NZTA's idea that "no one should die due to a mistake" is a valid one. I agree that people need to 'feel' mistakes though, in order to learn from them. Equally, there are people out there who don't give a f about what or how they do things (but, I wouldn't class those actions as mistakes - only the people).
The solutions need a fucktonne more money thrown at them though - the quality of roads, surface, repairs, drainage, etc, is just not sufficient.
DeMyer's Laws - an argument that consists primarily of rambling quotes isn't worth bothering with.
Is that something to do with fuel injection?
Don't you look at my accountant.
He's the only one I've got.
I think part of the problem is not that money isn't being spent on the roads but there is no real accountability for HOW the money is spent on the roads. Councils and the NZTA in particular seems to be toothless when it comes to any kind of audit or quality control process that keeps the contractors honest.
I will cite examples local to me because I witnessed first hand the impact.
Kapiti expressway. Gazillions of dollars. Excellent road, really makes a difference to transit times. Opened in February last year. Within 8 months I think it was (maybe less) it needed resurfaced, WTAF?????
Local roads in Kapiti, bitumen and chip "repair" done to a series of major local roads. Done before a cold snap, bitumen doesn't grip chip, they now have gravel roads with lashings and lashings of bitumen over peoples cars, garage floors etc etc, ie not on the road. In the wheel tracks which form you can see the original road surface. Ever heard of a weather forecast?
Pay peanuts and you get monkeys. Keep feeding the monkeys, they keep coming back, monkeys are not stupid. Stop feeding the monkeys.
There is another idea Rastus, what are the motorcyclists interested in? Find out about their agenda first, say for example road construction which pays little or no attention to their safety, then you might be able to have a conversation about your agenda, say, how they can control their end and push for change from others. (Probably not ranting about it on the interwebs)
Life is not measured by how many breaths you take, but how many times you have your breath taken away
This times infinity. Seems like this whole ‘contracting’ malarkey has just become a way of all the involved parties absolving themselves from any responsibility for the result. God forbid anyone should want to do a good job just for the sake of doing a good job. Latest ‘road fixing’ example I encounter on a regular basis is sticky stuff poured on what always seemed like perfectly good asphalt covered in pea gravel, sweep it a couple of times and then paint the road marking on top of the (still) loose stones. Mind boggling.
As far as engaging motorcyclists go, I’ll do stuff for money. The ride forever courses make me feel like I’m getting something back from the ACC levy, actual discounts would be even more appealing. Throw in some interesting motorcycling ‘celebrities’ (Martin, Boorman, some Superbike, TT, MotoGP or Dakar riders or locally even a Morgan, Goff, Crosby etc) as the gentleman above mentioned for publicity and I’d be engaged. But I like to link I already am safety-wise so maybe not your target market.
Moe: Well, I'm better than dirt. Well, most kinds of dirt. I mean not that fancy store bought dirt. That stuffs loaded with nutrients. I...I can't compete with that stuff.- The Simpsons
true lots of shoddy workmanship on our roads - trying to save a buck-usually costs long term.
Cheap arse work which lasts the minimum amount of time before it needs to get replace during the next period of the contract(the next contractors problem)
It should be that there is a group check inspect and check whats being done during the job and after, with multiple site visits and a guaranteed performance (time and condition)
What that generally means is that contractors will hike the price up probably to the true value of the job and they will miss out. Then the cheapest will win contract and quite often these contractors will suddenly disappear later
Maybe a performance bond is required.
however there is a lot of time wastage with what I think is unnecessary movement of material*and H&S.
* - there has been an earthquake, a land slip part of into the sea, whats wrong with dumping more into the sea that lies across the road, its natural isn't it?
Last Sunday I rode over an area, that was 'looked after' by one of the big roading contracting companies, who used to leave large amounts of loose chip all over the road (chipseal)
I noticed a marked improvement in the quality and amount of 'proper' repairs done.
I also noticed a change from just chipsealing the whole lane to just a metre of so of the tyre tracks (2 lots of repairs in one lane) between the tyre tracks nothing and the joint heights where pretty even
So a change has happened.
The other earlier repairs are now starting to fall apart.
BTW
You already have my attention about this as I am reading and replying to this thread.
READ AND UDESTAND
I ain't no expert...but maybe if they KNEW they couldn't get away with doing a shitty job (proper inspections? contracts suspended/revoked at the first sign of shittiness?) then they'd ALL be forced to make a realistic bid at the outset. The opposite seems to be the case at the moment (i.e. they know they can get away with it for long enough to make it worth their while).
But from what you say it sounds as though some are bucking the trend which is good to hear.
Moe: Well, I'm better than dirt. Well, most kinds of dirt. I mean not that fancy store bought dirt. That stuffs loaded with nutrients. I...I can't compete with that stuff.- The Simpsons
Good luck with this broke government doing F-all to road quality.
You know you would think the electric small motorcycle would be a huge thing about now - ride to work, plug in, ride home, avoid the car jams etc.
So, our roads are rubbish.
We can wait maybe a generation or two, they will likely improve. Lots of us will suffer in that couple of generations, but hey, its great to have someone else to blame.
Another option is for us to ride as if the roads are rubbish.
Don't follow so close, scan properly further ahead, and maybe lets not travel at Nurburgring speeds. In summary, lets ride like the roads are rubbish.
Nah. It won't catch on.
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