and one thing the media here has been reporting is quite inaccurate. The distraction from a hands-free is not as much or higher than from a call, but less. The big difference between other distractions mentioned in the popular press is that we are more in control of them and can switch attention away from them (eating, talking to passengers, using an ipod or radio) than we can from speaking on the phone (attention is captured). The reason hands-free is slightly less risky is that when attention is captured you still have physical control of the car, rather than not even be in control if fiddling with holding a handset. Txting needless to say is more dangerous than anything else.

**Badjelly** · 19th August 2009, 16:01

Originally Posted by Ixion

Unfortunately, that's the draft from last year. Does anyone have a link to the revised version - ie as of now

This page is dated 14 August 2009:

http://landtransport.govt.nz/rules/q...rule-2009.html

It describes 19 provisions in an amended rule to come into effect 1 Nov 2009.

This page is dated 4 September 2008:

http://www.nzta.govt.nz/consultation...t/q-and-a.html

It describes proposed rules for public consultation ending October 2008.

You might think that this all makes some sense, but I couldn't possibly comment.