I can't see the problem with our road toll?

[Bren]

Worldwide Death Rates...2004

OECD Pos'n a

Per Capita Death Rate (2004) b

Country c

Number of Deaths, 2004

Trend in Number of Deaths

Population (millions) d

VMT/VKmT Rate (2003) e

3

2

5.33

Sweden

480 f

- 9.3% f

9.0

8.3

4

3

5.34

United Kingdom

3,221 h

- 7.9% f

60.3

7.5

6

5

5.76

Japan

7,358 l

- 17.11%

127.7

11.2

13

12

7.94

Australia

1,596 i

- 1.5% i

20.1

8.0

20

15

10.74

New Zealand

436 j

- 5.0%

4.06

12.4

40

27

14.53

USA

42,636 m

- 0.58%

293.5

9.4 m

50

--

24.01

Russian Federation

34,506 f

- 3.1% f

143.7

This is only part of the table.
Find complete table here

[Ocean1]

Worldwide Death Rates...2004

Veeery inneresting.

And I see that NZ has the highest improvement in fatality rates in the years 1988 - 2001. And the third best performance in 1992 - 2001.

A relatively high rate per kilometre traveled compared to similar countries, but I suspect that's at least partly attributable to geographic conditions. Australia likely has the most similar cultural, economic, ethnic and vehicle class categories, but they probably tend to spend more high speed kilometers on bits of desert, rather than the seriously bent and narrow roads here...

[Bren]

Glad I dont drive/ride in Russia

[swbarnett]

1. Our road toll is not as bad as the media would have us believe (If we can reduce it all the better but we have bigger problems in NZ).

2. We are not as good as some countries but better than others (As of 2002 we were about the middle of the list of countries on http://www.driveandstayalive.com/inf..._1988-2001.htm on a per capita basis)

3. There may be ways to reduce the road toll that do not involve penalising the innocent but ...

4. The government has no interest in reducing the road toll; only lining it's own coffers and staying in power.

5. Punitive actions towards drivers have little or no effect on the road toll.

6. TV advertising has no effect other than to convince the general public that driving is more dangerous than it really is.

And, most important of all:

7. Our freedom is being eroded for no good reason!

[candor]

You might like to think again... if the view is broadened beyond fatalities we are going backward like NO OTHER country. The road toll is indeed a growth industry.

Hospitalisations rose 25% since 2000.

In 2006 we’d climbed to being in the top 3 of 29 IRTAD countries for killing kids under 15 on roads per 1000 head. We're 3rd for killing 15-24 year olds, showing our graduated license system has been a loser.

Between 2000 - 2006 fatal or serious injury causing crash numbers steadily rose each year from 2152 to 2485.

Total injury causing crashes rose from 7830 to 10943. Hospitalisations rose from 5986 (2000) to 7427 (2006).

The goal for hospitalisations by 2010 which would bring us in line with best countries, but only at the year 2000 is 4500. LOLOLOLOL

Between 2001-2006 Accident Compensation motor vehicle crash new claim rose near 30% & costs from 53.9 to 75.7 million.

Checkpoints - big increase in these has put more people "in conflict with the law" so chase related deaths and injuries tripled in recent years (average of 39 persons affected now yearly).

In 2000 road crashes incurred a 3 billion social cost, Government’s 2010 target set then was a little over 2.15 billion, but by 2006 it had risen to 3.5 billion. Target was set scientifically se we'd equal the best countries a decade earlier (be like the UK was in 2000 by 2010). The continuing bungling is not good fiscal management.

Fatalities not down due to reduced crashes - crashes up - life changing injuries up. Head injuries and spinal are the bulk of the road toll and ought not be forgotten. Sensible countries in tallying harm count KSI' (killer and serious injury crashes) and aim to reduce the total numbers.

http://nz-road-safety-2010-dismal-fa...targetting.htm
Quotas for seatbelt, alcohol and speed infractions arent exactly working - + there is no plan of action once they catch prats.

The white rose campaign and BADD are on track I reckon.

http://www.safe-nz.org.nz/crossroads/index.html

If the star 555 campaign gets off the ground NZ Police may be forced to allot more time to loose patrols trouble shooting "visible violations" and get off this cabbage patch cop number of speeder stalking, and this and this lets tax light drinkers with a limit drop at ever increasing checkpoints buzz.

I find it strange that such a totalitarian Govt as we have is not flat out road building. All fascist dictators build great and safe roads - look at Germany and Iraq! If they only did that we could become less of a Police enforcement state. Checkpoints are more about crim fishing nets than rd safety imo.

Many countries with minimal tolls don't have them.

As others have stated - if they were really interested in speed solutions exist.
The logic of trying to control the toll with primarily enforcement is like putting 100 life guards on a shark ridden beach. Not smart but its what we get. Can we make a silk purse from a sows ear?

[Pixie]

The road toll is a lot of shit.
it gives the media something to focus on
it give the politicians something to appear to be improving
it gives the cops something to raise revenue over.
The average drip is indoctrinated to believe it is an important issue.

Annette King - now minister of transport says the toll is too high at 400 odd.
Annette King - when the bitch was minister of health,said testing for prostate cancer was unimportant as it was better that men did not find out about their potential conditions - 600 deaths from prostate cancer a year is no big deal.

[Pixie]

exactly... ive spotted at least 2 unregoed vehicles in my 2 years, and seen many more with unrestrained kids. 2 out of date cars may not seem like many, but keep in mind i work an average of 26 hrs a week... so how many come in that i dont see? both vehicles were several years out. one looked like it was headed to the scrap yard, and the other i think was a housebus going to be restored.

Not having at rego is not obeying the rules! Oooooh!
I'm not sure anyone has died of it.
I've seen testing stations miss obviously dangerous faults and issue wof's

[Pixie]

Queensland has no WoF system whatsoever. People aren't falling out of cars and running off the road.

I think he does mean rego, though.

This is common. Wof's don't exists in most parts of the US.
The cops will issue defects for dead headlights/tail lights,check tyres at the same time.
When was the last time a stupid NZ cop looked at the WOF sticker at a checkpoint and actually looked to see if the tyres were ok?

[swbarnett]

Between 2000 - 2006 fatal or serious injury causing crash numbers steadily rose each year from 2152 to 2485.

While I agree that the upward trend is not good that's still only one KSI for approximately every 1100 vehicles or every 11million km (on an average of 10,000km per vehicle per year). We have bigger problems that don't get nearly the same attention.

[Ixion]

I was reading a blog from a cop in Texas the other night. This point came up. He reckoned it was good not having an inspection regime. He did LOTS of stops for vehicle equipment. Minor stuff like 'tag lamps' (number plate lights I think , they talk funny), brake lights. Didn't usually ticket any, but it gave him a good chance to check out the vehicle. For 'other stuff'. And if someone tried to get smart he could most always find something defective to ping them on . He reckoned that there was very little chance of a car with serious defects not being picked up by their patrols. Mind you , they seem to actually PATROL a shit load more than NZ cops.

Realistically, WoF is pretty much a waste of time. It's long since ceased to have any real safety relevance (not saying it didn't once - when they were introduced some cars were dodgy as ). Nowdays it's more a political correctness inspection. Noise, emissions, can anyone tell me how those are safety related.

They'd be better to incorporate the checks into booze bus and licence/rego stopping checkpoints which they already have. A good mechanic can suss anything seriously defective in a couple of minutes on most vehicles, nowdays.

And a WoF doesn't mean much anyway, who hasn't put on a borrowed zorst to get a WoF and stuck the noisy cans back on afterward ?

[James Deuce]

And a WoF doesn't mean much anyway, who hasn't put on a borrowed zorst to get a WoF and stuck the noisy cans back on afterward ?

No one would do that! Surely?

[Ixion]

Innocent souls like yourself would be astounded at the depths of depraviy to which some misguided people will sink.

All I'll say is that I'd like half an hour alone with the bastard that arranged for them to record the VIN/frame number instead of just the rego plate for a WoF.

[swbarnett]

No one would do that! Surely?

I knew someone that kept a good set of tyres in the garage just for WOFs. I was told this was common practice.

[Ocean1]

I knew someone that kept a good set of tyres in the garage just for WOFs. I was told this was common practice.

Probably still is common enough, particularly with some flavours of dirt bike.

I routinely swap my nice fresh competition knobblies on the KLX for 1/2 worn DOT complient items for a WOF. Some shops don't look too hard for the DOT, which saves you the trouble.

[Swoop]

The road toll is a lot of shit.
it gives the media something to focus on
it give the politicians something to appear to be improving
it gives the cops something to raise revenue over.
The average drip is indoctrinated to believe it is an important issue.

This is perfect for the gubbinment mentality though. It is a number and so becomes something of significance in their mind. Just like having a speed limit instead of "driving/riding to the conditions".