Speeding, ouch..................

[spudchucka]

What I find somewhat disturbing is firstly the imposition of a harsh penalty (and in particular automatic demerit points) on the basis of a theoretical statistical risk rather than actual harm caused, and secondly the suspicion that targetting speed per se has become the main focus of road safety because it is an easy enforcement option.

$80 - $120 bucks and 10 - 20 demerit points is hardly a harsh penalty. If people are dumb enough to collect sufficient points to lose their licence then as far as I'm concerned they are to STUPID to be permitted to use a vehicle on a public road. They clearly don't value their licence and their driving no doubt reflects their lax attitude.

Increase the penalties massively for those convicted of causing injury or death through their behaviour on the roads.

Doesn't it make more sense to activley try and prevent someone getting killed in the first place rather than waiting for the worst to happen and then do something? Isn't it better to get the potential killers off the road before they kill?

Lifetime bans, large fines (some of the money to go to victims or their families) and jail sentences would all be appropriate.

We have all that now but the limp wristed sandle wearing liberal judiciary isn't that liberal at dishing out appropriate sentences. Life time bans make no difference to people who don't give a stuff, (the Greytown incident for example) the best place for them is behind bars.

Upgrade driver education and licence requirements. Make it mandatory to do advanced training/refresher courses at appropriate intervals. Have suitable advertising campaigns that make people think about the consequences of their actions without insulting their intelligence by claiming that they are potential murderers. And bring back some flexibility in penalties for exceeding the speed limit to take into account factors such as the driver's experience, accident record, etc., so as to penalize the particular (not statistical/average) risk to the driver and other road users.

Education surely has to be a major consideration that is simply not in the equation at the moment. However it should be at the start of your driving career, not as a form of rehabilitation.

[rodgerd]

I got pinged recently for overtaking on double yellow's.

I had over 100 metres visibility, nothing coming the other way, and completed the manouvre quickly and safely. WTF was the problem ?

That it's illegal, perhaps?

This was on Centennial Highway (read "killer" highway) so perhaps the cop freaked out.
Dickhead.

Perhaps he's cleaned up some of the messes that result when tards think "WTF was the problem".

[enigma51]

I think the main problem was not the fact that you were speeding but where you passed the truck. I passed a few cars a week or two ago and exceeded the speed limit by a few digits while a radar gun was pointed at me.
The copped pulled me over and said I should not speeding and if it was not for the fact that I was passing he would have given me a fine. So be gone and be carefull.

But then again it might just be because he was a nice guy.

[onearmedbandit]

I got pulled on a perfectly straight piece of highway, clear visibilty, almost no traffic (none where I got pulled anyway). My crime? 167km/h in a 100 zone. Result was 6mths loss of license, and $750 worth of fines. Completely my fault, I chose to break the law (which I'm well aware of) and the police officer was doing his job.

Ignorance is not a defence, so if you act in an illegal manner, then face the consequences. I will continue to go over the speed limit, be it 111km/h or whatever. Can't help it on my bike (don't speed in the cage), but if I get caught I aint gonna bitch about it. Sure I'll try to get off the charge if I can, but at the end of the day, if they catch you its a fair cop. (not cop as in L.E.O.)

[Deano]

That it's illegal, perhaps?

Perhaps he's cleaned up some of the messes that result when tards think "WTF was the problem".

Why thank you rogerd, but I think you've mistaken me for someone who gives a fuck.

Like I said, the manouvre was safe as - those yellow lines were only put there cause the real tards kept crashing. I suppose you think 101km/h on an open clear road is a problem too ?

A top cop was quoted on tv recently saying that overtaking a vehicle at 105-110km/h is not a big issue. Oooo, but technically it is illegal isn't it.

You're a right goody two shoes aren't you.

Go get 'rogerd' dude.

[onearmedbandit]

Deano - I understand what you're saying, but the law is the law. If you chose to speed, or cross double yellows when you think its safe, doesn't mean you shouldn't get a ticket. Or am I completely wrong in my logic??

[Deano]

Well, let's see. Since the 80s, we've overhauled the licensing system, attacked drunk driving, seatbelt wearing. There have been campaigns on sharing the road with cyclists, motorcycle awareness. Seems like a pretty broad-based approach to me.

Do you by any chance work for the LTSA ?

[Deano]

Deano - I understand what you're saying, but the law is the law. If you chose to speed, or cross double yellows when you think its safe, doesn't mean you shouldn't get a ticket. Or am I completely wrong in my logic??

Im drawing a parallel between what I did to slightly exceeding the speed limit.

Police have openly condoned exceeding the speed limit by a little - follow a cop and see if they aren't doing 105km/h, especially if in a line of traffic flow.

I understand the law applies to bikes as well as cars, but no one can deny a bike can overtake using less room than a car, and more often than not, more quickly too. What I did was not unsafe by any means, just like a slight exceedence of speed limits. Even the cop that pulled me over further up the road (the detective that I overtook phoned ahead) agreed that safety wasn't the issue.

If the detective had been going closer to 80km/h limit, rather than the 70km/h he was doing, I might not have bothered overtaking him. Maybe...

[jimbo600]

Why thank you rogerd, but I think you've mistaken me for someone who gives a fuck.

Like I said, the manouvre was safe as - those yellow lines were only put there cause the real tards kept crashing. I suppose you think 101km/h on an open clear road is a problem too ?

A top cop was quoted on tv recently saying that overtaking a vehicle at 105-110km/h is not a big issue. Oooo, but technically it is illegal isn't it.

You're a right goody two shoes aren't you.

Go get 'rogerd' dude.

101 in a 100 is breaking the law mate. If you're prepared to speed you're pepared to kill. Obviously you are a rampaging murderer just waiting for the next victim.

Actually I thought that all those road markings and limits were for cars only. I assume that we bikies can do what the fuck we want.

Good reply to rogerd's post mate.

[onearmedbandit]

Im drawing a parallel between what I did to slightly exceeding the speed limit.

Police have openly condoned exceeding the speed limit by a little - follow a cop and see if they aren't doing 105km/h, especially if in a line of traffic flow.

I understand the law applies to bikes as well as cars, but no one can deny a bike can overtake using less room than a car, and more often than not, more quickly too. What I did was not unsafe by any means, just like a slight exceedence of speed limits. Even the cop that pulled me over further up the road (the detective that I overtook phoned ahead) agreed that safety wasn't the issue.

If the detective had been going closer to 80km/h limit, rather than the 70km/h he was doing, I might not have bothered overtaking him. Maybe...

I agree completely there Deano, what you did was probably in the instance safer than what a lot of other road users were doing at that same point and time. Followed a cop car the other day at just over 60km/h in a 50 zone (other traffic around), then watched him change lane with no indication. I was like wtf?

[spudchucka]

(not cop as in L.E.O.)

Law
Enforcement
Officer
??????????

[onearmedbandit]

Yep, Law Enforcement Officer

[rodgerd]

Like I said, the manouvre was safe as - those yellow lines were only put there cause the real tards kept crashing.

Yeah. I wonder if the guy who ended up putting his Legacy under a truck thought so, too; perhaps he would have had a grab bag of answers about the "tards" who pay attention to the law.

And your attention was obviously so focused on the road and other vehicles you ended up getting caught by a cop.

I suppose you think 101km/h on an open clear road is a problem too ?

Only in as much as it's illegal. Not that anyone's going to get a ticket for it. I guess there's no difference between crossing a yellow line on a known high-fatality area of the country at a substantial portion over the speed limit and nudging over it.

If you're too stupid too understand the difference, and too stupid to understand the difference between "legal" and "illegal", perhaps you shouldn't have a license.

Go get 'rogerd' dude.

Yeah, whatever. Hope you end up under a truck.

[rodgerd]

Do you by any chance work for the LTSA ?

Nope. "We" as in New Zealanders. We've voted for these policies.

Pity we collectively got our panties in a bunch at the idea of dropping the drink-drive limit from a six pack, though.

Perhaps if we drive and ride better we can have nice things, like a Euro style 130 km/h speed limit.

[marty]

i refer back to the german research i posted a couple of days ago. wide (5 lane) roads, bac of 0.5 (ours is 0.8), high (above 90%) seat belt compliance, big 'safe' cars (bmw/benz/vw/audi etc), ACTUAL driving testing for a licence, truck free lanes, no RMA legislation, and an attitude that allows high speeds to be driven - no wankers holding up the 'fast' lane just because they are doing what they think is right. in europe/uk/mid east/sth africa, it is a regular occurance to flash headlights when approaching cars, to signal intention to pass, or get out of the way if on a multi-lane. if you do that here, dickheads put their brakes on, swerve out to push you further into the opposing lane, or are just down right indignant that you are travelling faster than they are.