Lowering speed limits to 80 (from 100) and 30/40 (from 50)... A research paper.

[AllanB]

So ... when you do it it's a "Brain Fart" and is both acceptable and expected ... would you say the same if you were on the receiving end of a "Brain Fart" .. ???

Acceptable no, but unfortunately not unexpected. Which is why as motorcyclists in particular when riding we generally have a higher degree of observational awareness of other road users. Yet as a collective also ironically appear to accept a higher risk by riding faster than Joe Public in their family sedan. People are complex.

Each successive government waxes on and pours millions into anti speed campaigns and enforcement yet this years road toll is currently a shocker.

If you sit in any new car in a dealer showroom that car now features multiple electronic devices designed for your convenience and to distract you - that fancy touch screen you are using at kmph to select your music, multi zone aircon adjustment buttons, and a disturbing interest it a dial knob that does it all (and to do it all you need to look at a pretty coloured screen).


I watched a new Bentley urban WD thingy yesterday being driven like a armored car. No doubt the owner felt very secure in their expensive bubble environment. A bloody awful looking thing it was too - hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of wank.

[AllanB]

What is a lifestyle ute?

Possibly one of the most popular ones on the road presently is the Ford Ranger. With the large family sedans gone from Ford and Holden these are the go-to family lifestyle ute now.

Every now and then you see a builder or farmer driving one too!

https://www.ford.co.nz/offers/?searc...BoCwZUQAvD_BwE

[jasonu]

Possibly one of the most popular ones on the road presently is the Ford Ranger. With the large family sedans gone from Ford and Holden these are the go-to family lifestyle ute now.

Every now and then you see a builder or farmer driving one too!

https://www.ford.co.nz/offers/?searc...BoCwZUQAvD_BwE

AKA full size quad cab pick up.

[Voltaire]

What is a lifestyle ute?

Tinted windows, leather seats, lots of graphics, overly large wheels, a tinted window canopy/deck cover and liner to stop it getting any scratches. For actual work you buy a Great Wall or some other quickly depreciated mid range vehicle.
( only jealous as I drive a 20 year old van with a cassette player)

[FJRider]

Acceptable no, but unfortunately not unexpected. Which is why as motorcyclists in particular when riding we generally have a higher degree of observational awareness of other road users. Yet as a collective also ironically appear to accept a higher risk by riding faster than Joe Public in their family sedan. People are complex.

Being seen as risk takers is usually why we ride motorcycles. The degree of risk is our choice.

In most cases ... it's not because it's a cheap form of transport. Those days are long gone.

Observational awareness is usually a learned habit ... often told of during training courses and discussions ... But learned importance effectively after an off.

Each successive government waxes on and pours millions into anti speed campaigns and enforcement yet this years road toll is currently a shocker.

And NONE of those involved (regardless of actual fault) could say they didn't know that could happen. Just that it just wouldn't possibly happen to THEM ...

If you sit in any new car in a dealer showroom that car now features multiple electronic devices designed for your convenience and to distract you - that fancy touch screen you are using at kmph to select your music, multi zone aircon adjustment buttons, and a disturbing interest it a dial knob that does it all (and to do it all you need to look at a pretty coloured screen).

I wonder if voice activated controls might feature in vehicles soon for such things.

Most economy vehicles are basically single use items nowadays. Crumple zones aren't intended to be un-crumpled ...

I watched a new Bentley urban WD thingy yesterday being driven like a armored car. No doubt the owner felt very secure in their expensive bubble environment. A bloody awful looking thing it was too - hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of wank.

A word of caution to drivers of these vehicles ... there are bigger things on the road than them ...

[AllanB]

A word of caution to drivers of these vehicles ... there are bigger things on the road than them ...

Which reminds me of a article on TV earlier in the year - trucking association NZ or something saying they are struggling to get enough drivers and experienced drivers who have been on the roads for years are quitting due to the high increase in stupid drivers hell bent on collecting their trucks on the open road. It was supported by some in truck cam images showing some very questionable passing decisions by people.

There is the brain-fart moment then just brain-diarrhea!

[gsxr]

https://www.driven.co.nz/news/news/n...-GlbLr_KF_UOk0

[rastuscat]

I wonder if there are any stats or study on the effects of slower speeds on driver concentration? Do they feel safer at lower speeds so compensate by driving with less attention than is required at 'normal' speeds?

Maybe not, but there are plenty of examples of lowering the average speed leading to lower crash rates and lower injury rates.

[rastuscat]

https://www.driven.co.nz/news/news/n...-GlbLr_KF_UOk0

It's not increasing the speed that reduced the crashes. It's spending gazillions of dollars on making the roads safer.

If we were all awesome road users using awesome roads, I'd be keen for increasing speeds. But we aren't.

[Scuba_Steve]

Maybe not, but there are plenty of examples of lowering the average speed leading to lower crash rates and lower injury rates.

Is there any not done by those with vested financial interest in the speed scam?
Cause I've seen a lot showing no measurable effect to negative effects (like Northern Territories OzzyLand) when speeds are lowered.
The biggest crash factors (when speed is a large shareholder) is the speed differential (when other vehicles are involved, and this can be result of too slower speed too) and too fast for conditions/ability

[FJRider]

Maybe not, but there are plenty of examples of lowering the average speed leading to lower crash rates and lower injury rates.

Two vehicles travelling at 80 km/hr ... crash head on into each other. Impact speed of 160 km/hr ...

Definitely survivable ... right .. ??

[F5 Dave]

But I like going places faster. Right. I'm going to vote for Simeon Bridges. There. I said it.

[Ocean1]

Sadly, common sense has left the building.
We "train" citizens to pass the driving test but NOT driving skills.

The severity of "lack of driver ability" on NZ roads is not insurmountable, IF a government has the balls to draw a line in the sand on this issue. Unfortunately we are continually assaulted by the propaganda ministry response, unstead of coming out and stating "KIWI DRIVERS ARE INEPT".



She is a fucking canadian retard with no idea apart from bad ideas. Send the cunt home.


Sadly we have to factor in the "net-nanny" of vehicle stability control assistance... which takes over when IT feels right.
Try using power to get out of a situation & getting "computer says NO" in response. I'm still looking at ways to deactivate it on my car.

Forgetting to turn wheelie control off and then trying to loft the 1290's front wheel over a rock crossing sides on a gravel road resulted in a dented header. Woulda been fine if KTM's safety Nazis hadn't decided everything had t default to "safe" every time you shut the bastard thing down.

[Ocean1]

Yep Wainuiomta Hill was a great training course

So over we went, Trev....

[speedpro]

Assuming 2 identical vehicles, closing speed 160km/h, impact speed 80km/h. Just like driving into an immovable object. You would of course still end up dead.

If we just pretend for a moment that both vehicles remained on their own side of the road, the closing speed would be close to 160km/h, but there would be no impact speed due to there being no impact. This 2nd scenario it makes no difference what speed either vehicle is traveling at.

The head on smash in Wellington earlier this year where someone was going the wrong way on the motorway, if they had both been keeping left they would have passed each other harmlessly. As it was the speed the innocent party was going made absolutely no difference.

The whole "safer speed", "slow down", road safety message is the biggest load of garbage, and I suspect(no data), results in very little benefit.

What happened to the road toll when the speed limit was reduced to 80km/h years ago when imported fuel costs jumped? Supposedly the lower speed was going to result in lower fuel consumption, which I doubt was actually an effect, all to do with thermodynamic efficiencies of engines at various speeds and loads. Another example of being seen to be doing something, like lowering the speed limit, again, now.