Does speed really kill?

**SixPackBack** · 2nd November 2009, 16:52

Check it. To long to cut and paste, but an interesting read.

http://www.theage.com.au/drive/motor...1030-ho9e.html

**one fast tl1ooo** · 2nd November 2009, 16:55

NO IT IS THE SUDDEN STOP....................

**2wheeldrifter** · 2nd November 2009, 16:58

Didn't read it all, got alittle bored and frustrated... sorry

**ital916** · 2nd November 2009, 17:02

Originally Posted by SixPackBack

Check it. To long to cut and paste, but an interesting read.

http://www.theage.com.au/drive/motor...1030-ho9e.html

I reckon the ridiculous 80 km/hr limit on auckland motorways is a real hazard as you have people driving all the way from seventy to one twenty, leading to some close calls.

**george formby** · 2nd November 2009, 17:21

I have always believed that it's bad driving/riding that causes accidents regardless of speed. I would be very afraid if proposals to increase speed limits over here were put forward. The existing limits are hard enough for a lot of motorists to abide by. On a typical 400k run,the traffic I see will be travelling anywhere between 60kmh & 120+kmh, which ever end of the scale these motorists are at they obviously don't give a toss for other road users.
Make it mandatory for all road users to do a licence compliance test every 5 years & if that makes us better & safer road users then, in the future, their may be grounds for some liberty & cheaper motoring.

**R6_kid:Me** · 2nd November 2009, 17:57

Remove ALL speed limits, except for those around ACTIVE roadworks, schools and urban areas. Also enforce the 'kept left unless passing' rule on all roads with more than one lane in a given direction.

Outside of that, if you have an accident and your driving is found to have involved excessive speed or if have driven in a dangerous manner then get a whopping huge fine - if you can't pay it then you do forced labour at minimum wage until it's paid off (you will also pay for your own food/accomodation). Do it again and you go to jail for 6mths.

Give people the option to act freely, but punish them severely for making decisions which are obviously wrong.

**SPman** · 2nd November 2009, 19:34

Interesting that the RTA automatically poo poos any evidence that shows areas with no limits had less fatalities. They insist that speed is the killer - implying that people driving over the limits are the problem, then admit that many of the cases where speed is quoted as the cause, happen at speeds below the posted limits!
I've found, over many years and in several countries, that traffic that is allowed to flow unimpeded at it's natural speed for the road and conditions, whatever it may be, well over, or sometimes under the posted limits, seems to flow in a relaxed and far safer manner, than traffic tightly bound by enforced, unrealistic speed limits.
" Driving with complete tunnel vision on speed is so obscenely dangerous it is not funny"
It's more important to keep relative speeds in traffic on a par - example - a recent weekend day in medium heavy traffic on a straight, 4 lane 60kph road, all traffic travelling at the same speed - speed camera ticket for 66 kph! Yep - real dangerous! New 100 km long divided 4 lane, expressways over here being limited to 80 and 100 kph and heavily policed! It's a fucking joke!
The real killers are inattention, tiredness (which leads to inattention), lack of basic driving skills (follow a few vehicles down country roads and watch the way they place their vehicles and approach and drive through corners - it's fucking frightening sometimes - no wonder so many cars spear off the road...) and general attitude - (I am a good safe driver - how dare you approach,drive faster,slower, than me!!!!) People need to leave their egos at home when they get into/onto a vehicle and relax and concentrate on their driving, watching for natural threats, not possible speed traps because you may be cruising 10- 15 kph over the open road limit!

(and for those who smugly say - well - stick to the limit then - fuck off! You've already proved you are sheep, so go back to sleep)

**scumdog** · 2nd November 2009, 19:57

Originally Posted by R6_kid

Remove ALL speed limits, except for those around ACTIVE roadworks, schools and urban areas. Also enforce the 'kept left unless passing' rule on all roads with more than one lane in a given direction.

Outside of that, if you have an accident and your driving is found to have involved excessive speed or if have driven in a dangerous manner then get a whopping huge fine - if you can't pay it then you do forced labour at minimum wage until it's paid off (you will also pay for your own food/accomodation). Do it again and you go to jail for 6mths.

Give people the option to act freely, but punish them severely for making decisions which are obviously wrong.

And remake the people you maimed/killed when you crashed into them...

**mossy1200** · 2nd November 2009, 20:03

Originally Posted by SPman

Interesting that the RTA automatically poo poos any evidence that shows areas with no limits had less fatalities. They insist that speed is the killer - implying that people driving over the limits are the problem, then admit that many of the cases where speed is quoted as the cause, happen at speeds below the posted limits!
I've found, over many years and in several countries, that traffic that is allowed to flow unimpeded at it's natural speed for the road and conditions, whatever it may be, well over, or sometimes under the posted limits, seems to flow in a relaxed and far safer manner, than traffic tightly bound by enforced, unrealistic speed limits.
" Driving with complete tunnel vision on speed is so obscenely dangerous it is not funny"
It's more important to keep relative speeds in traffic on a par - example - a recent weekend day in medium heavy traffic on a straight, 4 lane 60kph road, all traffic travelling at the same speed - speed camera ticket for 66 kph! Yep - real dangerous! New 100 km long divided 4 lane, expressways over here being limited to 80 and 100 kph and heavily policed! It's a fucking joke!
The real killers are inattention, tiredness (which leads to inattention), lack of basic driving skills (follow a few vehicles down country roads and watch the way they place their vehicles and approach and drive through corners - it's fucking frightening sometimes - no wonder so many cars spear of the road...) and general attitude - (I am a good safe driver - how dare you approach,drive faster,slower, than me!!!!) People need to leave their egos at home when they get into/onto a vehicle and relax and concentrate on their driving, watching for natural threats, not possible speed traps because you may be cruising 10- 15 kph over the open road limit!

(and for those who smugly say - well - stick to the limit then - fuck off! You've already proved you are sheep, so go back to sleep)

Your going to need to take all the cars off boy racers before they kill us though.No speed limit and no self control would be a poor mix.

**SPman** · 2nd November 2009, 20:37

Originally Posted by mossy1200

Your going to need to take all the cars off boy racers before they kill us though.No speed limit and no self control would be a poor mix.

Of course - it's bad enough with no self control and speed limits.
Perhaps I should have added "enhanced policing of erratic, careless and dangerous driving" Most mature, non egotistical police know what the traffic is like in their area. Take away the over-emphasis on pinging vehicles going slightly faster than artificially proscribed, often totally unrealistic limits and artificial "numbers of customer contacts" and concentrate on sorting out the real dickheads amongst the driving populace. The local cops normally know who and where they are.

**Chrislost** · 2nd November 2009, 20:42

I think that people driving 60km/h on the twisties, then seeing a straight think, oh he is tailgating me i better speed up are the main cause of bad decision making while driving...
Them and the people that insist on driving in the right hand lane at 95km/h... IT IS ILLEGAL TO UNDERTAKE, SO IN THEORY THEY ARE BLOCKING THE WHOLE MOTORWAY! there should be a law against it!

**jonbuoy** · 2nd November 2009, 21:58

Speed doesn't kill bad driving and judgement does. They need to give more advanced training, the current drivers test barely covers basic control of a car/bike. Something like a two year restricted HP limit on cars and bikes when you first pass your test (nothing too extreme like a 45BHP limit on bikes/120BHP limit on cars).
After two years on your basic an advanced practicle/theory driving test with training on a skid pan for slide recovery for cars, Motorway driving/riding techniques observations. It would probably be too much for learners to get in one go.

**LBD** · 3rd November 2009, 01:16

The same article was on stuff today along with this poll...check these numbers out....but will be like the anti smacking referendum...the govt will igore the public opinions....

Ad Feedback Should we raise the open road speed limit?
No
6600 votes, 26.4%

Yes - to 110kmh
3566 votes, 14.2%

Yes - to 115kmh
440 votes, 1.8%

Yes - to 120kmh
13619 votes, 54.4%

We should actually lower it
808 votes, 3.2%

**YellowDog** · 3rd November 2009, 05:22

Originally Posted by george formby

I have always believed that it's bad driving/riding that causes accidents regardless of speed. I would be very afraid if proposals to increase speed limits over here were put forward. The existing limits are hard enough for a lot of motorists to abide by. On a typical 400k run,the traffic I see will be travelling anywhere between 60kmh & 120+kmh, which ever end of the scale these motorists are at they obviously don't give a toss for other road users.
Make it mandatory for all road users to do a licence compliance test every 5 years & if that makes us better & safer road users then, in the future, their may be grounds for some liberty & cheaper motoring.

George mate, you may be the epitome of musical ineptitude BUT you are spot on here.

The relationship between accidents and speed is true to the degree that if you were not moving, you could not crash.

Accidents are caused by poor driving standards (and mistakes) which can be attributed to inappropriate speed for the conditions.

If the bar was raised to a higher level so that bad drivers could not pass, then the roads would be safer. Re-testing and failing those wankers who do not use their indicators before the manouevre etc. etc. would make a major contribution to reducing accidents, ACC liabilities, and road deaths.

**peasea** · 4th November 2009, 05:46

Originally Posted by LBD

The same article was on stuff today along with this poll...check these numbers out....but will be like the anti smacking referendum...the govt will igore the public opinions....

Ad Feedback Should we raise the open road speed limit?
No
6600 votes, 26.4%

Yes - to 110kmh
3566 votes, 14.2%

Yes - to 115kmh
440 votes, 1.8%

Yes - to 120kmh
13619 votes, 54.4%

We should actually lower it
808 votes, 3.2%

Wish I'd seen that poll. 13,619 would have been 13,620.