Is bad driving compulsory?

[bluninja]

Note the highlighted part ... and the key to understanding it. Hugging the left-hand edge of the seal is seldom practable ...

Define PRACTICABLE...it doesn't on the site.....could mean anything from in the gutter to a 'normal' riding position.

If you look at the motorcycle page you'll see a nice picture showing a motorcyclist to the far left approaching curves (admitted it's a RH..and a good position).Prior to this it says "To stay well out of the way of oncoming vehicles, always keep as close as possible to the left side of the road." Where's the word practicable disappeared to?

BTW the riding tip is "Positioning your motorcycle behind the right-hand wheels of the vehicle ahead (at the correct following distance) can make it easier to see and be seen." Talk about conflicting info on the same page.

Is there any wonder that new riders and drivers have problems with contradictory info like this?

OK back to the 4x4 driving on the rigth through the bends

[Bass]

Even with all of your years in middle management and experience of disputes resolutions could you deduce anything other than the FACT that he's on completely the wrong side of the road.
.

Not for a moment and everything else you wrote is PROBABLY correct. However, the point is whether or not what he is doing is dangerous and yes it probably is. However The road may veer right again just past the apex of the lefthander. He may be able to see the road some distance ahead. I grant you that it's not likely but it's not impossible and you can't tell for sure from any of those photos. There are several places on that road where this is the case.

I wouldn't drive with this guy but I think that you convict on insufficient evidence.

Opinions are like arseholes as they say. One thing that I CAN say for sure. If you were to fire this guy solely on the basis of the contents of this thread, the employment court would have a field day with you and you would be well out of pocket.

[blue rider]

Is bad driving compulsory?

No, it is a NZ virtue.

bad drivers teaching kids to be bad drivers teaching kids to be bad drivers, rinse repeat....ad nauseum.

[FJRider]

Define PRACTICABLE...it doesn't on the site.....could mean anything from in the gutter to a 'normal' riding position.

Pretty simple to find the meaning ... and understand.

Prac·ti·ca·ble (prkt-k-bl)
adj.
1. Capable of being effected, done, or put into practice; feasible. See Synonyms at possible.
2. Usable for a specified purpose: a practicable way of entry.

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practi·ca·bili·ty n.
practi·ca·bly adv.
Usage Note: It is easy to confuse practicable and practical because they look so much alike and overlap in meaning. Practicable means "feasible" as well as "usable," and it cannot be applied to persons. Practical has at least eight meanings, including the sense "capable of being put into effect, useful," wherein the confusion with practicable arises. But there is a subtle distinction between these words that is worth keeping. For the purpose of ordering coffee in a Parisian café, if would be practical (that is, useful) to learn some French, but it still might not be practicable for someone with a busy schedule and little time to learn.

[SPman]

So you feel the punishment fits the crime? Did he kill some one?

No - but he greatly increased the odds of something along those lines happening!
If you can't stay on your own side of the road, at whatever speed you are travelling, on a public highway, you shouldn't be f**king driving! It's not hard!
Having come around a corner and finding a (Volvo) on my side of the road,(Kawakawa Bay - Orere rd), you don't have much reaction time - and that was on a fairly open corner with moderate visibility. A blind corner gives you five eights of fuck all chance!

[FJRider]

wow that was a shock to me...20 demerit points for Failing to keep as close as practicable to left edge of a roadway

You forgot the $150 fine as well as the 20 demerits ... and if Mr Doughnuts eater decides it was dangerous, you're liable for a $4500 fine (or) 3 months in the slammer. Plus a minimum 6 month licence disqualification.

For what is lazy driving/riding ... it may have it's drawbacks ...and costs, if you're caught.

Note to self ...ignore stupid laws that make me unsafe as a rider....would hate to have someone overtaking me round a bend just cos I'm far over to the left as is practicable and thus riding slower as I can't see very far ahead.

And after making this comment ...you had to ask what practable meant. Perhaps you need to Google the word stupid ... because stupid obviously doesn't mean what you think it does.

Nowhere does it state you have to stick to the solid white line on the left of the lane.

[Blackbird]

I didnt say what he was doing is not safe. Its dumb driving. My point is does the punishment fit the crime?

Would a discussion with a Police officer not have a better outcome than losing his job due to the OP getting out of hand with retribution?

Spokes, you really are a muppet. You'll note that I am a fan of remediation. What I haven't disclosed yet is dialogue with his company so far. I've urged them to consider compulsory training for both this particular employee and maybe other members of their company too . There's precedent for this which I'm personally aware of. If it went straight to the police, I'd suggest to you that the range of options diminish somewhat. Having already said that an option where everyone gets something out of it is the preferred approach, I won't lose any sleep if the guy's company decides on a stronger response. As I said, his appalling standards continued for the whole time we were behind him. I'd suggest your views would have been rather different if he'd collected someone you love.

[bluninja]

You forgot the $150 fine as well as the 20 demerits ... and if Mr Doughnuts eater decides it was dangerous, you're liable for a $4500 fine (or) 3 months in the slammer. Plus a minimum 6 month licence disqualification.

For what is lazy driving/riding ... it may have it's drawbacks ...and costs, if you're caught.

nah I'll leave the pointless extrapolation to you. I don't quite think I would suffer marriage breakup, depression, or suicide; let alone changing from not keeping left into dangerous driving. Wow I wonder what the fine would be if I failed to keep left because I was paralytic drunk?

And after making this comment ...you had to ask what practable meant. Perhaps you need to Google the word stupid ... because stupid obviously doesn't mean what you think it does.

Nowhere does it state you have to stick to the solid white line on the left of the lane.

Nor does it give simple guidelines, or descripion. Nowhere did I state that 'you have to stick' to the solid white line...there may not be one.

If you're going to be a pedant then get your spelling right. I don't know how bad your riding is, but most riders and drivers could:

Drive within 20cm of the left side of the road...(that covers 1 below)
1. Capable of being effected, done, or put into practice; feasible.

A vehicle driven close to the left side of the road is still usable for a specified purpose (meaining 2 below)
2. Usable for a specified purpose

Seems you have a poor grasp of english, even when armed with a dictionary. Why not try and describe what the word practicable means within context of driving to the left side of the road in terms that would be enforcable in law (other than it's what an officer may decide from time to time when deciding to prosecute)

[G4L4XY]

I'm just trying to figure exactly where this road is haha, more up Coromandel way?

[Blackbird]

I'm just trying to figure exactly where this road is haha, more up Coromandel way?

Just south of Whitianga through to Tairua.

[G4L4XY]

Ahh yes *sigh* I miss riding! It's only been a month

[rastuscat]

If everyone kept to the left of the centreline all of the time, there'd be a lot less head on crashes.

I see problems with rigid adherence to road rules, but there are some that need some more diligence.

Nobody ever thinks they're going to have a crash, so nobody ever thinks they have to change their behaviour. Ask someone who's cut a corner if it was unsafe, and they'll draw out all the justifications about how they had a great view across the bend, how they are great drivers, how they never had a crash yadda yadda yadda.

Then go see them again after they have crashed, and ask them if they knew it was going to happen before it happened. Of course they didn't, or they'd have prevented it.

If everyone kept to the left of the centreline all of the time, there'd be a lot less head on crashes.

[Blackbird]

If everyone kept to the left of the centreline all of the time, there'd be a lot less head on crashes.

I see problems with rigid adherence to road rules, but there are some that need some more diligence.

Nobody ever thinks they're going to have a crash, so nobody ever thinks they have to change their behaviour. Ask someone who's cut a corner if it was unsafe, and they'll draw out all the justifications about how they had a great view across the bend, how they are great drivers, how they never had a crash yadda yadda yadda.

Then go see them again after they have crashed, and ask them if they knew it was going to happen before it happened. Of course they didn't, or they'd have prevented it.

If everyone kept to the left of the centreline all of the time, there'd be a lot less head on crashes.

Amen to that

Tomorrow, I'll be contacting the offender's company to see if anything is happening. One of my riding partners is a member of the Highway Patrol based out of Pokeno and he's filled me in on some of the possible scenarios so I feel a bit more comfortable about pushing the company along.

[Murray]

Jeez your a brave man following that close (especially in picture 3) I would certainly be dropping back rather than almost tailgating!!

[Daffyd]

If everyone kept to the left of the centreline all of the time, there'd be a lot less head on crashes.

I see problems with rigid adherence to road rules, but there are some that need some more diligence.

Nobody ever thinks they're going to have a crash, so nobody ever thinks they have to change their behaviour. Ask someone who's cut a corner if it was unsafe, and they'll draw out all the justifications about how they had a great view across the bend, how they are great drivers, how they never had a crash yadda yadda yadda.

Then go see them again after they have crashed, and ask them if they knew it was going to happen before it happened. Of course they didn't, or they'd have prevented it.

If everyone kept to the left of the centreline all of the time, there'd be a lot less head on crashes.

Completely agree! Only it should be, "A lot fewer head on crashes."