Reporting dangerous driving.

**car** · 10th January 2008, 17:35

Is it worth it? Forgive a newcomer to these fine isles, but we have some sort of telephone hotline for this don't we? *555 or somesuch? Is there anypoint? Do things get done, is it recorded?

I'll save you the boring details, but after just over a year in NZ, tonight's ride home was the first time someone here has tried to "teach me a lesson" by purposely endangering my life. I know not what lesson he was trying to teach me, I'd already figured out that he was a wanker.

On the rest of my ride home I was trying to figure out what options a lone rider on a DR200 actually has. Not many sprang to mind.

**James Deuce** · 10th January 2008, 17:52

No it isn't. You get a letter thanking you for your input.

If say that you will happily front up to court if necessary they get a hell of shock and then get all grumpy and give you a lecture about resource limitations.

It's just a sop to make the "public" feel like something is "being done".

**Genestho** · 10th January 2008, 18:31

Apparently we do have a number *555, and I am currently working on trying to get details on the process and the expected outcomes of a *555 call, so I can publish it at my website...

(Have been trying to get this since Aug).

Im trying to promote *555 as no-one else will. Here is a call centre number that saves lives that ACC, Nor the Police, Nor the Govt are keen to promote, and seem to be doing everything they can to avoid *555 getting too much attention.

By nature Im not a dobber and Im not keen normally to advocate dobbing but after finding there were witnesses to the recidivist and unlicenced drunk driver that killed my hubby and his mates in April on their Guzzi's had previously crossed the centre line before he crossed again to kill 3 innocent lives. Then it took his own.
I never knew there was a number to call before my boy was killed!

In digging into *555, I have been informed of alot of conflicting stories by the general public of how their calls in general were dealt with.

There seems to be no structure, and every "experience" and complaint expected to be made differently.

In a conversation Ive had with a Traffic Manager, Ive been told local Police are understaffed (although there is backup if neccessary) and dont want the call centre overloaded.

So I decided to look a little further into *555, and was given a contact at the Comms centre.

I have had a pretty crap dealing with the North Communications centre in this regard, and after putting pressure on with a couple of tricky questions...prior to the BADD Memorial Run I then recieved an email with the Subject Heading:
"I No Longer Work for NZ Police"
Is this how the hard questions are dealt with?

After which I wrote some annoyed emails to Helen Clarke, Minister of Transport and Annette King.

At which point I was emailed by an investigative Officer who tells me my dealings with Northcomms and the conflicting info in regards are being looked into and investigated. (Stalling)

November I sent another email asking how the investigation was going..
No reply (More stalling)

In December I sent another email, saying there was no excuses for the lack of reply, that its slack and NZ deserves better...

All of a sudden ...there was a reply...and the so called investigation continues..(I can feel a Tui advert coming on)

I know since Ive started advocating *555 locally alot of people have used it to get drunken twits off the road, and luckily there seems to have been quick acting staff to backup the calls...

I got the feeling right from the start, digging into *555 that the answers I was getting were a case of "Oh well - shit happens, thats life when you ride a bike"

If *555 was LOUDLY advocated, same process each time a call was made, structured... maybe a little less shit would happen..
and a lot more shit prevented...

Everybody should be able to feel safe on the Roads, and safe in the fact that there is a call centre and a system and processes in place and expected outcomes.

I dont have much faith in *555 system right now. But if we continue to use *555 theyre going to have to sharpen their act up and get it sorted from "top" to "bottom"

One person cant do everything, but everyone can do something.

**car** · 10th January 2008, 18:33

Originally Posted by Jim2

No it isn't. You get a letter thanking you for your input.

I shall save them some paper, then. It did smell of "completely unenforceable" to me, but like I said, this is the first time I've had cause to consider it.

Oh, well. I'll just chalk it up schmuckery and continue on my merry way.

**TOTO** · 10th January 2008, 21:07

*555 is the same shit like "0800 RED RUNNER" or whatever it was the wording.

I called the real number and I was greeeted by a nice machine.

Machine said: "Number does not exist or has been disconnected, please check the number and try again" , fucking desk wankers...politichans...do everything for image but actual work - NONE

**mowgli** · 11th January 2008, 06:31

Last time I called *555 they told me they would notify mobile units to be on the lookout for the idiot I was reporting and pull him over for a chat if they saw him. They said that if I wanted more should visit http://www.police.govt.nz/ and click on "Report a bad driver". I checked that site out later and read that reporting online would result in a letter being sent to the owner of the vehicle. If I wanted serious action taken then I would have to go to a Police station and make a formal complaint.

**Usarka** · 11th January 2008, 06:41

Lay an official complaint / charge with the police for attempted assault or something.

Do it in writing so when they tell you to rack off (which they will) you can send it to the media.

**chanceyy** · 11th January 2008, 06:44

last time i had cause to use *555 I was towing my horses in a built up area doing the speed limit 50ks .. & a blardy idiot passed on the inside .. very lucky for him & us as I contemplated turning left to take the horses back to their paddock but decided to shoot home first and kept travelling straight ..

the "idiot" was probably doing at least 80 given the way he was pulling away from me .. gave me a hell of a fright cause I never seen him coming up on the inside ..

however I did get a visit from a cop over it & they tracked him down & had a strong word (what ever that means) but would not prosecute cause it would only be his word against mine ...

I would still use *555 but realise it can be pretty useless

**Grahameeboy** · 11th January 2008, 06:48

It is worth it...reported a guy on a Vespa minus his helmet....when I asked him he said he had one......his Mum will be getting a surprise letter in the mail.

He said he was only going round the corner so what does it matter.....this was 2 km doen the road.....

**Usarka** · 11th January 2008, 06:50

Actually i do use the online RoadWatch reporting occassionally, especially for red light runners.

Two reasons mainly:

I like the thought of the pompous old trollop in the Mercedes who has never worked a day in her life getting worked up about getting a letter from the cops.
AND
If I ever get busted for a dangerous charge I can use as evidence to show that I'm normally a safe respectable member of the motoring community

**cold comfort** · 11th January 2008, 07:18

It would be good to have a number you could have some faith in. Followed a cage yesterday with cellphone clamped to ear of driver happily weaving down the road. In 5 turns he did not indicate once (for obvious reasons)! A little more attention to this behaviour instead of the myopic focus on "speed" would go a long way to road safety. I merely made rude gestures at the last intersection knowing nothing would come of my complaint.

**Devil** · 11th January 2008, 07:27

I've used and been in a car thats used the *555 service and both times they kept us on the phone providing information till the nearest cop could find us and pull the particular idiot over. They asked us to stop down the road, took a statement. Asked if we would be prepared to go to court over the issue (both times we said yes). On that note, offender was issued an infringement notice on the spot.

On the bike however, you're fucked. Go lay a complaint.

**Blackbird** · 11th January 2008, 07:34

I've had mixed results. 555'd when a truck carved up a line of cars on the Napier-Taupo road..... nothing. 555'd when my wife and I were subjected to some road rage in the car by boy racers a few years back and they were wonderful - stayed on the phone all the time until the yobbos were nailed - result!

**scumdog** · 11th January 2008, 07:41

Fuck there's a lot of whinging sniveling nay-sayers on KB these days!!

Anybody with a scanner will hear what happens with a *555 call.

This resource is wasted on an overabundance of callers who whine on "No, I don't want to make a formal complaint but I think the driver needs a bit of a rev up"

So we get dispatched to a Priority One job to (hopefully if the witness/complainants directions/location and direction of travel ARE correct) stop a driver who unless is disqualified/drunk or similar is likely to be told "We had a complaint about the manner this vehicle was being driven blah blah blah...please drive safely"

If no formal complaint (i.e. prepared to appear in court as a witness) is forthcoming then the offending driver can only be dealt with as the attending cop sees it ... no offences detected = no tickets written or summons doled out.

(Walks away with head shaking at the fuckin' ignorance/excessive trolling of some KBers)

(Also awaits massive refuting of above post)