NZ Road Toll Now Higher Than Last Year

**spudchucka** · 5th January 2006, 09:12

Originally Posted by MSTRS

Another long thread on the EvilsOfSpeeding......
Why is it that NO-ONE can see that it is not speeding that kills - IT IS THE SUDDEN STOP FFS.
Astronauts travel at (let's say) 50,000 kph and DON'T DIE.
And what is speeding anyway??? I'd rather be a passenger with Greg Murphy (say) at 300kph than with Granny WeatherWax at 50kph.
Was it speeding that killed me when I exceeded 100kph to pass MrDickhead in his turbo-charged roadrocket travelling at 91.5kph for fear of being pinged?? Or was it frustration??
The ounce of commonsense we were all born with seems to have atrophied due to neglect.

The problem is that we all have to share the same roads, Greg Murphy types as well as your Granny.

**MSTRS:Me** · 5th January 2006, 09:23

Originally Posted by spudchucka

Greg Murphy types as well as your Granny.

Better I'd think. At least he is still with us.

**Finn** · 5th January 2006, 15:27

Originally Posted by Jim2

That can't be right. According to the poll on www.stuff.co.nz yesterday, most NZers think it's "speeding" that's the most dangerous thing on NZ roads at holiday time.

I agree with you 100% there oldrider.

Most NZ'ers wouldn't have a thought of their own so this poll shouldn't surprise you. I think they've been watching too much TV.

**Lou Girardin** · 5th January 2006, 15:52

Originally Posted by Finn

Most NZ'ers wouldn't have a thought of their own so this poll shouldn't surprise you. I think they've been watching too much TV.

It sometimes seems that Nz'ers say what they think pollsters want to hear. Then they express their true feelings among kindred spirits.

**miSTa** · 5th January 2006, 20:24

I don't believe any polls especially the ones on the Stuff website - absolute load of crap.

**inlinefour** · 6th January 2006, 05:55

Originally Posted by ZZR

I don't believe any polls especially the ones on the Stuff website - absolute load of crap.

It my understanding that 99% of what is to be found on the web is just utter crap...

**Calo** · 6th January 2006, 06:08

Drivers hit 200km/h on highway

06.01.06

Dunedin police are appealing for public help to target speedsters on the city's Southern Motorway, after drivers have been nabbed travelling at more than 200km/h.

"If we find there's a car we're getting multiple calls about, we can go and target the offenders," Southern Highway Patrol head Senior Sergeant Andrew Burns said yesterday.

He was speaking a day after a 16-year-old youth was arrested for travelling at 209km/h on the motorway.

The teenager, who had a 16-year-old female passenger, was driving his parents' car, a late-model BMW with a V8 engine, on roads slick with light rain.

"It's just patently dangerous ... it's mind-boggling a 16-year-old driving a car like that," Mr Burns said.

The youth was charged with driving at a dangerous speed, which has a maximum penalty of three months' prison, a $4500 fine and a mandatory disqualification for six months.

He was referred to Youth Aid as a starting point, but the penalty he could face was "very similar" to that an adult would, said Mr Burns.

Police are unable to impound vehicles for excessive speed.

A few months ago, two cars were spotted racing on the motorway at an "absolutely insane" 230km/h in peak traffic.

The vehicles were identified as belonging to a Christchurch company, but it had not supplied details of the drivers, and was being charged for not supplying details, which carried a maximum fine of $10,000, Mr Burns said.

"That's two travelling over 200km/h that we've found in two months, so there will be others we haven't had people there for.

"We're going to be more creative in how we police that area, and we have one or two options up our sleeves," he said.

"The biggest problem is we can't be there 24-7; we can't task people to look after a 3km or 5km stretch of highway and nowhere else.

"The thing that concerns us is at those sort of speeds, if something goes wrong your chances of survival are negligible."

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/st...ectID=10362588

Good to see there's no mention of bikers.

**scumdog** · 6th January 2006, 08:51

Originally Posted by Calo

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/st...ectID=10362588

Good to see there's no mention of bikers.

Except the one up near Cromwell (RIP) where "speed is believed to be a factor"

And you forgot to mention the other dick-head in Oamaru that approached a T-intersection in a Nissan at "speed of up to 150kph" in a 50 kph area - surprise-surprise he couldn't stop in time, went through the intersection and went end-over-end into a paddock, diriver described as "a 17-year old Oamaru man" - huh! 17-year old Oamaru retard dick-head would be a more apt desciption!!
No fatality so dang, once again the gene-pool is likely to be stuffed up.

Drive/ride safe people.

**simo** · 6th January 2006, 12:27

Originally Posted by Lou Girardin

The definition of incompetence is doing the same thing you've always done but expecting a different result.
NZ's entire Governmental ethos is one of enforcing their edicts through punitive measures.
This is compounded by a desire to choose the cheapest option in any circumstance.
Still, the tougher they get, the more people will run.

Lou hits the nail on the head.... explanation not required. However, he perhaps doesn't mention its 1% doing this shit causing the grief for the other 99%,this is where the revenue generation is, using punitive measures, don't Land Transit know it.!! - The Nazis used these meaures in WWII, when one ratbag murdered one of their troops, they punished the whole town with various measures ----its exactly the same methodology, state agencies never change.

**geoffm** · 6th January 2006, 16:49

Just to throw some fuel on the fire
http://thewhig.typepad.com/the_whig/...lock_all_.html
shows that of the 400+ deaths (in 2003), only 60 odd were caused by speeding, without alchohol being a factor. Goes on to tell us what we already know about the LTSA/IRD revenue grab. Worth a read
Geoff

**miSTa** · 6th January 2006, 21:01

The youth was charged with driving at a dangerous speed, which has a maximum penalty of three months' prison, a $4500 fine and a mandatory disqualification for six months.

The disqualification period seems a little light to me, if this guy gets the maximum he's back driving 3 months after getting out of jail - wheres the penalty? And perhaps more importantly the deterrant for others?

**spudchucka** · 7th January 2006, 07:16

Originally Posted by geoffm

Just to throw some fuel on the fire
http://thewhig.typepad.com/the_whig/...lock_all_.html
shows that of the 400+ deaths (in 2003), only 60 odd were caused by speeding, without alchohol being a factor. Goes on to tell us what we already know about the LTSA/IRD revenue grab. Worth a read
Geoff

Speed isn't always the cause of the crash but is almost always a contributing factor. If a car loses control on new seal, crosses the centre line, crashes and kills somebody is it the fault of the new seal or the fact that the vehicle was driven too fast for those conditions? Common sense would tell you that i is a combination of both.

The point being that speed as a cause of crashes isn't really the issue, speed as a causitive / contributing factor in trauma is the real issue because regardless of why the crash happens the resulting trauma is directly linked to the velocity of the crashing vehicles.

**spudchucka** · 7th January 2006, 07:20

Originally Posted by ZZR

The disqualification period seems a little light to me, if this guy gets the maximum he's back driving 3 months after getting out of jail - wheres the penalty? And perhaps more importantly the deterrant for others?

He won't get jail unless he has an extensive history of driving offences or he has killed or badly injured somebody. 6 months disq is the manadtory minimum set out in the legislation, the courts don't have a choice unless there are special circumstances.

**thehollowmen** · 7th January 2006, 07:49

Originally Posted by marty

hey there's your answer! make cars so expensive that they have to be hired (like aeroplanes) and have the hirer vet every driver's (pilot's) logbook before handing over the keys.

and yes, i am involved in aviation.

funny, that's what norway did

their speed limit is 90 though, mostly 80 on the open road.

**thehollowmen** · 7th January 2006, 07:51

Originally Posted by inlinefour

http://xtramsn.co.nz/news/0,,11964-5199379,00.html

Last year's holiday road toll was 11. This year's toll period does not end until 6 am on January 4. The worst day so far has been December 27 with 4 people killed in accidents on New Zealand's roads.
Maybe the Government and the NZ Police will get the message that their policies are not helping improve things. But I guess they will find someone else to blame for it eh?

Can I call bullshit?

New Zealand road deaths 1990-2005
(snip)
2003 - 461
2004 - 435
2005 - 404
Source : NZPA http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/st...ectID=10362106

We're coming down people... and down quite fast.