I tried, RC, I really did...

[rastuscat]

An experienced, observant (awareness of everything happening around them), courteous driver is better than a slower driving idiot texting on his phone, lighting a cigarette and eating a pie all while driving at 80kpm.

That's the thing. If drivers and riders were better (which is within our control) there likely wouldn't be this driver to lower speed limits.

And still we complain when they do, despite the general populations resistance to actually do something to improve.

Everyone wants change. Nobody wants to change.

[Racing Dave]

If drivers and riders were better (which is within our control) there likely wouldn't be this driver to lower speed limits..

I'm sure that it's been said before, but pretty much everyone thinks that they are a better than average rider. Only half of them are correct...

[jim.cox]

Of course it will save lives, as crashes won't be as severe. But if reducing speeds to 80 saved lives, imagine how many more lives could be saved if the speed is reduced to 60?

Road To Zero

Zero Speed = Zero Harm

Nobody allowed on the roads = no road deaths

That's where this is going...

[rastuscat]

Road To Zero

Zero Speed = Zero Harm

Nobody allowed on the roads = no road deaths

That's where this is going...

Standing outside a local primary school this morning. Speed limit used to be 50 kmh. But everyone did 30 kmh.

Now the speed limit is 30 kmh. And everyone does ......30 kmh.

There are many dumb speed limits in this country.

[jim.cox]

Standing outside a local primary school this morning. Speed limit used to be 50 kmh. But everyone did 30 kmh.

Now the speed limit is 30 kmh. And everyone does ......30 kmh.

There are many dumb speed limits in this country.

Traffic Engineering suggests that 85% of the population will traverse a given section of road at the same speed.

This speed depends on factors like lane width, shoulder clearance, sight distance etc.

It is often referred to as the 'design speed' of the road

When building new highways we use a design speed of 120km/h

So we are expecting and encouraging 85% of the population to travel at 120 - while artificially restricting them to 80 - that's a form of entrapment that's really going to end well


We could save the country lots of money, and people lots of aggro, if we just designed and built for 80kmh from the get go

[Grumph]

We could save the country lots of money, and people lots of aggro, if we just designed and built for 80kmh from the get go

Entropy combined with piss poor maintenance takes care of that. In less than 5 years most new roads are only fit for 80kph anyway.

[Berries]

Traffic Engineering suggests that 85% of the population will traverse a given section of road at the same speed.

This speed depends on factors like lane width, shoulder clearance, sight distance etc.

It is often referred to as the 'design speed' of the road

When building new highways we use a design speed of 120km/h

So we are expecting and encouraging 85% of the population to travel at 120 - while artificially restricting them to 80 - that's a form of entrapment that's really going to end well

We could save the country lots of money, and people lots of aggro, if we just designed and built for 80kmh from the get go

Kind of, but not quite. The speed that 85 percent of traffic is doing used to be used as guide for working out whether a speed limit was in the region of being appropriate. As you said, people picked their speeds based on lane width, visibility, side friction, volumes etc etc. The reason people speed up in passing lanes as pointed out the other day. They still do chose their travel speed this way, and always will, but future speed limits will be set on the 'safe and appropriate speed' which while still supposedly based on alignment, volumes, intersection/access frequency etc has the bar set lower, so what used to be 100 will now be 80, what was 50 will be 40 or 30. Will take time to adjust.

The design speed of a road amongst other things dictates the radius of the curves. If you did use an 80km/h design speed you would have vertical and horizontal curves that are not an issue with a 110km/h design speed and this is where your crashes will occur.

Mind you, if you want an example of design speed and entrapment just look at the Dunedin southern 'motorway'. 110km/h design speed, meets all the attributes for a 110km/h speed limit as per what you have up north, barrier all the way, on and off ramps etc etc. Also built on a hill so it is the biggest fishing spot in the south with one person positioned on the overbridge and a fleet of cars parked on the on ramp for a quick chase before the pullover bay down the road. Still a bit dubious about them parking the mobile camera on the motorway but I will cross that one if ever get a ticket from it.

[jim.cox]

Mind you, if you want an example of design speed and entrapment just look at the Dunedin southern 'motorway'. 110km/h design speed, meets all the attributes for a 110km/h speed limit as per what you have up north, barrier all the way, on and off ramps etc etc. .

Or SH6 up the side of Lake Dunstan - 120km+ geometry and 100km taxation.

Did we waste our money?

Ditto Transmission Gully...

[FJRider]

I can help with that, you need the enduro transmission. It will get down to about 12kph I think, maybe 10kph on the GPS, then chug chug at no revs. Going to the clutch and you can get down to 6-8kph 2-up tracking people.

You're welcome

About 10 years ago I rode my FJ1200 over to Akaroa on a Sunday. The usual "Weekend tourist" traffic both ways. The lowest gear (about 15/20 km/hr) I got to was 3rd on an uphill bit. I had no need to slip the clutch. I had more problem fighting the wind than traffic ...

[FJRider]

Or SH6 up the side of Lake Dunstan - 120km+ geometry and 100km taxation.

Did we waste our money?

Ditto Transmission Gully...

The roads either side of Lake Dunstan are main tourist travel routes to Queenstown (about 90% are overseas drivers) with a large portion of the drivers having had little (or no) open road (NZ style) driving experience ... just multi-lane motorways. And about 20% of the traffic is campervan style vehicles (often traveling on packs of five or more).

In that area stick to the speed limit ... the cops often do the continual loop of the lake. 15-20 minutes apart. Posted speed limits are the limit. Few if any exceptions.

[FJRider]

Standing outside a local primary school this morning. Speed limit used to be 50 kmh. But everyone did 30 kmh.

Now the speed limit is 30 kmh. And everyone does ......30 kmh.

There are many dumb speed limits in this country.

I thought the "School Zone" speed limit was 40km/hr .. ??

[FJRider]

I'm sure that it's been said before, but pretty much everyone thinks that they are a better than average rider. Only half of them are correct...

And they ALL think ... "it" won't happen to them.


If it does "happen" to them ... it won't be their fault.




Apparently ...

[Berries]

The roads either side of Lake Dunstan are main tourist travel routes to Queenstown (about 90% are overseas drivers) with a large portion of the drivers having had little (or no) open road (NZ style) driving experience ... just multi-lane motorways. And about 20% of the traffic is campervan style vehicles (often traveling on packs of five or more).

In that area stick to the speed limit ... the cops often do the continual loop of the lake. 15-20 minutes apart. Posted speed limits are the limit. Few if any exceptions.

I have always found the opposite, great road for fanging it, overtaking opportunities galore. Can't remember the last time I saw a cop along there, certainly not on Monday when I went over to QT. Great visibility so you should see them coming.

I thought the "School Zone" speed limit was 40km/hr .. ??

Nah. Going to be 30 in the future. And that includes rural schools unless the local council can come up with a good reason why it should be 60 and not 30. 'Total bollocks/unrealistic' is not considered a good reason apparently.

[rastuscat]

I thought the "School Zone" speed limit was 40km/hr .. ??

The 40 kmh limit was decided on 15 years ago when the standard speed limit was 50.

Then we realised that it should be based on vulnerable road user survivability, and that 30 kmh made more sense.

The 40s will be phased down to 30.

[FJRider]

The 40 kmh limit was decided on 15 years ago when the standard speed limit was 50.

Then we realised that it should be based on vulnerable road user survivability, and that 30 kmh made more sense.

The 40s will be phased down to 30.

When do they phase in the guy with a red flag walking in front of all motor vehicles again ... ??


Asking for a friend ...