Speed - what slows you down?

[SPman]

Would a lower loss of licence limit of say 125 on the open road slow you down?.

Basically....I don't give a fuck any more (if I ever did in the past)

My speed is what it is, consistent with conditions, situational awareness, traffic, tiredness, spidery sense, etc etc. On the open road it can be 150+ or 80......if I'm pinged...well.....tough. It's usually only around 120 except when passing, anyway. Naked bikes tend to slow you down... Highway patrol over here are grumpier and more pedantic than back home (if that's possible).

[AllanB]

The naked bikes do tend to self regulate cruising speeds I agree.

Man, those roundabouts give me the shits just looking at them.

[Metastable]

There are some research from Canada that raising the speed limit where appropriate actually reduces the road toll. But there is no way in hell that the ptb here would be that intelligent.

to my mind, if it's safe enough to do 100km/h on a one carriageway road with traffic travelling in both directions, then it must be safer to do more than 100 on a multi lane highway with dividing barriers... needless to say i didn't mention my theory to the copper that pulled me up recently.

Yes - In British Columbia they recently raised the speed limits. Having said that they also have a 40kph over and automatic licence suspension law, without a court date. That bit I don't agree. I don't mind they having a licence suspension, but the whole without a court date thing is IMO, wrong.

Also, IMO you can't cater to the lowest common denominator. You need to look at the average speed traveled and pick an 80th percentile. That is the safest speed limit. Picking the safest speed doesn't mean picking a speed that is safer for the driver that is scared or can't handle a certain speed, because they will typically go slower regardless. Key thing is to teach lane discipline and driver awareness.

[R650R]

Reminds me of this old favourite i used to tackle on the way to work and back, back home (Wales).

It has multiple sets of traffic lights all round it which serve to turn the inside lane into a dragstrip lest you end up stuck there going round in circles.

You've prob just caused a whole heap of kiwis to have their jaws drop to the floor.... hell people here cried enough about traffic lights on onramps....
They are a good idea those big roundabouts with lights as they are so big you get cars coming round at silly speeds....
We have a roundabout in h'nth same as what was described earlier... works fine.

[yevjenko]

Reminds me of this old favourite i used to tackle on the way to work and back, back home (Wales).


It has multiple sets of traffic lights all round it which serve to turn the inside lane into a dragstrip lest you end up stuck there going round in circles.

Jeeeezus... Haven't seen that roundabout in a few years...

[rastuscat]

Google the Swindon Roundabout.

Interesting article on Wikipedia.

Insurance companies have voted it the worst in the UK, as it causes the most minor crashes, costing pots of dosh.

The Wiki article also points put that it's so bloody confusing that people drive amazingly curiously, and the throughput of traffic is awesome.

I reckon THAT would slow me down. Engineer an environment which causes slower speeds, and you decrease the impact of crashes.

[bluninja]

Engineer an environment which causes slower speeds, and you decrease the impact of crashes.

This is like standing at the bottom of the cliff and saying we should make the cliff lower to reduce the impact of landing.

[AllanB]

I reckon THAT would slow me down. Engineer an environment which causes slower speeds, and you decrease the impact of crashes.

Ironically Mother Nature did that in Christchurch - darn bumpy roads slow us down.

[R650R]

Google the Swindon Roundabout.

Interesting article on Wikipedia.

Insurance companies have voted it the worst in the UK, as it causes the most minor crashes, costing pots of dosh.

The Wiki article also points put that it's so bloody confusing that people drive amazingly curiously, and the throughput of traffic is awesome.

I reckon THAT would slow me down. Engineer an environment which causes slower speeds, and you decrease the impact of crashes.

AKA Magic roundabout.... I went through that twice in a 44T hardsider artic while driving over there. Everyone had talked it up before I got there....
But it works and is no problem for a normal driver with logical thought processes... I can see how unconfident drivers would have an issues but that's for them to grow and develop to deal with it.
There's another 'weird' one in the suburbs outside of the M25 on that other ring road, shaped like long sausage it turns two high speed T junctions into one big roundabout type affair, kinda like how some race tracks have out chicanes in has speeds have outgrown runoff areas.

Screw the insurance companies, their data is probably skewed as really they are treating multiple intersections as one for claims data purposes.
Roundabouts are well known to cause more crashes everywhere compared to traffic lights or other options but they are generally lower speed accidents.

A414 North Orbital road between Colney Heath lane and Smallford lane

https://www.google.co.nz/maps/@51.74.../data=!3m1!1e3

I reckon this is what we need for the HB expressway/Pakowhai rd/Links road disaster correction unless transit funds flyovers....

[Scuba_Steve]

I reckon THAT would slow me down. Engineer an environment which causes slower speeds, and you decrease the impact of crashes.

But increase crashes... That pretty much sums up your speed scam thinking too; make people crash but have them do it at a slower speed. Ambulance at bottom of hill thinking & dangerous
Most of us however prefer to avoid the crash in the 1st place especially given we ride bikes with very little protection even from a slow speed crash. No crash = no death & no injury.

[Scuba_Steve]

AKA Magic roundabout.... I went through that twice in a 44T hardsider artic while driving over there. Everyone had talked it up before I got there....
But it works and is no problem for a normal driver with logical thought processes... I can see how unconfident drivers would have an issues but that's for them to grow and develop to deal with it.

Logical thought process says it should not exist in the 1st place, it's just more bad road design.

[rastuscat]

But increase crashes... That pretty much sums up your speed scam thinking too; make people crash but have them do it at a slower speed. Ambulance at bottom of hill thinking & dangerous
Most of us however prefer to avoid the crash in the 1st place especially given we ride bikes with very little protection even from a slow speed crash. No crash = no death & no injury.

It's the speed scam accusation that causes me to revile the most.

The folk who allegedly perpetrate it have no idea they are doing so.

Maybe that's coz it's not a scam. Maybe it is, just well hidden, and visionaries such as yourself are the few who can see it.

[Voltaire]

My wife took this pic of Vietnam bikes fitted with airbags

[Edbear]

Yes - In British Columbia they recently raised the speed limits. Having said that they also have a 40kph over and automatic licence suspension law, without a court date. That bit I don't agree. I don't mind they having a licence suspension, but the whole without a court date thing is IMO, wrong.

Also, IMO you can't cater to the lowest common denominator. You need to look at the average speed traveled and pick an 80th percentile. That is the safest speed limit. Picking the safest speed doesn't mean picking a speed that is safer for the driver that is scared or can't handle a certain speed, because they will typically go slower regardless. Key thing is to teach lane discipline and driver awareness.

Very true! Lost on so many drivers, though, sadly.

It's the speed scam accusation that causes me to revile the most.

The folk who allegedly perpetrate it have no idea they are doing so.

Maybe that's coz it's not a scam. Maybe it is, just well hidden, and visionaries such as yourself are the few who can see it.

I think people lose sight of the fact of human nature. It wouldn't matter what the speed limit was, many would want to exceed it, even if only by a few km/hr. I typically set my cruise control at around 101-102, why? Before the clampdown, I would set it at 104 to take advantage of the tolerance.

Set the open road speed limit at 90, 100, or 110 and you will still have the same arguments. The authorities have the right and the power to set a speed limit for a road and do so after a lot of consultation. You will never please everyone and many are struggling to achieve or maintain whatever speed limit is in place on any road. The majority of drivers, it would seem, anyway, are not happy with the 100k limit and will never drive at that speed. Tricky thing is to get them to realise they are not the best drivers and should therefore travel in the left hand lane! Maintaining a consistent speed, too, is impossible for many. Not to mention that so many are driving on auto-pilot with their minds everywhere else!

Some are very capable and very experienced and can drive/ride at a level well above the speed limit. The fact that they don't always know who they are, though, is testified by so many deaths where the driver/rider is solely to blame. Who judges one's capability?

In the end, it is a fact of living in a society that we take the majority and/or authority view, and if you don't like it, you have two options. Break the rules and freely accept the consequences, or go and live somewhere else.

[Bikemad]

couple of valium and a moggy and it's lights out for me.......no wait!!