Easter road toll was the worst in 16 years

[Maki]

Seems to me that the police could care less about what actually causes crashes and even less about preventing them. They just repeat the same mantra, speed kills and the bigger the speed the bigger the mess. Their goal in life is to be able to mindlessly ping people with their radar guns and dole out fines according to a simple easily understood formula, fines that have nothing to do with whether the behavior they are targeting is dangerous. They want to be able to say that you were traveling at a speed x and that means a fine y according to the book. They could care less about whether the speed x was dangerous or perfectly safe in the circumstances.
If they really wanted to improve safety on the roads they would target dangerous and irresponsible driving above AND below the speed limit. Unsafe passing would incur a huge fine, even if the vehicle passing stayed under the speed limit. So, why don't the police do their job and try to make the roads safer? I often wonder about that and I can only conclude that it's too hard and they are too stupid.

[Maki]

Seems to me that the police could care less about what actually causes crashes and even less about preventing them. They just repeat the same mantra, speed kills and the bigger the speed the bigger the mess. Their goal in life is to be able to mindlessly ping people with their radar guns and dole out fines according to a simple easily understood formula, fines that have nothing to do with whether the behavior they are targeting is dangerous. They want to be able to say that you were traveling at a speed x and that means a fine y according to the book. They could care less about whether the speed x was dangerous or perfectly safe in the circumstances.
If they really wanted to improve safety on the roads they would target dangerous and irresponsible driving above AND below the speed limit. Unsafe passing would incur a huge fine, even if the vehicle passing stayed under the speed limit. So, why don't the police do their job and try to make the roads safer? I often wonder about that and I can only conclude that it's too hard and they are too stupid.

[Mudfart]

yep ive been out on the roads this easter, but im not dumb enuff to go away on holiday. the overtaking i saw was insane.
They were all auckland drivers headed out of dauckland, and from what ive observed, a drivers patience is a lot thinner this year than previous.
So while pressures exerted on us by our grubberment for more taxes, and smaller household incomes increases, along with employers demanding more performance from the same amount of time with less staff, and as long as life gets more busier by the day making us blindly insane, people in cars are not going to stand for someone doing 100kph in a 100kph zone, its just too slow.
As displayed by my friend in the ford falcon that blitzed past me as i was doing 100 last night, in the dark, on double yellows, coming to a blind corner.
It all boils down to, the license system is defuntional, a license to drive is seen as a right, and not a priveledge, which it should be.
I know uncoordinated monkeys that have licenses, I know old blind pensioners that have licenses, I know people that used to ride elephants, that come to NZ, and EXPECT the right to drive.

[BiK3RChiK]

Well, speed killed in the accident I saw on the weekend.... What I can't figure out is how on earth someone comes up so fast on another vehicle without realising it's there (unless both their tail-lights were out... quite a possibility around these parts) and smashes into the back of it......... on a long straight road no less.

[Crazy Steve]

I like to speed in my BIG TRUCK and run peeps off the road ! ! ! !

Very Very FUNNY ! !

Crazy Steve.

[Crazy Steve]

Oh and only when ive been doin lots and lots of METH ! !

Crazy Steve.

[scumdog]

I think fuckwitted driving causes these road fatalities.

But blame your favourite reason it you want...

[quickbuck]

I think fuckwitted driving causes these road fatalities.

But blame your favourite reason it you want...

If fuckwitted = Bad Decisions/ Driving ability, then i agree with you 100%.

As for the answer to the reason people overtake.. I think DB brought it up, another is that people can't stick to one speed!
This gets bloody annoying to people who can actually drive, and want to keep a constant velocity...

Of course a person who can actually drive, will make the decision to wait until an appropriate place to over take, and read the road properly.

SO, it all comes back to EDUCATION! and attitude....
The Attitude of educated drivers is much better.....

Okay, I plucked all this out of my colon, but I'm sure there are some people who will agree...

[kwaka_crasher]

If fuckwitted = Bad Decisions/ Driving ability, then i agree with you 100%.

As for the answer to the reason people overtake.. I think DB brought it up, another is that people can't stick to one speed!
This gets bloody annoying to people who can actually drive, and want to keep a constant velocity...

Of course a person who can actually drive, will make the decision to wait until an appropriate place to over take, and read the road properly.

SO, it all comes back to EDUCATION! and attitude....
The Attitude of educated drivers is much better.....

Okay, I plucked all this out of my colon, but I'm sure there are some people who will agree...

I agree wholeheartedly, despite the wretched stench of colon permeating from your post...

[Motu]

I've got School C....does that make me an educated rider? All the rest I learned by myself....

[Katman]

Fortunately for me my Father wouldn't let me drive until I'd had some proper instruction.
The right lines through corners, how to brake smoothly and set the car up for a turn.
Looking for passing opportunities, car control in wet weather, etc etc

Driving's in the blood.

[quickbuck]

I've got School C....does that make me an educated rider? All the rest I learned by myself....

Well, considering you had enough nous to get yourself through School C.....
AND, even though self taught, you had enough nous to teach yourself well.

I can tell this, as you have been riding for years, and you have a great attitude to motorcycling in general.

[Ocean1]

Whenever I see driving like that, I know why there is a road toll...

I was overtaken by a perfectly normal looking Corolla on the Paekakareki hill a few days ago, on blind right hander.

Oh, thinks I, he's seen ahead from back... nope, there's no way in hell he can have known if it was clear. Utterly gobsmacked, couldn't believe what I'd just seen, if I'd have seen him later at a gas station or coffee shop I don't think I could have avoided smacking him a bit.

Edit: Oh, and the "weekend road toll"? Is usually close to normal if you do the arithmetic.

[scumdog]

I was overtaken by a perfectly normal looking Corolla on the Paekakareki hill a few days ago, on blind right hander.

Oh, thinks I, he's seen ahead from back... nope, there's no way in hell he can have known if it was clear. Utterly gobsmacked, couldn't believe what I'd just seen, if I'd have seen him later at a gas station or coffee shop I don't think I could have avoided smacking him a bit.

Edit: Oh, and the "weekend road toll"? Is usually close to normal if you do the arithmetic.

Yep, takes a bit of self control when meeting somebody who has driven as you described...

[quickbuck]

if I'd have seen him later at a gas station or coffee shop I don't think I could have avoided smacking him a bit..

Yup.... Then tell him that is softer than going over a bank!!!

Edit: Oh, and the "weekend road toll"? Is usually close to normal if you do the arithmetic.

Correct..... Well, almost...
Within a couple of standard deviations anyway...........