"Speed police can't hide"

[StoneChucker]

Dominion Post, 19/10/04

(I was going to type it out word for word, but I have to get back to work, so here's a concise version.)

Police officers can no linger hide in bushes, or camouflage themselves in order to catch speeding drivers.
Police bosses have issued a tough new speed enforcement guide. The move follows the deployment of mobile speed cameras, an increase in the number of speeding fines issued and a spate of negative publicity on the lengths police were going to catch speedsters.

Key point: Police vehicles or officers' uniforms may not be hidden. All speed measuring devices are to be employed in an overt manner. The only exception is unmarked police vehicles used for speed enforcement.

Dom post revealed in April, 14 unmarked police cars are being rotated around the country to target dangerous drivers. guidelines also spell out how discretion should be applied. Other then in exceptional circumstances, anyone driving 11km/h over the limit, or 6km/h in heavy vehicles, will be ticketed. Drivers not exceeding these limits should not be ticketed unless their speed poses a risk to public safety.

Just FYI

[rodgerd]

Key point: Police vehicles or officers' uniforms may not be hidden. All speed measuring devices are to be employed in an overt manner. The only exception is unmarked police vehicles used for speed enforcement.

Good. If the point is deterrence, visibility of the cops does more to deter than lurking in bushes.

guidelines also spell out how discretion should be applied. Other then in exceptional circumstances, anyone driving 11km/h over the limit, or 6km/h in heavy vehicles, will be ticketed. Drivers not exceeding these limits should not be ticketed unless their speed poses a risk to public safety.

Yeah, and we'll still hear the bleating from the "111 is only 1 km/h over, where's the discretion!?" crowd...

[Pwalo]

Good. If the point is deterrence, visibility of the cops does more to deter than lurking in bushes.

Couldn't agree more. Can't be a deterrent if you can't see them. There's nothing like seeing the boys in blue out on the roads to make you watch your driving.

Yeah, and we'll still hear the bleating from the "111 is only 1 km/h over, where's the discretion!?" crowd...

Yep, seems that 10km/h is a reasonable leeway, just have to watch those overtakes.

[FzerozeroT]

"hey officer, You weren't being overt, coming over the crest of that hill like that" think that'll work?

[The Pastor]

I though on overtaking you can go 120 (in a 100 zone)?


Does this mean if a cop is hiding and he tickets me I can say "you're not allowed to hide so you cant give me a ticket" Or is it going to be "we're not allowed to hide but you're still going to get the ticket for being and arrogant son of gun"?

[Mr Skid]

I though on overtaking you can go 120 (in a 100 zone)?

Can you report back to us your sucess with this though(t)?

[The Pastor]

Well, I don’t go over 100 so I don’t need to over take. But I thought the overtaking was 120, at least that’s what my driving instructor told me (I think)

[The Pastor]

And the fact is everyone travells at 110 so if your overtaking a car or bike thats doing 110 you're not goning to get very far, And often the room you have to overtake is not long enough for a slow overtake, Granted if they are going 110 you shouldn't need to overtake but I'm guessing thats not going to stop people.

[F5 Dave]

It is a pretty loose urban myth that 120 is ok for overtaking.

Problem is when you are following people, there is a cretin at the front who will do 80 or less, have a line of cars behind him & speed up when he gets to a passing lane so you have to REALLY break the law to get past, then slows right down when the lanes merge.

Cops are often seen at the end of over taking areas for this reason.

The psychology of this person in front is either they don’t feel safe driving faster on single lane roads & do when it gets straight & open, or more likely they have small penises & this is the only way they get to control others so they speed up to stop people passing & slow down when they can’t.

Drives people crazy, if everyone could do a consistent 100k on the open road then there would be a lot less crazy overtaking manoeuvres road rage & risk taking. & probably a lot less desire to speed to make up for lost time & frustration.

Don’t expect the LTSA to be pushing this idea in the near future . . .

Though they did surprise me with the ‘brake on the straight’ adds & more regular eyesight checks for oldies ideas (I really believe people should have to get their eyes checked more often to keep a licence) so am prepared for them to surprise me again by doing something sensible.

Bring it on.

[jrandom]

... if everyone could do a consistent 100k on the open road then there would be a lot less crazy overtaking manoeuvres road rage & risk taking.

I have personally observed on longish cage drives that, even taking into account my usual self-enforced 110kph ceiling, I am always travelling faster than everybody else on the road, bar the occasional Porsche, WRX, et cetera zipping into the distance.

Most drivers certainly average far less than 100kph on our open roads, even though many are quite driveable in a modern car at the speed limit.

I suspect that a driver education programme pushing a philosophy of concentration and attention to vehicle control would result in a lessening of high-speed silliness by frustrated would-be passers; the median speed would creep toward the actual open-road limit as drivers abrogated their need to stay 20-30kph under it while they drank their Diet Coke, twiddled with the volume on their Dire Straits albums and handed chewy alligator lollies to the toddlers in the back.

[Edit: Mmmm. Chewy alligator lollies...]

[rodgerd]

Though they did surprise me with the ‘brake on the straight’ adds & more regular eyesight checks for oldies ideas (I really believe people should have to get their eyes checked more often to keep a licence) so am prepared for them to surprise me again by doing something sensible.

Sadly, among Harry Ds more sensible ideas is that he's bowing to the almighty voting power of the oldies in this area. Despite the fact that crashes and fatalities involving and caused by older drivers are spiraling up relative to other age groups, there are likely to be further, agressive roll-backs on mandatory retesting for elderly drivers and special licenses for within 10km of home, with relaxed test conditions/fitness applied (great comfort if you get killed by some half-blind moron, I'm sure, that they were within 10 km of home...)

[vifferman]

Sadly, among Harry Ds more sensible ideas is that he's bowing to the almighty voting power of the oldies in this area. Despite the fact that crashes and fatalities involving and caused by older drivers are spiraling up relative to other age groups, there are likely to be further, agressive roll-backs on mandatory retesting for elderly drivers and special licenses for within 10km of home, with relaxed test conditions/fitness applied (great comfort if you get killed by some half-blind moron, I'm sure, that they were within 10 km of home...)

All part of the general malaise that views driving as a right, not as a privilege and serious responsibility.:spudwhat:

My mother drives OK (she's 74), but I reckon she'd be better off financially if she used taxis instead of owning a car.

[F5 Dave]

. . . albums and handed chewy alligator lollies to the toddlers in the back.

[Edit: Mmmm. Chewy alligator lollies...]

When I have kids they will never even find out there are such things as Chewy Alligator lollies.

I’ll just cough or say I’m chewing tobacco. Little buggers would eat ‘em all, I’m sure.

[spudchucka]

I though on overtaking you can go 120 (in a 100 zone)?

Theres this thing, its called the road code. Ever seen it? Ever read it?

[spudchucka]

Key point: Police vehicles or officers' uniforms may not be hidden. All speed measuring devices are to be employed in an overt manner. The only exception is unmarked police vehicles used for speed enforcement.

I reckon its a good move. An overt presence is best as a deterant and it will help to shut the whingers up too.