International Road Safety Conference in NZ

[Blackbird]

Did anyone see the sound bite on TV1 news last night from this conference? I hope it wasn't just me but was anyone else who saw it more than a bit alarmed as well as angered? There was a Scandinavian "expert" who was all for hauling the speed limit way down. He went on to advise the government not to listen to the "vocal" minority who might oppose this. If that's not totalitarianism, I don't know what is. Of course, that approach will appeal to Auntie H who knows what's best for us. Then there was an English "expert" who pompously said "The problem is speed, end of story".

I can just imagine these international conference attendees trying to impose ready made solutions which may not be applicable to our conditions. I know sound bites don't give time for a proper qualification of the facts but utterances like that without a proper analaysis of statistics to go with them scares me. We've already seen in the "Safe As" campaign scant regard for cause and effect by the authorities and it looks like more of the same from this lot.

Paranoid, Moi?

[sels1]

Saw a bit on the news this morning. Agree with your comments. Definetly cause for concern.

[James Deuce]

There's a whole bunch of agendas behind these "experts".

The oil companies want us to reduce consumption so we can use their product longer, without having to do anything to their methods or infrastructure.

The one Scandanavian country I know about (Norway) has TERRIBLE rural roads. Absolutely bloody awful. An 80 km/hr open road speed limit makes perfect sense in a country where the terrain is so bad you build causeways in the North Sea to build your motorways on.

The Green movement wants us to reduce oil consumption.

The British expert no doubt has the same goal at heart as the NZ Government. Motorists as a revenue stream.

[Fat Tony]

Bodies in the UK are now advocating a maximum 40mph limit on all rural roads, and also prompting for a reduction of the motorway limit - carbon emissions being the reason for that one apparently

I just give up...

[Drum]

The TVNZ news didnt even get the name of the conference right - They called it the "institute of transport", when really it is the annual conference of the Institute of Professional Engineers of NZ - Transportation Group.

I have been to several of these conferences and never seen anything come out of them, so dont get too worried.

[Timber020]

Sounds like a good tax gathering scheme. 40mph on local roads, then allowed pursuit speeds would probably be pulled down to. Heck imagine outrunning the cops at 130 kmph! The bragging rights of being able to outrun the cops and not get out of first gear would be something else.

Of course speeding is wrong, it kills many people every year. Its the biggest killers of people on the planet. If it wasnt for speed there would have been no blitzkrieg, thus no occupation of europe, thus no holocaust.

SPEED CAUSED THE HOLOCAUST!

if the titanic wasnt moving it would have never plowed into that iceberg

SPEED SANK THE TITANIC!

Could you fly a boeing into the world trade centre if you didnt have speed?

SPEED CAUSED 911!

And if sperm didnt move as fast they would die before imprenating anyone.

SPEED CREATED CELINE DION! perhaps the greatest disaster of all.

[Blackbird]

The TVNZ news didnt even get the name of the conference right - They called it the "institute of transport", when really it is the annual conference of the Institute of Professional Engineers of NZ - Transportation Group.

I have been to several of these conferences and never seen anything come out of them, so dont get too worried.

Interesting! I didn't realise that it was an IPENZ conference as I let my membership lapse a few years ago and have lost touch with their activities. One of my overseas mates is coming to work for LTSA in just over a month. He's already a member of KB and I'm sure that he will be a valuable ally in future.

[bobsmith]

The TVNZ news didnt even get the name of the conference right - They called it the "institute of transport", when really it is the annual conference of the Institute of Professional Engineers of NZ - Transportation Group.

I have been to several of these conferences and never seen anything come out of them, so dont get too worried.

Strange.... Didn't think they'd be talking about idiotic things like that at a IPENZ conference..... but then again, it would be mostly civil engineers that are angry they're sitting at a conference instead of a bar I suppose.... Funny though, most engineers I know (none of them civil though) drive like complete maniacs.

[Blackbird]

Funny though, most engineers I know (none of them civil though) drive like complete maniacs.

Ahem........

[bobsmith]

Ahem........

are you trying to tell us that you're in civil ? or that you drive like a maniac? or both?

[Blackbird]

are you trying to tell us that you're in civil ? or that you drive like a maniac? or both?

Hehe, I'm trying to tell you that I'm Mechanical and according to some on this site, a Blackbird is pipe and slippers material so I guess that I ride like a nana

[Lou Girardin]

A road safety conference in NZ and they're pushing the speed kills agenda.
What a surprise! Does anyone think they actually want contrasting opinions?

[scumdog]

And there's also talk of raising the age one can obtain a driver licence - is that to bring it into line with the age one can purchase alcohol??

[Lou Girardin]

And there's also talk of raising the age one can obtain a driver licence - is that to bring it into line with the age one can purchase alcohol??

'They' should make it 30 for both.

[Finn]

No doubt these pricks were hand selected.

We've got enough crazy people in the country. Why don't some of them take these people out? Start at the top though.