Rodney District Speed Limit Changes from 1 July

[Edbear]

If they dont bother keeping to 100, do they think they'll bother keeping to 80?
Doubt it.

Yeah, but now, instead of needing to do 140 before losing your licence, you'll now lose it at 120.

[Edbear]

I stand corrected.

Next question, how many are speed related?

Very few, more related to drivers incapable of turning corners! Notice that they are mainly on SH1 and the new speed limits are on roads that have very few accidents?

[ManDownUnder]

Probably around 60%. Some down to people crossing the centre line for reasons we never usually find out, others to drink driving. The odd one due to unusual circumstances, ie truck tyre blowout=rollover onto a car or something.

Shit - so they're dropping the speed limit AND they have a good reason.

I'm liking this less and less

[BuFfY]

Yeah, like who would have thought they were doing it for our safety! Now that is just crazy

[jimbo600]

Well put it this way. Cops are only aloowed to exceed the posted speed limit by a certain amount before the persuit becomes dangerous. Therefore it'll be easier to do a runner. An action I never used to condone but with the steady erosion of roading common sense its an action we'll all have to consider in the near future if we want to retain our licenses.

Also what pisses me off they pull the 100-80 shit but do away with the license retest for the over 80s. So now you have old myopic fartknockers wobbling around on you side of the road at 60kmh in a 80 (used to be 100) zone with a flotilla of pissed off folk behind them.

[SwanTiger]

You've hit the nail on the head with that one, Motu.

There are a raft of new developments in various areas around the Rodney District where these "Life Style" blocks are being sold.

Has it ever been suggested that each particular type of Vehicle have a maximum allowed speed? Similar to that for large Trucks.

i.e. Something along these lines

• 120 kmp/h - Motorcycles
• 100 kmp/h - Small Vehicles (Cars)
• 90 kmp/h - Large Vehicles (4x4's, Small Trucks, etc.)
• 80 kmp/h Large Trucks (Semi's, etc.)

I think a rating system of braking capabilities is the best way to go about it, have a minimum braking distance for a large vehicle. Then as the vehicles get smaller and their braking abilities increase their top speed increases as well.

EDIT:

Additionally, it would be "practical" to have a License System which (on a regular basis, say 2 - 3 years) the re-action speed of individuals is tested. Some old people are very alert and capable of handling anything thrown at them, however, there are some with reduced capacities and such a License System would weed them out.

Lower re-action speed's would mean that you are only allowed to drive certain types of vehicles which would be restricted to certain speeds in the above list. Obviously a special category would be needed as opposed to what I've written above.

I'd compare this to the "Automatic" and "Manual" License Restrictions, where by if you sit your test in a Automatic vehicle then you are only allowed to drive an Automatic vehicle. Thus, if your re-action time is 30% less than say Mad Max the motorcyclist, then you're stuck in the Volvo and restricted to 80 kmp/h!

Move off SH1 in the Rodney area and you will see why - the New Rich have moved in.In the middle of a back road with nice quiet farmland a concrete drive will snake up a hill....flash new homes with triple garages full of ''leasure'' vehicles.They have moved out of Auckland onto ''lifestyle'' (their lifestyle) blocks.They are why farmers now have to opperate their business out of the public eye...and nose,and with such hectic schedules the roads have to be kept clear so the X5 can wallow around at 76kph.Rodney sucks.

[placidfemme]

You've hit the nail on the head with that one, Motu.

There are a raft of new developments in various areas around the Rodney District where these "Life Style" blocks are being sold.

Has it ever been suggested that each particular type of Vehicle have a maximum allowed speed? Similar to that for large Trucks.

i.e. Something along these lines

• 120 kmp/h - Motorcycles
• 100 kmp/h - Small Vehicles (Cars)
• 90 kmp/h - Large Vehicles (4x4's, Small Trucks, etc.)
• 80 kmp/h Large Trucks (Semi's, etc.)

I think a rating system of braking capabilities is the best way to go about it, have a minimum braking distance for a large vehicle. Then as the vehicles get smaller and their braking abilities increase their top speed increases as well.

Very smart idea...In Zim they have a similar system on most open roads. 60kph in suburbs. 120kph for cars/bikes, 100kph for cars towing trailers and 80kph for trucks/buses... on main roads (not that anyone followed those rules... but then we didn't have traffic cops that could pull you over let alone chase you)

[BuFfY]

But what if you are a car that is driving behind a truck? That doesn't really work because you will always go the speed of the slowest

[SwanTiger]

That is when we murder all the morons of diminished capacity who design most of OUR roads and hire new, intelligent and pragmatic personalities to re-design them.

More passing lanes, straighter pieces of roads in certain places to accomodate over taking.

It works out in the end when you think about it with some intellect. If the truck is restricted to 80kmp/h and you in the car are restricted to 100kmp/h then it is much easier and safer to over take.

At the moment speed margins do not have that much difference, meaning most vehicles cannot over take safely where a truck is doing 90 kmp/h.

But what if you are a car that is driving behind a truck? That doesn't really work because you will always go the speed of the slowest

[James Deuce]

It works out in the end when you think about it with some intellect. If the truck is restricted to 80kmp/h and you in the car are restricted to 100kmp/h then it is much easier and safer to over take.

One hopes that isn't a mechanical or electronic speed limiter one is talking about there.

[Karma]

i.e. Something along these lines

• 120 kmp/h - Motorcycles
• 100 kmp/h - Small Vehicles (Cars)
• 90 kmp/h - Large Vehicles (4x4's, Small Trucks, etc.)
• 80 kmp/h Large Trucks (Semi's, etc.)

Nah man... I'd say I'm capable of driving a car faster and safer than most bikes can go.

I've driven in the UK at like 130mph (ie. 200kph+) without any problems, BUT that was only because there is a sense of trust that the other road users know what they are doing.

In NZ I barely feel safe doing 100kph on SH1 because you never know when someone will cut in front of you leaving about 2m stopping distance...

[SwanTiger]

No, think about it in real world terms. Most large trucks do 100kmp/h anyway, they'll struggle up a hill and then blast down the other side. It is difficult to over take one WITHOUT HITTING 120 kmp/h.

If they are "restricted" to 80 kmp/h and will average 85 - 90 kmp/h and you in a car being restricted to 100vkmp/h and doing 110 kmp/h have a much larger window of opportunity.

Get someone to drive past you at 10 kmp/h and then again at 20 kmp/h, at 20 kmp/h the difference is quite noticable.

EDIT:

This type of logic alone would decrease the number of fatal crashes on SH1, most of which occur around the major passing lanes. People will exceed their "comfortable speed zone" and loose control.

One hopes that isn't a mechanical or electronic speed limiter one is talking about there.

[BuFfY]

But if they are going over 100 (the trucks) then what is the point in passing them? The speed limit is 100!! Yeah some trucks don't go as fast up hill, but so do a lot of cars that I follow on the motorway

People are normally aware of the speed at which their car/bike/truck can travel at comfortably and within the speed limit so seperate speed limits for each should not be needed. As many of the signs say these days.. it is not a target

[James Deuce]

It takes too long to overtake an 18m vehicle travelling at 80km/hr with only a 20km/hr speed differential. More people will die.

I like to get my passes done as quickly as possible irrepsective of speed limits.

It's safer that way.

[The Pastor]

nooooooooooooooooooooooo