Average Speed Survey

[p.dath]

I was thinking about how the Police have gone on about the latest average speed survey:
http://www.transport.govt.nz/about/f...ults09_web.pdf
Which found the average open road speed has now reduced to 96.3km/h.

Which got me wondering. What if in fact this reduction in speed has little to do with enforcement or the massive advertising campaigns (ps, the AA believe neither of these has helped), or is it perhaps to do with a deliberately introduced speedo error.

Vehicles manufactured for the European market generally have a 6% error introduced. So when the speedo says you are going at 100km/h, you are actually only doing 94km/h.
However a lot of manufacturers now use the same speedo's for all markets, rather than making units with different "errors" in them.

And then I look at the figures from 1999 (10 years ago) and compared them to 2009, and note there has been a drop in average speeds of 5.4%. A bit suspicious don't you think?

So do you think is is entirely possible that the drop in average speeds in NZ roads is almost solely due to a deliberately introduced error in our speedos, or because we have spent probably $100m on advertising and enforcement?

Doh!

[Mikkel]

Increased traffic volume.

How much of NZ's open road traffic is in fact happening around Auckland, on the motorway during rush hour?

[quickbuck]

I've said it all along....
The price of petrol has more to do with people driving slower than any law enforcement campaign ever will.

[davebullet]

The last time I looked, my average speed was spot on average. Mine was an indicated average, not actual average, so which average, I'm not sure now.

[Motu]

Speedos have always read higher than actual speed,going back to atleast the '60's,but most likely before that too.It's just that speeding has only been heavily policed in the last 10 years or so.My average speed has always been down.

[p.dath]

Increased traffic volume.

How much of NZ's open road traffic is in fact happening around Auckland, on the motorway during rush hour?

The survey only measures "unimpeded" traffic.

[SMOKEU]

I find it hard to believe that significantly less than 0.5% of vehicles were travelling at 120kmh or more as seen on page 5.

[thealmightytaco]

The survey only measures "unimpeded" traffic.

Before I left the Tauranga/Mount Maunganui/Te Puke area, you couldn't drive on the open road between them without getting stuck behind an elderly fogle puddling at 80km's, was becoming insane. I'm not sure if that still happens but does unimpeded include the 2 dozen cars stuck behind the one fogle going 20k under the limit? If not the western bay's transition to a retirement village could account for all of it.

[YellowDog]

Perhaps it is more that road users are more aware of the Police may be hiding around downhill corners collecting revenue.

Once you have accumulated a few demerit points you tend to slow down a little.

[Mikkel]

The survey only measures "unimpeded" traffic.

There is no such thing as unimpeded traffic when there are enforced speed limits...

[golfmade]

Interesting read...

Most residential roads here limit is 30 or 40km/h. Bigger roadways and boulevards and such are 60 km/h. On the highways limit is generally 100-110 but on the highways most go well above that, but jam on the breaks when they know there's a speed cam and/or copper.

[smokeyging]

I've said it all along....
The price of petrol has more to do with people driving slower than any law enforcement campaign ever will.

I too agree with this. i’m on the road all the time and since the fuel prices have gone up i’ve hardly ever seen people speeding, besides, a bit pointless anyway for if you do pass a vehicle, with the density of traffic these days, theres another just in front. not sure what its like in the north island, but seems that way here in the south. besides, if you chug along behind a vehicle doing the speed limit, its amazing how much fuel is saved.

[sinned]

So do you think is is entirely possible that the drop in average speeds in NZ roads is almost solely due to a deliberately introduced error in our speedos, or because we have spent probably $100m on advertising and enforcement?

From my observation it is the built in offset to true speed where the speedo reads 5- 6k/hr high at all speeds combined with a fear many drivers have of exceeding 100kph. Many older vehicles have had errors in speedo readings but these have been variable and as a percentage of road speed. A lot of drivers now sit on exactly 100kph (speedo) and use cruise control - with the resulting true speed of 94kph.

I commute 10ks by car in a 50kph area and am frustrated by some drivers doing 45ks. I wondered why so many until I got a new Mazda3 with a 5kph offset in the speedo reading - now I notice it is drivers of new cars that are slowing my commute and I know why.