More restrictions and speed limits coming up. Announcement 13 December

[McJim]

Hmm. Bit reactionary of me but ...

That's alright - they were only concerned about the unfounded accusations of which there weren't many - the Founded Accusations based on actual Police memos aren't referred to in that document.

[car]

how about 1) increasing learner driver training and making it harder for idiots to get licences

Or the blind: my missus reckons that there was a woman in when she went to do her theory test that took forever to pass the sight test because, when she tried to read the left-hand column with her left eye, "there's nothing there -- it's all grey". Half a dozen retests and she got one through.

Never mind, it's only cyclists and pedestrians on that side of the car, eh?

2) raise the age at which you can learn to drive and get a full licence and

Skill is skill. If they can pass the test and they're still dangerous, the test is wrong. Meritocracy rules. I'd much rather that the apparently healthy teenager who was in before me got his license than the woman who couldn't see anything to the left of her nose got one.

3) improve the state of NZ roads.

No arguments here. Who's going to pay for the new windscreen on my bloody Odyssey, eh? Or the paint repairs?

Just the thoughts of a crazy lady....

I'm not crazy: I have this certificate, look.

[bell]

Will someone kindly enlighten me as to how the continued policy of allowing radar detectors aligns with the aims of the government's current road safety 'initiatives'?

[Jantar]

Will someone kindly enlighten me as to how the continued policy of allowing radar detectors aligns with the aims of the government's current road safety 'initiatives'?

That's simple. There are no documented cases of radar detectors ever causing accidents. In fact the opposite is true. Radar detectors tend to make the rider/driver more aware of their speed and more aware of other traffic around them.

[SPman]

80kpa is way too slow for motorways.

Why - not enough pressure.

[bell]

That's simple. There are no documented cases of radar detectors ever causing accidents. In fact the opposite is true. Radar detectors tend to make the rider/driver more aware of their speed and more aware of other traffic around them.

Ha! Your suggestion would be laughable if it was not so absurd.

Please explain how exactly a radar detector can 'make a rider/driver more aware of their speed' when the process of being aware of one's speed is as simple as looking at the speedometer of the vehicle.

These devices are not a substitute in any way for riders/drivers simply adhering to the posted speed limits on our roads. You choose to exceed that limit and you should also accept the consequences of same.

[scumdog]

Yes it all seems (thank goodness) to be a bit of a damp squid.

Info is vague but so far reported are

But no speed camera demerits (that will piss off the plod)

THAT comment goes straight into my 'wanky' list.

Never met a plod yet that has said the get pissed off by no demerits for speed cameras.
Most are like me and put it in the 'who cares'? catagory.

But don't let me squash yet another urban myth.

[Ixion]

You haven't met Asst Commissioner Wright (or whatever his title is) then ? Dude with all the silver scrambled egg n his cap. At the Safeas workshops. Declared that "we were wasting our time until there were demerits on speed cameras.

Don't imagine frontline cops care less, it doesn't affect them , but HQ definately want them.

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

Please explain how exactly a radar detector can 'make a rider/driver more aware of their speed' when the process of being aware of one's speed is as simple as looking at the speedometer of the vehicle.

These devices are not a substitute in any way for riders/drivers simply adhering to the posted speed limits on our roads. You choose to exceed that limit and you should also accept the consequences of same.

I tend to agree, but it is so easy for the speed to creep up with noticing, without intention... and then you get pinged... its murphys law (murphy is a prat yah know)... Mr plod don't get the ones that speed all the time on purpose...just you... (which is one reason I am going to get cruise control, and GPS though the GPS is for other things too but it will have a record of highest speed and if its way different from Mr Plods dopler shift read out then housten we have a problem)

Anyway you react more to an alarm with sound... thats why pilots have warning alarms sound when things aint right, and not just a flashing light on the dash that can go un-noticed... So if you take note of the radar detectors audible warning (even with the false alarms) you do tend to keep your speed down...

I also find riding in groups its easier to keep the speed down as well. (unless the group itself is going like a bat out hell...then I try to avoid riding with that group)

I don't have a radar dector (i use too) and am thinking about getting another one... though I am running out room in my dash... hmmmm

[Lou Girardin]

Ha! Your suggestion would be laughable if it was not so absurd.

Please explain how exactly a radar detector can 'make a rider/driver more aware of their speed' when the process of being aware of one's speed is as simple as looking at the speedometer of the vehicle.

These devices are not a substitute in any way for riders/drivers simply adhering to the posted speed limits on our roads. You choose to exceed that limit and you should also accept the consequences of same.

US studies have shown that detector users have the same rate of accidents as non-users, but the mileage they cover is far higher. Ergo, their accident rate is lower.
It's not a matter of the detector making you safer, rather, drivers that use them are safer.
If you want to preach about obeying speed limits, you are definitely in the wrong forum. Perhaps the 'Safe as" one would be more welcoming.

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

Since 1990 the number of vehicles on the road has increased by 46% while Police reported injuries have dropped by 14%, road deaths have dropped by 49% and the number of days spent in hospital as a result of road crashes has dropped by 47%.

http://www.transport.govt.nz/monthlyoverview/

I know Im not good at math, but I aint that bad either... tells me we aren't doing that bad over all...

[Jantar]

Ha! Your suggestion would be laughable if it was not so absurd.

Please explain how exactly a radar detector can 'make a rider/driver more aware of their speed' when the process of being aware of one's speed is as simple as looking at the speedometer of the vehicle.

These devices are not a substitute in any way for riders/drivers simply adhering to the posted speed limits on our roads. You choose to exceed that limit and you should also accept the consequences of same.

I agree with only one of your comments "These devices are not a substitute in any way for riders/drivers simply adhering to the posted speed limits on our roads", but then who claimed they were?
Further, why do you assume that because I have a radar detector I choose to exceed the speed limit? In fact I have found that since having a radar detector fitted I am more often riding within the speed limit.

The detector makes a rider more aware of his speed because he gets more reminders to glance down at the speedo. I might add here that on most occassions I still pick the police car up by eye before the detector goes off, and on most occassions that the detector is my first warning I am already under the speed limit. If the cop is using his radar correctly then a detector will not prevent a speeding ticket, it will only inform you that you have just been pinged.

[madandy]

I agree with only one of your comments "These devices are not a substitute in any way for riders/drivers simply adhering to the posted speed limits on our roads", but then who claimed they were?
Further, why do you assume that because I have a radar detector I choose to exceed the speed limit? In fact I have found that since having a radar detector fitted I am more often riding within the speed limit.

The detector makes a rider more aware of his speed because he gets more reminders to glance down at the speedo. I might add here that on most occassions I still pick the police car up by eye before the detector goes off, and on most occassions that the detector is my first warning I am already under the speed limit. If the cop is using his radar correctly then a detector will not prevent a speeding ticket, it will only inform you that you have just been pinged.

You either have extrememly super human eyesight or a crap radar detector dude!

[Jantar]

You either have extrememly super human eyesight or a crap radar detector dude!

Not really. If a cop is using his radar correctly then he has it on standby mode until you are only 4 - 500 meters or so away from him. If you are watching for other traffic then you should pick up the cop car at around 6 - 800 meters. If the cop is lazy and leaves his radar on all the time then the detector will pick it a couple of kms away or even more on a straight road.

[candor]

[QUOTE=NighthawkNZ;864109I know Im not good at math, but I aint that bad either... tells me we aren't doing that bad over all...[/QUOTE]

Its only spin. We're doing terribly - about 15th in OECD lands as far as per capita toll goes. 2-3x the chance of dying on road than most civilised places eg UK, or Sweden which has ice and rampaging mooses.

Around one in 50 of us are dying on the road, its a veritable blood bath.

Course it sounds sweet how they put it. But we don't have the same rates of syphilis or TB (normally) that we had 50 years ago. Nor should we.

What I'm saying is we are way way behind other countries due to the goals they've set for us. Policy document specifically states our goal is by 2010 to lag behind the best countries by ten years in our per capita tolls. Yaay! Not.

The Breen report hammered NZ for having peple who don't demand a safe infrastructue and a governmen that provides a road safety policy in conflict with injury prevention goals. How does "we want or will accept 300 dead" tie in with injury prevention. Shuld we aim for the same number of drownings too! Good countries aim for no deaths and are getting close.