Speed tolerance reduced for December and January

[swarfie]

Well I've just spent the last few days going round the block via Wanganui and not much seems changed really. Still heaps of people looking at the scenery and driving at 65-80 so no one can speed anyway.
saw very few cops in my travels...

I rode down to Waverley on the 24th then through to Wanganui to swing on an F1 sidecar and then home to Hamilton yesterday...only saw one cop the whole trip. They mustav been playing havock elsewhere, which I appreciated. Traffic was well behaved with not too many holding others up.

[Edbear]

Picked my wife up from work at 6pm Friday and drove to Kerikeri. Local cop was having a good time pinging drivers coming in on Grand Drive, Orewa. It changes from 70k to 50k and all he had to do was park up and pull everyone over as they slowed down coming through the lights. Ok, most drivers do tend to push the 70k area a bit far, but talk about shooting fish in a barrel.

Trip up was usually frustrating with the typical Northern traffic being made up of slow drivers who also happen to be incompetent to control a vehicle at any speed. Cops everywhere though, so I just relaxed and didn't push the overtaking.

Drivers up here generally travel around the 80k mark but slow to 70 or less for anything that looks like a corner. Few places to overtake without upsetting the ladies in the passenger seats so you just have to suck it up. This is where bikes are at their most practical and fun. Nice roads, lots of corners and "What traffic? "

[R650R]

I rode down to Waverley on the 24th then through to Wanganui to swing on an F1 sidecar and then home to Hamilton yesterday...only saw one cop the whole trip. They mustav been playing havock elsewhere, which I appreciated. Traffic was well behaved with not too many holding others up.

What colours were the chair and your riding gear, might have a few good sidecar images going onto the start/finish bridge. Saw one of the superbike guys lose his knee slider on the kerb!

[Kickaha]

What colours were the chair and your riding gear, might have a few good sidecar images going onto the start/finish bridge. Saw one of the superbike guys lose his knee slider on the kerb!

He was on #16 yellow, I was riding #49 white/pink

[Akzle]

Picked my wife up from work at 6pm Friday and drove to Kerikeri. Local cop was having a good time pinging drivers coming in on Grand Drive, Orewa. It changes from 70k to 50k and all he had to do was park up and pull everyone over as they slowed down coming through the lights. Ok, most drivers do tend to push the 70k area a bit far, but talk about shooting fish in a barrel.

Trip up was usually frustrating with the typical Northern traffic being made up of slow drivers who also happen to be incompetent to control a vehicle at any speed. Cops everywhere though, so I just relaxed and didn't push the overtaking.

Drivers up here generally travel around the 80k mark but slow to 70 or less for anything that looks like a corner. Few places to overtake without upsetting the ladies in the passenger seats so you just have to suck it up. This is where bikes are at their most practical and fun. Nice roads, lots of corners and "What traffic? "

who the fuck are you and whatve you done with ed?

[Edbear]

who the fuck are you and whatve you done with ed?

Changed from the White pills to the yellow and green ones.

[R650R]

He was on #16 yellow, I was riding #49 white/pink

With compliments gentlemen


S20131226_4432 by DR650NZ, on Flickr


S20131226_4431 by DR650NZ, on Flickr


S20131226_4409 by DR650NZ, on Flickr

[ruaphu]

My two cents. I thought the tolerance thingy was a farce, just another money making ploy.

However, I've just ticked over 1400ks for Dec so far on the bike (another 3hundy today). Been all over the Naki, Palmy, hunterville, vinegar hill etc and places in between. In my view this speed tolerance thingy has made things more laid back with the tin top crowd. Interestingly I'm getting less tailgating behind the bike too??

Not that I'm speed focused but one to keep things ticking along constant, I've found overtaking is even more of a breeze with the tin tops reluctance to head above that magic 104 mark, simply a quick flick of the throttle, done and, all at lower speeds too.

Those R'ses in tin tops that used to hunt from 90 in the bends to 115kmh in the straights are now nailed down, just makes my ride easier and dare I say it, safer. So far so good, my travel times haven't changed nor has my fuel usage, just easier and more enjoyable to travel about.

Had the pleasure of watching four bikes in front of me weave past traffic today, looked great, no one doing stupid speeds or moves, just good ole leap frogging along the queue.

Based on my travels and experiences so far this month I have to be honest, I've changed my viewpoint, the tolerance thingy was a good move.
Cheers Ando

[swbarnett]

Based on my travels and experiences so far this month I have to be honest, I've changed my viewpoint, the tolerance thingy was a good move.

You need to ride in Auckland for a while. Today I was out in the car from Tuakau to Auckalnd CBD on the motorway. Average traffic speed was about 80. Even had a few doing 60 and causing blockages. Trying to get anywhere near 100 was impossible in a lot of places. Now. I wouldn't have minded so much if this slow traffic actually kept left. As it was it was spread across all lanes when it would've easily fit in the left lane alone. I've made better progress on the motorway with twice as much traffic.

[ruaphu]

You need to ride in Auckland for a while. Today I was out in the car from Tuakau to Auckalnd CBD on the motorway. Average traffic speed was about 80. Even had a few doing 60 and causing blockages. Trying to get anywhere near 100 was impossible in a lot of places. Now. I wouldn't have minded so much if this slow traffic actually kept left. As it was it was spread across all lanes when it would've easily fit in the left lane alone. I've made better progress on the motorway with twice as much traffic.

Yep too true, not my thing on many levels, Auckland. Mind you the Auckland traffic is usually not where the tin top fools keep throwing themselves off the roads eh.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[swbarnett]

Yep too true, not my thing on many levels, Auckland.

I was born there but even I will admit it's nice not to live there anymore. I would shift my job out of there as well if I could (I've found myself in a fairly unique position where I get to do what gives me a buzz most of the time with a boss that understands me).

Mind you the Auckland traffic is usually not where the tin top fools keep throwing themselves off the roads eh.

Very true. Maybe that's why I seldom see a cop on my motorway commute. That and the fact that it's not very lucrative; it's pretty hard to speed through the quagmire.

[pzkpfw]

Geez.

Went to Palmie (North) and back (to Tawa) yesterday, soooo many people doing 80 or 90 in 100 k areas, in good enough conditions, slowing down to 70 for corners any vehicle other than a double decker bus with fat Nuns all sitting on the top deck can take at 100.

Had a guy doing 80-90 in the 100 k area heading North into Pukerua bay. Then he did 60 in the 50 zone through the town (pretty clear, as the car in front of me and I, did about 50; so the guy previously holding us up went off ahead). Then he did about 70-80 all through the 80 k sea-side bit. (That part of the road used to have a 100 limit, now has cheese graters and the one passing lane removed; so I don't believe 80 is needed as a limit there). Through Christian Cullen town again about 5-10 k below each posted limit. Finally get to the passing lane before Paraparaumu - I pull out to pass, giving it a little squirt to get it over with (and not wanting to risk him being one of those who speeds up on a passing lane) - and then see the camera van parked at the start of the passing lanes*.

Oh FFS. Yes, the day before there'd been a single-vehicle accident with tragic consequences, down the end of that passing lane area ... but come on! I think the road planners (etc) are missing the huge effect plain human frustration has on drivers, riders, and the road toll. They should be adding more and more passing lanes, until the whole damn SH1 is two lane each way. Then, people who want to do about 100 can just safely cruise past the people who want to do about 90 - knowing they don't have to squeeze in a pass in one of the few opportunities. Lower the frustration, lower the "risk taking". (Like, gee, doing say, 104 k to pass a guy on a two-lane one-way bit of road with armco between those lanes and the opposing traffic, in reasonable weather in good light is so damn "risky").

Instead, they put yellow lines everywhere, and keep closing down passing lanes. So if some arse is frustrating (has frustrated) you, you get "tempted" ...

And the smug self righteous self appointed defenders of public safety smirk and say trite things like "relax, better late than dead". Grrr.

(* yes; with plate on the back, maybe didn't "get" me, I'm commenting (whining) on the position, not the personal effect.)

Whine /rant over.

[caspernz]

Geez.

Went to Palmie (North) and back (to Tawa) yesterday, soooo many people doing 80 or 90 in 100 k areas, in good enough conditions, slowing down to 70 for corners any vehicle other than a double decker bus with fat Nuns all sitting on the top deck can take at 100.

Had a guy doing 80-90 in the 100 k area heading North into Pukerua bay. Then he did 60 in the 50 zone through the town (pretty clear, as the car in front of me and I, did about 50; so the guy previously holding us up went off ahead). Then he did about 70-80 all through the 80 k sea-side bit. (That part of the road used to have a 100 limit, now has cheese graters and the one passing lane removed; so I don't believe 80 is needed as a limit there). Through Christian Cullen town again about 5-10 k below each posted limit. Finally get to the passing lane before Paraparaumu - I pull out to pass, giving it a little squirt to get it over with (and not wanting to risk him being one of those who speeds up on a passing lane) - and then see the camera van parked at the start of the passing lanes*.

Oh FFS. Yes, the day before there'd been a single-vehicle accident with tragic consequences, down the end of that passing lane area ... but come on! I think the road planners (etc) are missing the huge effect plain human frustration has on drivers, riders, and the road toll. They should be adding more and more passing lanes, until the whole damn SH1 is two lane each way. Then, people who want to do about 100 can just safely cruise past the people who want to do about 90 - knowing they don't have to squeeze in a pass in one of the few opportunities. Lower the frustration, lower the "risk taking". (Like, gee, doing say, 104 k to pass a guy on a two-lane one-way bit of road with armco between those lanes and the opposing traffic, in reasonable weather in good light is so damn "risky").

Instead, they put yellow lines everywhere, and keep closing down passing lanes. So if some arse is frustrating (has frustrated) you, you get "tempted" ...

And the smug self righteous self appointed defenders of public safety smirk and say trite things like "relax, better late than dead". Grrr.

(* yes; with plate on the back, maybe didn't "get" me, I'm commenting (whining) on the position, not the personal effect.)

Whine /rant over.

Yup, no surprises there. After a few million clicks of personal observation, the camera van seems to always be on the downhill run and when you really would like to see a cop nab a numbty driver...there's never one around.

Oh well, load iPod with chillax music and cruise on...

Later in day see cop with numbty driver on side of the road...two little toots of the airhorn...the cop invariably smiles

[roogazza]

So, the speed tolerance at 4 kph is really working !
We have had what, 5 or 6 deaths so far this xmas period !!!
I guess we would've had double that if we hadn't been creeping round at 90 kph on the open road !!!

[chasio]

So, the speed tolerance at 4 kph is really working !
We have had what, 5 or 6 deaths so far this xmas period !!!
I guess we would've had double that if we hadn't been creeping round at 90 kph on the open road !!!

The biker on SH1 near Bulls makes 6 in the official Christmas period so far (acc. to The Harold), but that excludes several earlier in December, IIRC.

Doubtless the data will be disregarded if it doesn't fit the official belief system.