Speed? Not necessarily dangerous!

[Grahameeboy]

I can't stand the fact that people drive in whatever lane they want at whatever speed they want. Fucks me off big time. I've seen people join the motorway, and hit the brakes hard to join the slow moving right hand lane?!?!?! wtf?!?! they feel bad cos they're in a free flowing lane already?!!? ffs

FUCKING LEARN TO DRIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Out of town, on the single lane roads, when a passing lane comes up, it says 'Keep left unless passing'. Is that so hard to do on motorways??!?!!?!?!! gah!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey you alright BJ............fancy a beer on me tonight? PM me if you do matey......

[oldrider]

What prompted me to post on this issue was an accident that held us up on our return from Nelson last week.

Two vehicles (There may have been more) were involved, a car and a van, hit almost head on, on a bend, it appeared.

This was on the South side of the Hope Saddle. Sunday 12 Feb circa mid day.

There was debris scattered over a very wide area of the road and surrounding embankments.

A casual observation in passing would indicate crossing of the white line by at least one of the vehicles and the distribution of the accident area would suggest excessive speed by at least one of them.

This may of course be a completely wrong observation I accept that.

We have not been able to hear or learn anything else about what happened perhaps some one in the Nelson are may be able to enlighten us.

As a passenger all the way up and back I just amused myself observing the behaviour of road users in general. Not a good look.

This is not a holier than thou rant, I do some pretty silly and risky things at times too.

Doesn't make it right though. Cheers John.

[Rashika]

In UK the speed varies....30, 40, 50, 60 mph so as you leave a really built up area the speed limit increases....makes sense and improves driver skils....in NZ it is either 50kph or 100kph except the bridge which is 80kph........real accident spot that...not.........this cannot be good.

ummm down here so do we ...lots of places are 60 kms especially if they are mostly non residential and/or double lane areas, few 70s and 80s as well.

it is becoming more common to see these speed variations now...altho one area i ride on the old pushie is 60kms, but you'd think the sign actually said "fuckin hoof along at any old speed you like, and dont even comtemplate going 60 or under...oh and dont worry about the poor wee cyclist on the apparently invisible cycle lane...I'm sure they dont mind when you run them down"

[Grahameeboy]

ummm down here so do we ...lots of places are 60 kms especially if they are mostly non residential and/or double lane areas, few 70s and 80s as well.

it is becoming more common to see these speed variations now...altho one area i ride on the old pushie is 60kms, but you'd think the sign actually said "fuckin hoof along at any old speed you like, and dont even comtemplate going 60 or under...oh and dont worry about the poor wee cyclist on the apparently invisible cycle lane...I'm sure they dont mind when you run them down"

Interesting.......I think it is sensible because drivers have more freedom and I believe that this makes sensible drivers...good on Christchurch.....love South Island....

[Lou Girardin]

All my cage induced frights have been by pricks cutting corners. Make it a capital offence I reckon.
Then there's drivers who drive on the centre line, even when there's 2 metres clear road on their left. Haven't they heard of the safety cushion?
It's as if they'd rather have a head on than collide with a car door.

[miSTa]

Then there was the head-on crash between two trucks in the last week near Kaikoura. The article I read said that they hit head-on but didn't know what caused the crash - wtf, one was on the wrong side of the road! The trucking industry then turns around and blames the road and want the road widened at our cost for them.

[Rashika]

Then there was the head-on crash between two trucks in the last week near Kaikoura. The article I read said that they hit head-on but didn't know what caused the crash - wtf, one was on the wrong side of the road! The trucking industry then turns around and blames the road and want the road widened at our cost for them.

It would be interesting to know where that one actually happened. That road is particularly narrow in spots... there are certain spots you cant even get 2 trucks past each other, even if they stay in their own lanes!
But it was probably just carelessness on their part.

[Grahameeboy]

All my cage induced frights have been by pricks cutting corners. Make it a capital offence I reckon.
Then there's drivers who drive on the centre line, even when there's 2 metres clear road on their left. Haven't they heard of the safety cushion?
It's as if they'd rather have a head on than collide with a car door.

I ride and drive near the centre line as a safety cushion ie cars out of side roads......makes sense....will 2 meters/6 feet make all that difference.....it is really swings and roundabout and most likely scenario is someone pulling out plus I find that cagers stick their noses out before stopping.

[Lou Girardin]

I ride and drive near the centre line as a safety cushion ie cars out of side roads......makes sense....will 2 meters/6 feet make all that difference.....it is really swings and roundabout and most likely scenario is someone pulling out plus I find that cagers stick their noses out before stopping.

I was referring to cage drivers mainly. I'll also keep right in a lane if the main threat is likely from the left. But I won't risk a head-on to do it, which is quite likely when you have two clowns both on the centreline.

[Grahameeboy]

I was referring to cage drivers mainly. I'll also keep right in a lane if the main threat is likely from the left. But I won't risk a head-on to do it, which is quite likely when you have two clowns both on the centreline.

I am also a cage driver.....I keep to Centre still...use the same defensive skils as I do riding my bike.....believe it or not my huge Mazda MPVpeople carrier seems invisible sometimes.....I do have airbags so less exposed...

[myvice]

Speed doesn’t kill, slow reactions kill!

[Pathos]

I'll admit to doing naughty speeds that would lose my licence here and there and if you've got your fully concentration and no ones going to magically appear infront of you you'll be sweet.

But 10 years on the road has taught me to always give plenty of room to everyone around you, you never know what they hell they'll do. I think I sit about 1.5 seconds behind people. You need more if you aren't concentrating on the road, but that never happens to me on a motorcycle. I'm always ready to hit the brakes.

its idiots in heavy vehicles that don't realise/care how long it takes to brake and sit on your arse that cause many accidents. You see people following others then when the car in front turns they have to take evasive manuvers to miss it because they don't have the time to break...

[buellbabe]

Following distance is a biggie and obviously you adjust for whatever speed yr doing... PLUS be DEFENSIVE, expect those cagers to do something stoopid cos 9 times outta 10 they WILL.

[bluninja]

Ok I should have been more specific, crossing the white line on a corner when u can't see whats coming. If its a long straight road with no other road users about you cann drive on the wrong side of the road for all i care.

No don't be more specific. It leaves less room for me to make an ass of myself on either side of the white line.

[Grahameeboy]

Following distance is a biggie and obviously you adjust for whatever speed yr doing... PLUS be DEFENSIVE, expect those cagers to do something stoopid cos 9 times outta 10 they WILL.

Yep....when ever the car in front pulls over and slows without indication you know that a u-turn is on the cards.....its a bugger.......a lot of people would just overtake whereas I wait to make sure what the cager is going to do and I have handled a lot of Insurance Claims where the following vehicle has overtaken in this situation when they cannot be sure what the front vehicle is doing and hey presto here is an accident.....non-fault just does not make things better does it.

I would rather have better awareness skills than fast riding skills any day...and that is what they teach you in the Advanced Bike/Car courses back in the UK....and what you find is that you still ride fast.

With following distance, by riding near the centre line, I find that I am not actually behind the cage in front (if you know what I mean) which gives you more braking distance.