Police saving our lives again

**Scuba_Steve** · 23rd October 2010, 19:57

Originally Posted by miloking

Why does NZ always need to copy some "other" country...we are not "them" and especialy we are not Victoria so why do we constrantly need to adopt someone elses policies...

I don't know, copying this doesn't seem so bad... On the grounds that speed cameras have not reduced the number of accidents in the United Kingdom, the Government has decided to reduce its road safety grants to local authorities this year from GBP 77 million to GBP 56 million. As a result, speed cameras across England are being scrapped one after the other. No new speed cameras will be installed in the foreseeable future either, as the new coalition Government has withdrawn funding for them in a view to cutting costs.

Originally Posted by Kickaha

I didn't say we should be copying anybody, how about answering the question instead of dodging it, I am actually interested if you knew of anyone that does and how their accident rates compare

I don't know about a demerit only approach I would say it would still endanger lives just as much (if not more-so) & increase "runners", but EVERY study into speed scams pretty much all say the same thing, speed scams increase accident rates.

**miloking** · 23rd October 2010, 20:01

Originally Posted by Kickaha

I didn't say we should be copying anybody, how about answering the question instead of dodging it, I am actually interested if you knew of anyone that does and how their accident rates compare

I dont know any countries that have that system, but as i said if police are saying they are not revenue collectors...solution is very simple.

And i like the sound of demerit system in Germany, where you can actualy earn points to your licence if you attend special seminars, training etc. (road toll is half of ours per capita...)

**Brian d marge** · 23rd October 2010, 22:34

Originally Posted by Kickaha

I think the argument for revenue gathering went out the window when they decreased fines a while back

if the money collected went back into driver education , i would agree , or when government dept\soes stop being user pays ,

until then its revenue gathering ,,,,

Stephen

**Brian d marge** · 23rd October 2010, 22:52

0oh btw , They dont really worry about speed here , the motorway limit is 80 ,,,yeah right,it just not important , soo we dont have to worry about getting pinged , we can just drive , err normally

sux to be u lot !!!

thats assuming you lot can afford the road tax..........

Carry on nurse

Stephen

**Scuba_Steve** · 24th October 2010, 09:04

Originally Posted by shrub

and we're not at the end of Saturday yet - it will be interesting what spin they'll use if the road toll is greater than last year (6) or 2008 (4).

well we've now exceeded 2008 as of this morning shall we try & beat 2009's? still 2 days to go...
"Five people have now died on the roads in four separate crashes, dashing police hopes of a Labour Weekend free of road deaths."

Place your bets now on the excuses that are sure to follow...

**shrub** · 24th October 2010, 10:27

Originally Posted by Scuba_Steve

well we've now exceeded 2008 as of this morning shall we try & beat 2009's? still 2 days to go...
"Five people have now died on the roads in four separate crashes, dashing police hopes of a Labour Weekend free of road deaths."

Place your bets now on the excuses that are sure to follow...

Alcohol? People ignoring the speed limit? Unfortunately TPTB have decided to focus on the message that road crashes are primarily caused by speed and alcohol to the detriment of road safety because they don't seem to worry about anything else. This focus is because it's easy to measure and police speed and alcohol, whereas driver inattention, tiredness, tail gating and all the other causes of road crashes are hard to police.

**Quasievil** · 24th October 2010, 16:06

Originally Posted by Scuba_Steve

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Place your bets now on the excuses that are sure to follow...

Humans.............nough said

**ktm** · 24th October 2010, 18:37

Humans? I thought they were pigs.

**trailblazer** · 24th October 2010, 19:36

well I have done nearly 600ks this weekend in the car and on the bike and I havn't seen any cops yet so i guess i didn't get a speeding ticket like I thought I would. So much for a bigger police presence. Not in the eastern bay anyway

**Scuba_Steve** · 24th October 2010, 20:03

we are upto 6 people we have now matched 2009 still 1 day to go, this decreased tolerance is working perfectly... isn't it???

**oldrider** · 24th October 2010, 22:30

The last time they did this they refused to believe the inclement weather was a major contributing factor in the lower totals!

Perhaps this time they will see the situation for what it really is!

**miloking** · 25th October 2010, 00:25

Well its sad that lots of people had to die this weekend (we are up to 7 and its not even over yet)...but maybe police/politicians will finally understand that they cannot "solve" road toll problem by issuing simple and idiotic blanket rules and then trying to enforce them mercilessly, I guess its little bit more complex than that...but somehow i doubt they will, iam just waiting for tuesday morning press release with list of excuses why the 4km/h tolerance didnt work this time...

**Jonno.** · 25th October 2010, 05:02

I really hope more New Zealanders realise how much propaganda they're being fed by the police that "speeding" causes every crash. It's a disgusting tactic likely causing more death then it's saving.

**Kiwi Graham:Me** · 25th October 2010, 05:54

Originally Posted by Scuba_Steve

well we've now exceeded 2008 as of this morning shall we try & beat 2009's? still 2 days to go...
"Five people have now died on the roads in four separate crashes, dashing police hopes of a Labour Weekend free of road deaths."

Place your bets now on the excuses that are sure to follow...

The last time they did the 4k limit thing and puffed their chests out damming all speeding motorists and hailing their strategy as a great success it was Queens birthday and the weekend was a washout weather wise.

This weekend the weather is fantastic and we have death on the roads.

Maybe its got something to do with the state of the roads and the amount of people using them!
Perhaps if they invested the income from traffic fines into subsidising a descent tar seal surface instead of the crap chip seal they use that melts as soon as the sun comes out and dissolves when it rains it may help reduce actual accidents related to loss of control (working on the theory of more grip = more control)