Why traffic police are a GOOD thing

[Bob]

Why are they a good thing? Because they stop twats like the one I saw this morning.

I have to get onto a major roundabout on the way to work (a motorway, plus two main 'A' roads come off of it) - at rush hour it takes some patience.

So I am sitting behind three cars in the entry lane. Then one of the cars in front of me moves wide - which is odd, as we're already in the outside lane.

Then I find out why - he waits for his chance, then drives into the EXIT lane! Then screeches out onto the roundabout.

I was so pleased to see that the police patrol car that had gone past a little earlier had noticed where he had placed himself and monitored him and what he was doing, then pulled him at the next set of lights.

Given the way he did this, I would guess it isn't the first time - on our speed-camera-dominated roads over here, he wouldn't be exceeding the limit, so his misdemeanor would not be picked up.

I know you guys are getting cameras over there - wonder how long it will be before you start asking for your police patrols back?

[thehollowmen]

We already want them back

The human element is now gone from the tickets.. I don't get stopped in inner city going 80 down george st with a cop behind me (it was an accident, I didn't realise how fast I could go) and they don't stop people now unless it is major....

On the other side of things... the speed camera adverts SHOWED US why we need the patrols back. A wife comes into the hospital with a letter and says "it was the same day" as he got into the accident that killed some kids and a lady...

Had he been chased down and pulled over by the cop I think the advert would end with the kids would be still staring wide eyed as they passed him getting a ticket...

ok... rant over... bed for me now.. sorry if that was innapropriate

[StoneChucker]

I'm under the impression that they are a whole lot stricter in terms of traffic law enforcement over there in the UK, than here in NZ. On the whole I think thats really good, and look forward to when they start something like it here. However, I do take great enjoyment in stretching my bike's legs from time to time, but I guess I should take it to the track if thats what I'm after.

It wouldn't really affect me anyway, since believe it or not I actually obey the traffic law 100% of the time in my car, and most of the time on my bike. I've heard talk of new cameras mounted in the reflectors on the road, which would make identification impossible. They have quite a few more patrol cars in the UK so I hear, and some/all with video recorders? And cameras with timed markers, ie: time you between two points = speed. Quite sophisticated really, but I think anything like it in NZ would be a long way away.

I reckon to improve NZ road safety, they could make an effort to ensure the roads are physically safer. Not only the road condition, which in places is worse than I've seen in Cape Town, but also the road design, which at times invites trouble.

What scares me most on the roads, as I'm sure it is for everyone, are the other CARS out there. I'm 100% for stricter laws / new designs to make the roads safer.

Of course, on the best roads, with the safest laws, there's always going to be a drunk/inexperienced/tired/accident prone/whatever driver, so you accept a certain level of danger when you decide to go out.

[Bob]

The police cars do have cameras and speed monitoring equipment etc... which is a good thing.

BUT... the traffic patrols away from motorways are disappearing faster than contact lenses at a basketball rally. And are being replaced with static speed cameras (known as GATSO).

I rarely see a patrol car on my way to/from work. Maybe I'll spot one along the 15 mile route - but that will be in town, rather on the major 'A' road that I use to get from the local roads to the roads approaching work.

This 'A' road has - along the 10 miles or so that I use - 6 of these cameras. With the result that there are no traffic police on the road. The only thing these cameras do is monitor speed. Any bad driving? Just carry on doing it, the cameras will not pick this up.

Back in the days of police patrols, do something stupid, get pulled over and warned, issued a ticket or whatever. But as long as you stay inside the limit (and all anyone actually does is speed up to the camera, brake and then speed up when outside the camera range) you can do anything else you like.

The other nightmare is that a lot of car drivers (I'm being specific as bikers and truck drivers all know what is going on around them) will see a camera and brake... no matter what speed they are doing. The times we're in a 50, the car in front is doing 50... but slows to 40... almost every day of the week. It sometimes happens that someone is doing 40 in a 50... but still slows to 30!

I'm all for cameras where they will be genuinely useful - near schools for example (but they can't place them there - they can only be located where there have been more than 8 accidents in 3 years) - but when they are put on straight bits of road - and in the case of the road I use every day, a road than has no pedestrian access or slip roads on the straights - they are there to collect speeding fines only.

If we had real, actual police, who looked at road conditions, how you were riding/driving etc., I for one would feel a lot safer.

Our government takes speed to be the reason for all road ills - a naive viewpoint, but a useful one for statistics, as it is easy to put out lots of cameras, get lots of fines then say "Look Voters! Since we put the camera in Site X, there have been no accidents there. We are so wise! Vote for us again!" - meanwhile, the accidents have moved 50 yards down the road...

I'll put my soapbox away with thehollowmens...

[StoneChucker]

Our government takes speed to be the reason for all road ills - a naive viewpoint

Agree 100% And it's the same here too. When you hear the police giving a report of an accident, they ALWAYS mention they "Think speed was a factor" or "Are deciding whether speed was a factor". They get even more gun-ho when someone "young" is involved. Hell, I'd hate to have an accident in my car (slightly sporty), being 23 I'd be guilty of being a speeding boy racer, until proved a speeding boy racer.

[Mongoose]

Bad luck for the young fella down this way tonight then. Not only did he find the patrol car with radar working, he decided not to stop for it and managed to get to about 160kmh(100mph for our Pommy Bros) on a short straight, but slowed down to 120k for the twisties still with patrol car in tow. Then Oooooops, ran out of road,well, maybe some one shifted the road, who knows?, but now minus one car, guess license as well and the sorry sad job of telling Mum why she has no car now.
Needs more on the road coppers for the effect to work, as soon as the human policing lowers so does the due care and attention.

[Bob]

As soon as the human policing lowers so does the due care and attention.

Amen to that... now if only you could come over here and hammer the message into our politico's heads...

[thehollowmen]

oh
I should say..

To all you police on the forum... we love you and you do a great job and we want more of you and less of those mechanised monstrocities that don't stop accidents and just seem to collect money...

*beam*
(can you tell I'm a lot more human after sugar and coffee?)

[James Deuce]

Traffic police would be bloody nice to have back.

The only drawback of commuting to work on a bike is not being able to *555 (police hotline for reporting mad bastards and P addicts driving on the road). I left work early on Wednesday to take Heather to the dentist and followed a bloke in a baseball cap driving a Ford Laser station wagon in a bloody erratic fashion. I went to go round him and he veered at me so I sat back a bit and watched him wobble down the Hutt Motorway. Got to the Korokoro lights, pulled up alongside and he's f__king texting like a frenzied crack whore. We drove past a patrol car parked up on the Hutt motorway. He obviously didn't notice the unindicated lunges from lane to plane as this plonker tried to drive and text at the same time.

[spudchucka]

oh
I should say..

To all you police on the forum... we love you and you do a great job and we want more of you and less of those mechanised monstrocities that don't stop accidents and just seem to collect money...

*beam*
(can you tell I'm a lot more human after sugar and coffee?)

Thanks, and by the way most cops I know would agree with your sentiments about speed cameras. Bloody things are a pain in the butt!

[riffer]

Thanks, and by the way most cops I know would agree with your sentiments about speed cameras. Bloody things are a pain in the butt!

So who does like speed cameras then?

[TwoSeven]

Its funny - but they wouldnt collect money if you didnt speed.


I dont have a prob with the cameras. Think they are a good idea.


And in the UK they do have cameras that notify when someone is trying to do something stupid - like drive up a motorway the wrong way. Just not everywhere.

[Yokai]

Traffic police would be bloody nice to have back.

*555 (police hotline for reporting mad bastards and P addicts driving on the road).

Thanks for that!! As a cager and newbie biker I see a fair bunch of idiots up here in Dorkland... Now I know what to do (or rather what number to tell my gf to call)

Re: Having Traffic police - what bugs me is that the roads that should be patrolled aren't... For the cops out here - nip out to Franklin on a Friday night or Saturday morning, and Sunday evening. There's a good Long stretch (about 2K) of straight road - this always has someone doing a ton (160k) at some point during the weekend getaway to the coromandel.

And speeders and erratic drivers give everyone a bad name - Speeding boy racer cars give careful owners who like nice cars a bad name, speeding bikes give us lot a bad name.

Yo

[vifferman]

Thanks for that!! As a cager and newbie biker I see a fair bunch of idiots up here in Dorkland... Now I know what to do (or rather what number to tell my gf to call)

I think that if you have two people (the caller and a witness/passenger) who are prepared to make a statement, then the person reported on can be charged, based on your testimony. Otherwise, the police will try to respond if notified, and hopefully will catch the idiot in the act.

And speeders and erratic drivers give everyone a bad name - Speeding boy racer cars give careful owners who like nice cars a bad name, speeding bikes give us lot a bad name.

Sounds like you're either very sensible, or haven't ridden a bike that's infected with the GoFaster virus (i.e., heaps of power). But you're right, inasmuch as bike riders who are inconsiderate or reckless law-breakers do tend to tar us all with the same brush. F'rinstance - bikers who just ride down the centre of the road, overtaking everything despite on-coming traffic; guys on bikes who lane-split when the traffic is moving at 80 km/h; guys who do stoppies or wheelies in traffic; bikers who weave in and out of the traffic; eedjits who exceed the speed limit by dangerous margins.

[Yokai]

Sounds like you're either very sensible, or haven't ridden a bike that's infected with the GoFaster virus (i.e., heaps of power).

Yup - that's me - sensible and a newbie learner... therefore I don't want to go super fast... I like to go at a nice sensible speed at the moment

But you're right, inasmuch as bike riders who are inconsiderate or reckless law-breakers ... ...eedjits who exceed the speed limit by dangerous margins.

Yeah - I didn't really mean the odd 10K or so over the top, I meant the 2 idiots on those blue and white sports bikes in Dorkland last night who were doing around 100 down Ponsnobby Road...

Its the recklessness that bugs me - if you want to take your bike out and go fast - go to a track day, you are less likely to hit someone/piss off the locals/annoy a cop/die.

*shrug*

Yo