Police blast speed cameras.

[scumdog]

Tyre technology improved too. And the government and police still managed to reverse what had been an impressive downward trend.

Technology is only ever any good when it's functional! i.e. to be childish: - what use is a low-profile steel-belted tyre when the suspension of the car is so altered that there's massive negative camber and the inside of the tyre is 'on the steel' while the outer edge has heaps of tread??

But at the end of the day from my experience it seems the sheer volume increase of cars driven by incompetents at speeds they shouldn't be driving them at in conditions they haven't taken into consideration that cause most of the crashes.

But the biggest single factor is lame-brained incompetent driver.

[Jantar]

...But the biggest single factor is lame-brained incompetent driver....

You just said a great big truth.

[swbarnett]

You mean if we did that nobody would cut blind corners, drive drunk, speed in inappropriate places etc etc?

I feel you do not meet the same drivers I do, giving a lot of them credit for having half a brain is seriously over-estimating them.

I agree that the current crop of drivers is not the brightest. We created this situation by not expecting them to think even before they got on the road.

Expect a person to think and, eventually, that's exactly what they will do. The trick is to not give up expecting someone to think even when you see that, for the moment, they can't. The earlier in life this starts the better.

[swbarnett]

Awe-kontraire, NO amber light would be the safest..

Now, this proves you're not thinking.

What happens to the car that's travelling quite legally at 50kph and crosses the white line as the light changes from green to red?

[Biggles08]

I agree that the current crop of drivers is not the brightest. We created this situation by not expecting them to think even before they got on the road.

Expect a person to think and, eventually, that's exactly what they will do. The trick is to not give up expecting someone to think even when you see that, for the moment, they can't. The earlier in life this starts the better.

100% correct my friend. I get so frustrated with getting spoken down to by all our authority figures in New Zealand, and it starts right at the top...Helen C, Trevor M, Michael C etc. It then has seemed to filter down through the ranks all the way to the police force...but I digress. The point is, we have become so accustomed to mediocre performance in this country that nobody (very few) seem to realize when we're being fed bullshit by the bucket! All these problems that our community faces are not in fact community problems but individuals of that community's problem...don't blame me for that idiot who crashes and kills 5 people due to his stupidity...why should we all be blamed and tared with the same brush? We all need to take responsibility for our own actions and to do that we need to be given back our ability to choose.

People are always going to fuck up and make bad choices but that can be reduced with correct policing and correct education. What is happening now in NZ is neither of the above. We are currently in a situation where our leaders are doing their very best to discourage stand out performance and in fact it is frowned upon...we are all being dumbed down and expected to do as we're told without question....sound familiar?

[Biggles08]

and not just to the drivers or riders more importantly to the innocent law abiding members of society.

If it was up to you, by your very own words, there would not be any law abiding members of society left as you would have ticked them to save that one life...remember????

[Biggles08]

But the biggest single factor is lame-brained incompetent driver.

So why all the arguing for then...we all agree, speed isn't the problem just like water isn't the problem for people drowning at Piha, its the bad choices made by these people....ie the driver is the problem...go after them!

[scumdog]

Now, this proves you're not thinking.

What happens to the car that's travelling quite legally at 50kph and crosses the white line as the light changes from green to red?

It shows YOU'RE not thinkg!!

Just have the lights go to red - then leave the already-red lights on the other street on long enough for all to clear the intersection before they go green.

[NUTBAR]

What do you think traffic cops do? we are dedicated traffic officers who ARE real cops and not just to enforce traffic. The old days werent good as the old traffic cops werent allowed to deal with REAL crime as you put it. Have you ever had to deal with a fatal where speeding was an issue? have you ever had to inform the family of a death and see the life drain out of their eyes? How often does someone die as a result of a burglary or theft, the real crimes you speak of?? Luckily you dont have to deal with all of this, we do! its nice to sit in your warm home bitching about everything but you would soon change your tune should you have to deal with all of the mayhem that drivers and riders cause! and not just to the drivers or riders more importantly to the innocent law abiding members of society. If i have to issue a ticket to every single person in the country and it saves one life then i have done my job, others wont see it my way but i really hate dealing with these deaths, they ARE avoidable its just the standard or driving and riding in this country is crap! and its everyone elses fault but yours, especially when you get a ticket for something you know you were doing!!!

yes quite agree, i have had two tickets, both when overtaking cars that were doing between 10 - 20ks below the speed limit!
i do beleave there was a scientific study done a few years ago overseas that came to the conclusion that you were safer overtaking as quickly as posible & getting back onto your side of the road, therefor spending less time on the opposite side of the road!.
so in a safety point of vew, what is considerd safer? spending more time on the opposite side of the road? or being back on your side as quickly as possible?

[Ocean1]

It shows YOU'RE not thinkg!!

Just have the lights go to red - then leave the already-red lights on the other street on long enough for all to clear the intersection before they go green.

Or ditch the fookin' things altogether.

Seems I remember reading that accidents (particularly serious ones) increase markedly when lights are installed in most cases.

I can believe it, just another system removing the need to make effective decisions. I know a high percentage of high speed T accidents can be attributed to people blindly toddling off when the perdy green light tells ‘em to…

[swbarnett]

Just have the lights go to red - then leave the already-red lights on the other street on long enough for all to clear the intersection before they go green.

Alright, now that you've clarified I see what you mean. I take back my comment on your brain power, I didn't think you were that stupid.

I still don't think this would work, however. I outlined this in an earlier post (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...99#post1530899) . In short I think that the safety margin with all lights red is the problem.

[WelshWizard]

Just in from the west island. More than 70% of Victorian Police believe speed cameras and red light cameras are more about revenue-raising than safety.

Interesting read. I wonder how our own Police force feels? [not that they could comment honestly on KB without the wraith of senior commanders!]

and the pennies only just dropped with them, man what IQ test do these guys need to get work