Speed tolerance reduced for December and January

[Zedder]

When they are actually out and about observing traffic, I'm constantly surprised at how many of them themselves are exceeding the speed limit. No blues and twos, just going about their daily duties. If speeding is the hideously awful crime we're constantly being told it is, we should fit every cop car and bike (non-transport and the rest of the force as well) with GPS trackers and make the speed they travel at public information. The technology already exists, it would be simple to do, they could remove the location information and just use the travelled speed vs posted limit... then they could all lead by example, because obviously, it's just a matter of slowing down.

Tui anyone?

Well, that balances out yesterdays post nicely. How do you know they're speeding?

[Zedder]

A few years back there was a British study, from memory speed ranked seventh as the most common cause. The thought was that even this was artificially high due to many accidents being attended by general duties cops rather than specialist traffic police. It was considered that the GD types too readily ascribe speed as the cause.

The various categories ahead of speed included:
Didn't look.
Looked but didn't see.
Misjudged trajectory of own vehicle.
Misjudged trajectory of other vehicle.

All of which looks much more detailed and better thought out than the usual brain dead, "Speed and alcohol may have been factors." that we hear ad nauseum in this country.

It's a very interesting subject alright. Did you read about the book Professor Regan has out on the subject which I posted about yesterday?

Hopefully Officer Cat will get a copy and do some good with it.

[bsasuper]

Can I offer you a soap box oh holy one ?

I'm not sure how tall you are mike, I could have thrown that one to high for some people.

[nzmikey]

I'm not sure how tall you are mike, I could have thrown that one to high for some people.

Only short mate 5'5

[bsasuper]

Heres one for the soapbox mikey

[willytheekid]

Heres one for the soapbox mikey

...Did you even watch the vid??

90% inattention and mostly examples of dangerous driving...all passed off as speed being the issue at hand

Its EXACTLY! that type of BS Sensationalism that most object too...speed was only a minor factor in nearly ALL of those examples...driving like a complete Fuck-wit was the primary cause!!

And THATS the real problem, while repeat drink drivers, dangerous drivers and un-educated & untested tourists are constantly being given licenses like they are some sort of fucking right!, you will always see this sort of senseless deaths on our roads

But you just keep supporting the BS "speed kills" propoganda, even when the actual stats prove the above- (The same stats that the police no longer release to the public or media...as they prove this is about $$, not safety!)...stupidity, poor driving skills or a courts lack of balls! to take dangerous drivers off our roads are what the real issues are...not ripping fellow kiwis off for extremely minor speed infractions.

...how about we at least start with real driver education & training?...actual roadsafety & driver testing to PROVE you can actually drive safely on NZ roads...instead of the current, "great!, you can parallel park!...learn the rest as ya go!" system.

[Scuba_Steve]

Propaganda video
Heres one for the soapbox mikey

Again a lot of strawmans to try & push the agenda, lets take a closer look shall we
1. Russia's a different breed
2. Distraction NOT speed
3. obviously had a grudge
4. That ones on the pedestrian "speeding" or not wouldn't change nothing
5. Distraction NOT speed
6. Running red's NOT speed
7. Looked like it was headed for a roll through
8. Another driver that can't & an idiot holding a baby, not speed related
9. inpatient moron, unfortunately a more & more common sight thanks to the speed scam
10. yea that's realistic...
11. This ain't America... yet. But again a failure of the licensing system NOT speed
12. Would have been just an idiot but it's a parked car on tracks & the vid has the TopGear name at the top
13. parked cars on a rail line. What's the price of fish where you are?
14. America
15. China
16. Another bad decision nothing to do with speed
17. Intersection running NOT speed
18. Running the cops
19. Nothing to do with "speeding" in-fact had he been going faster that could have been avoided
20. about the most realistic one yet 'cept maybe he should have been wearing his glasses if he couldn't see the car in the same lane ahead; vehicles don't magically spawn on roads
21. running cops
22. Moron in drivers seat NOT speed
23. running red
24. crossing centre line
25. fuck knows what up there, obviously too fast for conditions
26. too fast for conditions
27. got what he deserved & I'd say another distraction
28. racing comes with it's own dangers
29. just gets too erratic now

Wow so almost 30 "don't speed" propaganda clips yet only a few could actually be argued as speed which even then would just be too fast for conditions

[Jay GTI]

Well, that balances out yesterdays post nicely. How do you know they're speeding?

Because I was when they overtook me.

[pritch]

...stupidity, poor driving skills or a courts lack of balls! to take dangerous drivers off our roads are what the real issues are...not ripping fellow kiwis off for extremely minor speed infractions.

As has been pointed out previously, there are generally three ways to improve safety on the roads: engineering, education, and enforcement. Two of those cost money, one rakes it in. No prizes for guessing which is the priority.

[Zedder]

Because I was when they overtook me.

All the ones that you "constantly see"? You must have a lot of speeding tickets.

[Jay GTI]

All the ones that you "constantly see"? You must have a lot of speeding tickets.

Oddly not, but really if you want to argue semantics...

See if you spend a reasonable amount of time on the motorways in and around Auckland, as I do, you can observe, as I do, Police vehicles of all types travelling along with the flow of traffic. Occasionally, when the traffic isn’t heavy, the flow of traffic in one or two lanes will be above the speed limit. Usually marginally and within what I would consider a sensible threshold, which is of course my opinion only.

Over the past couple of years I have mentally made notes of occasions where Police vehicles have either been matching my GPS-based speed, or in fact have been travelling faster than me, even though I am speeding. If they are travelling faster than me it is usually only slightly above my speed, in that I will see them in my mirrors and 10 minutes later, they will go past me. When I see such behaviour, I assume (correctly as it turns out in every example so far) that these Cops are either not traffic, or have no real interest in pinging people who are not, as far as they can see, doing anything dangerous, other than travelling just outside the limit and accepted threshold. So I generally don’t adjust my speed. This sort of policing of speed I am happy with, it’s sensible.

As for the terminology, well ok “constantly see” is ambiguous, as generalist statements tend to be, so sure you could take that statement as me saying every third car on SH1 is a speed cop and call me a wildly exaggerating idiot, if it makes you happy enough to do so. I’d say it’s more somewhere between once a week to a couple of times over a month and I include all types of Police vehicles, from the Traffic branch to those poor bastards subjected to having to drive a Holden Astra. But it’s a mental note and I know that mental notes are about as accurate as using tree rings to measure earth temperature 2000 years ago. So even that is probably incorrect, but this is a forum, we’re discussing a well-worn subject and I don’t always articulate myself as well as I want to. If it helps, I’ll take back the “constantly” part, my bad.

But regardless of all that, I’m not actually too fussed about how traffic is policed, at the moment. I have had tickets, they have been for speeds I know I shouldn’t have been doing, I accepted them, paid them, took the demerits and got on with my life. My issue, is the way we’re slowly being conditioned to accept a 4kph tolerance for 2 bloody months. Which may end up being permanent. Which is being done by using cooked stats, emotive statements and claims that are not achievable. We will never have a zero road toll while people are in charge of the vehicles they are travelling in. It’s a scam.

[Zedder]

Oddly not, but really if you want to argue semantics...

See if you spend a reasonable amount of time on the motorways in and around Auckland, as I do, you can observe, as I do, Police vehicles of all types travelling along with the flow of traffic. Occasionally, when the traffic isn’t heavy, the flow of traffic in one or two lanes will be above the speed limit. Usually marginally and within what I would consider a sensible threshold, which is of course my opinion only.

Over the past couple of years I have mentally made notes of occasions where Police vehicles have either been matching my GPS-based speed, or in fact have been travelling faster than me, even though I am speeding. If they are travelling faster than me it is usually only slightly above my speed, in that I will see them in my mirrors and 10 minutes later, they will go past me. When I see such behaviour, I assume (correctly as it turns out in every example so far) that these Cops are either not traffic, or have no real interest in pinging people who are not, as far as they can see, doing anything dangerous, other than travelling just outside the limit and accepted threshold. So I generally don’t adjust my speed. This sort of policing of speed I am happy with, it’s sensible.

As for the terminology, well ok “constantly see” is ambiguous, as generalist statements tend to be, so sure you could take that statement as me saying every third car on SH1 is a speed cop and call me a wildly exaggerating idiot, if it makes you happy enough to do so. I’d say it’s more somewhere between once a week to a couple of times over a month and I include all types of Police vehicles, from the Traffic branch to those poor bastards subjected to having to drive a Holden Astra. But it’s a mental note and I know that mental notes are about as accurate as using tree rings to measure earth temperature 2000 years ago. So even that is probably incorrect, but this is a forum, we’re discussing a well-worn subject and I don’t always articulate myself as well as I want to. If it helps, I’ll take back the “constantly” part, my bad.

But regardless of all that, I’m not actually too fussed about how traffic is policed, at the moment. I have had tickets, they have been for speeds I know I shouldn’t have been doing, I accepted them, paid them, took the demerits and got on with my life. My issue, is the way we’re slowly being conditioned to accept a 4kph tolerance for 2 bloody months. Which may end up being permanent. Which is being done by using cooked stats, emotive statements and claims that are not achievable. We will never have a zero road toll while people are in charge of the vehicles they are travelling in. It’s a scam.

Nah, I just wanted to know your methodology, or lack thereof.

Incidently, I hope you liked my positive critique of your post yesterday. It's always good to get feedback.

[Akzle]

Where the new limit will possibly help is when somthing runs into your path eg an animal or a kid as you will have a fraction longer to slam on the brakes. Most accidents would not be this type though but they are certainly
a graeter fear for us bikers than car drivers.

there are exactly fuckall situations when 'slamming on the brakes' will make things better. I wish you many crashes.

[swbarnett]

Where the new limit will possibly help is when somthing runs into your path eg an animal or a kid as you will have a fraction longer to slam on the brakes. Most accidents would not be this type though but they are certainly
a graeter fear for us bikers than car drivers.

Or you could go faster and be well past when they "run into your path".

[Jay GTI]

Nah, I just wanted to know your methodology, or lack thereof.

Incidently, I hope you liked my positive critique of your post yesterday. It's always good to get feedback.

Yes and thank you, if I can do nothing else here, I hope I can give people something interesting to read. Although I still think I could work on the old "saying more, using less words" technique.

On reflection, I'm quite embarrased about the use of "constantly see". I'm an engineer, I believe in quantative analysis, not the vague generalisation that was. I should know better.