4kmh tolerance for Waitangi Weekend until 29 February?

[Drew]

"cough"....actually

I was referring to the limitations of cruise control in that they actually average 7kph "drift"-either side of a set speed...eg 100k set = possible 93-107kph actual speed, hence the possibility for a mechanical deficiency to allow a person to exceed the rather tight 4k "official" tolerance

Is this "7k/h drift" you speak of documented in owners manuals and such?

If so, before you say it's the fault of the machinery should they not learn that to use it on our roads legally, they need to set the speed at least 3k/h under the posted limit? Ya know, actually be in control of the vehicle they are meant to qualified to drive.

I dont know that was due to the tolerance as such ... or just the police descretion ...

I know we used to get away with 120k/h, but I figured it was just luck.

[FJRider]

I know we used to get away with 120k/h, but I figured it was just luck.

If it was just you and the cop about ... that was normal ... with a lecture thrown in as well ... if you were unlucky.

[Clockwork]

Actually, last long drive I took I used the cruise control to manage my speed but..... I will say that I noticed that while the control was plainly connected to the throttle, ie it could "gas on" "gas off", it was not at all connected to the brake. It would "gas up" to climb a hill but once at he top it would "gas off" and quite happily let gravity take charge.

[Drew]

Actually, last long drive I took I used the cruise control to manage my speed but..... I will say that I noticed that while the control was plainly connected to the throttle, ie it could "gas on" "gas off", it was not at all connected to the brake. It would "gas up" to climb a hill but once at he top it would "gas off" and quite happily let gravity take charge.

I rest my case.

[scracha]

If it was just you and the cop about ... that was normal ... with a lecture thrown in as well ... if you were unlucky.

Tolerance in NZ
------------------
Politician = super tolerant ....you can blame the policeman driving you
Farmer = very tolerant...your current driving ban gets ignored and you get told to drive home slowly
Proper kiwi accent = slightly tolerant...your 142kmh gets recorded as 129 and they ignore your expired rego
Bloody foreigner = you're fucked. The cop's speed gun displays the reading from the farmer who just shot past you

[Ntoxcated]

Why is a limit not a limit?

I am also guilty of abusing the current 'tolerance' (yes, perhaps a trifle more occasionally ), but only because it seems to be there. I believe In Victoria the tolerance is only 2kph for fixed cameras and 3kph for hand held. And while I was only there for the MotoGP weekend, I don't think I saw anybody exceeding the speed limit at all. Over there, it seems that the high fines and the strict enforcement have changed the public behaviour. Whether or not it has changed accident statistics or fatalities is a separate discussion.

I'm not trying to say that I always stick to the speed limit, but I still can't see why a limit shouldn't be a limit. If I exceed it, it is my choice and I have to accept the consequences.

There may be an argument for some roads, such as motorways, having higher limits, but whatever limit is set should be a limit. The argument that says you spend all your time looking the speedo rather than the road suggests that you are too close to the limit. Remember, it's not a target (or something like that).

So, in summary, even though I get bored shitless riding back from a track day on a dead straight motorway, at what seems to be an absolute crawl, why is a limit not a limit?

[scracha]

There may be an argument for some roads, such as motorways, having higher limits, but whatever limit is set should be a limit. The argument that says you spend all your time looking the speedo rather than the road suggests that you are too close to the limit. Remember, it's not a target (or something like that).

Who sets the limits? Did you agree to them? Roughly half the kiwi driving population seem to get a speeding ticket on an annual basis so clearly they don't abide by this law. Why make a law that most people don't abide by? Would you stick to 30kmh if that were the speed limit?

Sometimes laws are stupid, so people are clever enough to ignore them. If enough people ignore them then the law changes or the government gets overthrown.

The government doesn't want me to drive at a reasonable speed, smoke tobacco, drink alcohol, take drugs or simply walk my (unregistered) dog off the lead. Fuckem.

Must be time to go to bed so I can pay my taxes to help bail out those inept crooks in the beehive who can't even balance their own books, so instead devalue our currency, sell our land and leave the debt burden for our children.

[Shadows]

Actually, last long drive I took I used the cruise control to manage my speed but..... I will say that I noticed that while the control was plainly connected to the throttle, ie it could "gas on" "gas off", it was not at all connected to the brake. It would "gas up" to climb a hill but once at he top it would "gas off" and quite happily let gravity take charge.

The trick is to turn it off just as you go over the brow of the hill, and as you start coasting down the other side, turn it back on. It will then manage your speed down the incline perfectly using the vehicle's gearing. Unless your car is a piece of shit.

[Shadows]

Police are reminding drivers of their lowered speed tolerance of 4km/hr this Waitangi Weekend and will keep the programme in place for the entire month of February. Police will take action against any driver detected driving at more than 4km/h over the permanent posted speed limit.

The lowered tolerance was introduced at Queen's Birthday 2010 after a disastrous Easter when 12 people died on the roads and Police now implement the lowered tolerance for all holiday periods.
"Lowering the tolerance has made a real difference to the number of deaths on the roads over the holiday periods", said Acting Superintendent Rob Morgan, National Manager Road Policing, "but we have identified February as a high-risk month in terms of road safety and the road toll.

We want to take steps to influence behaviour over this period by focussing on those factors considered most influential during the last holiday period, namely alcohol and speed".

Provisional Police analysis of crash causes by month indicates that February has the third highest proportion of crashes in which speed (including too fast for conditions) is a contributing factor.

Year round, excluding February, 21% of fatal/serious crashes have speed as a contributing factor. This increases to 22% of crashes during February.

Holiday periods that have had the lowered speed tolerance, excluding the Christmas/New Years period, have had 46% less crashes (for all crash types)
than 2009 holiday periods that did not have the lowered speed tolerance.
Crashes with speed as a contributing factor decreased by 27% for the same period.
"We are seeing that the holiday periods that have the lower speed tolerance have had less crashes and a smaller percentage of drivers exceeding 100km/hr," said (Acting) Superintendent Morgan.
"So we are confident that it is reasonable to conclude that the lower speed tolerance has had a positive impact on driver behaviour and in lowered overall crash risk."
Police will be using all resources available to enforce the lowered tolerance during February, including fixed and mobile speed cameras which will be deployed to risk times and locations.
"We want to make sure that every journey is a safe journey for everyone. We will be working with our road safety partners; NZTA, MoT, ACC and AA to make that happen, he said.
"We can make a real difference with this initiative and end this summer on a positive note for all road users."

For statistical information:

http://www.transport.govt.nz/researc...s/default.aspx

However you want to justify it I suppose. How the fuck they work this shit out is what I'd like to know.

As February is deemed third highest, there's likely going to be at least two more months this year that this will be applied.

I agree with previous posters that this will probably become a permanent thing quite soon.

[Berries]

Actually, last long drive I took I used the cruise control to manage my speed but......

Hmmmm. I've got an SV1000 as well but I am yet to find the cruise control.

[SMOKEU]

Hmmmm. I've got an SV1000 as well but I am yet to find the cruise control.

Go full throttle and slam it into the next gear at the redline, then you'll find "cruise control".

[Berries]

Go full throttle and slam it into the next gear at the redline, then you'll find "cruise control".

Yeah, but i hate banging my nads on the tank at 220.

[SMOKEU]

Yeah, but i hate banging my nads on the tank at 220.

Sounds like you need a turbo.

[Berries]

When I started (late 1700s) we didn't even bat an eye until someone was doing 20 over a speed limit. One guy I worked with would write 68s and 69s outside a school, but even we thought he was a proper nazi. It has taken a lot of years to come to the point where the tolerance is down to 4 km/h, but it's finally here. Funny, when we were applying a 19km/h tolerance in Orkers, Cockrofts Cowboys in Invercargill were rigidly applying a 5 km/h tolerance in Invergiggle. If you drove down Yarrow Street at 55 you overtook all the locals, who lived in fear of the traffic nazis down there.

Lived in Invers in the late 90's and they still talked about Cockrofts Cowboys. Cyclists knew their shit back then on Dee Street.

I feel you are way to obtuse for most ranters here.

"WHo cares about safety - it's a fucking speed limit, obey it - or pay".

THAT is how TPTB should 'market' it, no shilly-shallying around.

Then KB ranters would stop whinging about getting tickets... (Tuis moment....)

Nope, not a Tui moment. It is not about safety. Safety is about how a road user is using their vehicle at that point in time at that particular location. To link that to an arbitrary speed limit on a specific piece of road is BS. You ride a bike, you know it. The enforcers of the law should all be trained well enough that they can use their discretion and knowledge to either let the geezer off for doing 180km/h on the back wheel when nobody is around, or confiscate the bike for doing 80 past a school when the kids are coming out. The lack of discretion, and the fact that those who can offer it are often 20 years old and have no road sense is the issue. So yes, in a way you are right, they should forget all this safety bollocks and just say that this is the limit, you exceeded it, here is your fine. Don't treat us like retards with the safety shit.

[Brian d marge]

I dont care its only thirty dollars, 2 import beers and a pie ,,,,

Think of it this way if you didnt pay the tax then they would be unemployed and on the dole , so this way they are gainfully employed members of the comunity


Stephen

donut day is coming to a town near you