Death toll on the roads is virtually identical to 2019

[Big Dog]

Very narrowly missed becoming one of this years statistics last weekend, SUV merged digitally, like an on off switch.
no idea he nearly ran me over. No lookin, no gentle change, just twist the wheel.
just as well I was paying attention.

hate riding in the big smoke. Too many idiots.

Interesting.

I hear people saying that people who make driving mistakes are idiots.

Not really. If they were out of the car and sitting in a pub I'd probably have a beer with them. They are just people who made a mistake.

We tend to demonize those we seek to blame. Its something we as humans do. Its a gross generalization and one of the steps of our psyche self defence mechanism.

The reality is we demonize those we see making mistakes, but we don't see our own mistakes. Its part of being human.

All to often people forget that the only reason we have survived our own mistakes is the absence of others or their good driving in evading us.

I think if we're all honest we have all taken too brief a look at the blind spot, neglected a head check or missed a speed limit sign at our own peril just to have someone on their horn swerving / braking for us.

If we're all honest someone else has thought us a careless driver, an arsehole driver or an idiot at some point.

[george formby]

All to often people forget that the only reason we have survived our own mistakes is the absence of others or their good driving in evading us.

I think if we're all honest we have all taken too brief a look at the blind spot, neglected a head check or missed a speed limit sign at our own peril just to have someone on their horn swerving / braking for us.

If we're all honest someone else has thought us a careless driver, an arsehole driver or an idiot at some point.

Yup, totally agree. To the point that I withhold the venom when I see some bad driving, I tell myself that the person did not leave home intending to do whatever it was.

Repeated fuckwittery is worth a spray, though.

Despite the road toll and the muppetry which stands out when travelling, most folk are just going somewhere and trying to get there safely.

[Bonez]

Had a nice wee toodle this afternoon on Darky. A BIG issue is still vehicles following far too close to one another especially on tigher sections of road lioke the Pahiatua Track and the Saddle Road. Less than a car length in quite a number of instances with six or so vehicles in a row.

[Navy Boy]

Had a nice wee toodle this afternoon on Darky. A BIG issue is still vehicles following far too close to one another especially on tigher sections of road lioke the Pahiatua Track and the Saddle Road. Less than a car length in quite a number of instances with six or so vehicles in a row.

Yep - I see a lot of this here around Blenheim. In particular on SH6 with the new, lower speed limits. I think that people feel safer at lower speeds and risk compensate as a result...

[SaferRides]

You see it on the southern motorway into Auckland. A line of utes and SUV's with no more than a 2 car length gap doing 120+. I usually bail to the LH lane and leave them to it.

[release_the_bees]

Some are even worse than that: during my daily commute between Glenfield and East Tamaki, I often see cars following so closely that I literally couldn't fit my bike between them (and that's in 80km/h and 100 km/h traffic). If the car in front slammed on their brakes, they wouldn't even have time to react, let alone avoid a collision.

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

[rastuscat]

Some are even worse than that: during my daily commute between Glenfield and East Tamaki, I often see cars following so closely that I literally couldn't fit my bike between them (and that's in 80km/h and 100 km/h traffic). If the car in front slammed on their brakes, they wouldn't even have time to react, let alone avoid a collision.

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

I've bored the crap out of my colleagues talking about how important following distance is.

Everyone has heard of the 2 second rule, how many actually use it? It would solve a lot of the safety issues we have on the roads.

But will it change? No, because everyone is so convinced they are shit hot drivers/riders, and that the laws of physics don't apply to them.

[scumdog]

I've bored the crap out of my colleagues talking about how important following distance is.

Everyone has heard of the 2 second rule, how many actually use it? It would solve a lot of the safety issues we have on the roads.

But will it change? No, because everyone is so convinced they are shit hot drivers/riders, and that the laws of physics don't apply to them.

Exactly! Although I suspect ignorance rathe than a self imposed attitude that they're a shit hot driver is more likely. (Like the lady who thought the stopping distance at 50kph was 'about one or two metres' - I guess it would be if she hit a tree.)

I often emphasise the benefit of a decent belt of air between them and the car/bike on front and abide with that myself.

[FJRider]

... I often emphasise the benefit of a decent belt of air between them and the car/bike on front and abide with that myself.

Too much of that space in front of you ... on ANY road ... seldom does you any harm. Not having enough when you need it ... often doesn't end well.

Knowing when you're going to need it might be handy ...

[FJRider]

I've bored the crap out of my colleagues talking about how important following distance is.

Everyone has heard of the 2 second rule, how many actually use it? It would solve a lot of the safety issues we have on the roads.

But will it change? No, because everyone is so convinced they are shit hot drivers/riders, and that the laws of physics don't apply to them.

Around my way lately ... when people check their phones for texts (after they hear the chime) ... Power poles leap out in front of them and commit suicide.

Would that be another Council failure ... or a failure to do with an Electric power supplier ... ???

[Berries]

You touch on quite a valid point. Power poles are placed too close to the road and when they get hit and someone dies they simply replace them in the same spot. Having a solid pole within a few metres of a rural road is not compatible with a safe system or vision zero approach. Have never understood how they get away with it. I know a couple of sites where the replacement pole was actually closer to the road than the one that was hit.

At least we don't have to worry about it with Aurora Energy. Their poles fall over in a strong wind.

[SaferRides]

I've bored the crap out of my colleagues talking about how important following distance is.

Everyone has heard of the 2 second rule, how many actually use it? It would solve a lot of the safety issues we have on the roads.

But will it change? No, because everyone is so convinced they are shit hot drivers/riders, and that the laws of physics don't apply to them.

Maybe the creative minds that did the latest drink driving ad could do something similar on following distances.

Most people simply have no idea that it's a safety issue and think that following closely is how you tell other drivers that you want to overtake. So some education would definitely help.

[pritch]

(Like the lady who thought the stopping distance at 50kph was 'about one or two metres' - I guess it would be if she hit a tree.)

This reminded me of KBer skiddie who, if memory serves, thought he could stop from 100kph in six feet.

[onearmedbandit]

Everyone has heard of the 2 second rule, how many actually use it? It would solve a lot of the safety issues we have on the roads.

But will it change? No, because everyone is so convinced they are shit hot drivers/riders, and that the laws of physics don't apply to them.

Only a fool breaks the 2 second rule. I use it all the time, not only for my own safety and that of others but because the great PB might be watching me from above. I hate tailgaters and would in the past signal my annoyance to them via subtle hand gestures (not not pulling the finger, that just infuriates them) but this was quite ineffective. Then I read of an interesting technique, spray your windscreen washer. Coming home from the Golden Bay a week back I had a guy in a 90's Terrano trying to slip stream me at 100km/h. After the 3rd time of putting his wipers on he got the idea and backed off. He passed us as we stopped in Murchison with a very clean windshield. I like to think I not only avoided roadrage but gave him some new found clarity.

[FJRider]

Only a fool breaks the 2 second rule. I use it all the time, not only for my own safety and that of others but because the great PB might be watching me from above. I hate tailgaters and would in the past signal my annoyance to them via subtle hand gestures (not not pulling the finger, that just infuriates them) but this was quite ineffective. Then I read of an interesting technique, spray your windscreen washer. Coming home from the Golden Bay a week back I had a guy in a 90's Terrano trying to slip stream me at 100km/h. After the 3rd time of putting his wipers on he got the idea and backed off. He passed us as we stopped in Murchison with a very clean windshield. I like to think I not only avoided roadrage but gave him some new found clarity.

I have an old station wagon that has it's own reservoir in the back ... that has two jets for the rear window. One jet is directly facing backwards. A bit of red dyed window cleaner in the water ... "For effect" ... they usually back off pretty quickly.