thats why I don't drive like a dick.....anymore... much.....Originally Posted by Clockwork
Forum whore
thats why I don't drive like a dick.....anymore... much.....
Bucket Racer/Crasher
Originally Posted by Blakamin
I accept that I'm breaking the law and, if caught, will suffer the consequences...
simple... do the crime, do the blah blah blah
I need my licence to work... pretty friggin easy to work out why I'm not speeding anymore...
This is typical. He's slowed down NOT because speeding is perceived as dangerous but because getting caught speeding jeopardises(sp) his livelihood. Is there anyone on this forum who does not exceed 100kmh EVER because they think it is dangerous?? I think not!!
Surely we can't all be wrong about the dangers of exceeding the speed limit, surely?
Forum whore
Well we can be. Especially when you subscribe to the Alan Dick school of thought that states that about 90% of NZ drivers shouldn't have a license. Having driven in the UK, I know what he means. The only place in the UK that in any way reminded me of NZ was the South Coast of England, from Devon to Kent. Poorly designed road network, congested roads, and lots of impatient drivers. The rest of the country was a model of road behaviour, even London's North Circular and the M25 was easier to drive on at peak times than most NZ motorways. The peak times last longer, but they don't have that feeling of "chaos effect in action" to them.
The piece on how people act around roadworks tonight on TV One was a good example to illustrate my point that most of us are substandard drivers. By European standards I rate myself as below average in driving and riding skill. The reasons I say that we can be wrong about raising speed limits are:
a. 50% of the population are of below average intelligence.
b. Most New Zealanders are appallingly ill equipped to drive, both temperamentally and skill-wise.
c. Every time I go on the road it's a lottery. I've had people hit me because they fell asleep, were too drunk to drive, didn't stop at intersections, passengers opening doors to free a dress caught in the door jam, dropping passengers off and allowing them to exit the road side of the vehicle, trucks changing three lanes of traffic without indicating and flinging me over the concrete barrier on the Hutt Rd into oncoming traffic, and I've fallen off on diesel distributed by vehicles with no fuel cap twice. I've also seen a person drive straight into the crash buffer on the back of a Fulton Hogan truck at 100km/hr. It had a big flashing arrow on the back and there were cones on the road they had to driver OVER to hit the truck.
I just don't think the argument to raise speed limits or substantially upgrade the road network holds any weight until the NZ culture of tailgating, aggression, and thoroughly inadequate driver education is addressed. Too many people drive with their brain switched off. The road toll isn't going to see a substantial reduction until car, truck, and bus drivers care as much about their ability to control their vehicle appropriately for the conditions as much as most motorcyclists do. even then, too many motorcyclists over estimate their ability and fall off, so maybe the argument that advanced driver training increases the number of accidents holds some weight. It certainly bears some study rather than off-hand comments from the head of the HP.
If anything I think the dangers of not adhering to the speed limit in the current environment are understated. It is my opinion (and I'd love to get funding to study this - and may just attempt to do so) that most New Zealanders drive dangerously to a degree every time they get behind the wheel/handlebars. That is at some point in their journey they passively or actively endanger another road user.
If a man is alone in the woods and there isn't a woke Hollywood around to call him racist, is he still white?
Loud and Uncouth
I'm right with Jim2, he's hit the nail on the head.
Unless I'm mistaken a lot of others on this site will more or less reiterate Jim2s thoughts as well.
The rest that think it's a load of hogwash would be the ones with blinkers on - especially when they ride/drive.
Well done J2
Winding up drongos, foil hat wearers and over sensitive KBers for over 14,000 posts...........
" Life is not a rehearsal, it's as happy or miserable as you want to make it"
Hardcore Biker
I break speed limits fairly regularly,as I suspect most do.I`m not suicidal and only ever go as fast as I feel is safe.BUT,the constant whingeing about "speed cameras have no discretion","I was only a few miles/kilometres per hour over the limit" argument gets me.Tough shit matey,the law`s the law and if you choose to break it and you get caught who`s fault is that?Why should you get any discretion shown,you know the law and you`ve broken it,same as if you steal something from a shop,it`s theft whether it`s a pair of socks or a Diamond ring.There`s guilty and not guilty,former`s if you`ve broken the law,latter is if you havn`t.Do the first and you get nicked,the latter and you wont,how difficult is that to understand?
I live on the south coast of England and all of Jim2`s comments on Kiwi drivers apply here as well.One guy`s been done for going through a camera on the outskirts of Plymouth at 120 on a bike,that`s m.p.h. folks not k.p.h.Worst of all he was a local coming back from work past a fixed camera that had been there for over 2 years on one of the main roads out of the city.He`s now off the road,lucky not to be in prison.Road workers complained to police about speeding drivers endangering them(sadly one got killed by a car last week)at road-works so a camera was set up complete with legally required warning signs.Despite the signs,the muddy conditions,40 m.p.h. limit signs all over the place and guys in Hi-Vis jackets working behind barriers the police caught over 100 doing over 60,including one clown doing 140.Biggest downside to the cameras here is that since they`ve come in the number of traffic cops has been cut.If you`re thinking "great",no it`s not because the roads are vergeing on anarchy,many dont indicate at all,most are selfish and incompetent and red light-jumping is epidemic.When the traffic police have spot checks they regularly haul in idiots who`ve never passed a test let alone have any insurance or a roadworthy vehicle and guess which group of road-users is most vulnerable to these cretins.my first ever ride in N.Z. was from Auckland to Hamilton and seriously I reckon I saw more traffic cops on that one stretch of road than I`d seen for several months in Britain,maybe the only one pleased to see them because we have the alternative and it gets scary out there sometimes.
So you know the speed limit,you know if you get caught breaking it you get done so why expect sympathy when that`s exactly what happens?Whatever your thoughts,whatever the rights and wrongs the law is the law.If you want to speed without getting caught get on a race-track and you can go as fast as you want without getting caught,tail-gated or having a Volvo pull out in front of you.
Easily wound up!!
"There must be a one-to-one correspondence between left and right parentheses, with each left parenthesis to the left of its corresponding right parenthesis."
Easily wound up!!
Moko, I don't thinks its fair to say this thread is about whinging over speeding tickets. I believe its about whinging over inappropriate speed limits. You've cited a long list of idiot drivers/riders who all sound like they got what they deserved. I don't think anyone here wants to speak up in support of them. (ok, maybe one or two might)
All I'd ask you to acknowledge is that not all speed limits are appropriate at all times (and I'd suggest that you've already done this from this quote "I break speed limits fairly regularly,as I suspect most do.I`m not suicidal and only ever go as fast as I feel is safe.")
"There must be a one-to-one correspondence between left and right parentheses, with each left parenthesis to the left of its corresponding right parenthesis."
Forum whore
Yes but in return you would need to acknowledge that even if the limit was 3,000kph some tosser would believe that either this was the minimum speed or that it didn't apply to him...
Personally. I'm actually happy with 100kph. But, I'm not in much of a hurry anymore. If (say) you did make limits variable, how do I handle someone behind me that considers 140 to be a reasonable speed?
Pull over? Why? (and indeed HOW without showering everyone with stones and debris and causing more problems). How does one persons 'right' to enjoy a higher speed subjegate anothers right to enjoy an un interupted trip at a reasonable speed?
Serious question btw.
Lets put in an example. I drive a cheap car because I don't have much $$ and like to spend what spare dosh I have on stuffed old bikes. My car can travel happily at 100kph.
Someone else likes a fast car and is happy to go without in other areas. They like to drive at 140kph.
So. Why does one persons desire to travel fast get priority over my choice? Take this to to the extreme. Cyclists like to travel in big groups. We all get antsy about them doing so in fucking stupid places like the Piecock hill road yet they actually have a right to do so.
I think people just don't 'like' limits and tend to get way competitive about speed and cars. Yes, I think some road laws are damn stupid such as giving someone a ticket for exceeding 100kph while overtaking but after that it's just the thin end of the wedge.
In all likelyhood, we are better off with 100kph.
Paul N
Salted Pork
Going by the two or three video clips of motorway driving we saw on that piece last night I'm happy to say that the last thing we need is more motorway. What I saw on that show mirrored pretty much exactly what I've seen everytime I drive on either the Auckland or Wellington motorways. It is a miracle that our road toll is as low as it currently is.
Salted Pork
Its called a deterant and its having the exact effect that it should have.
Salted Pork
No. Its called being correct or knowing what the fuck you are talking about before you gob off. (PT)
Salted Pork
Yup. Thats just my opinion of arseholes who constantly flaut every traffic regulation in the book. The recidivist ones that constantly drive drunk, unlicenced, disqualified and in clapped out dangerous pieces of shit. They are the ones that I really enjoy seeing get jail time. And by the way, pretty much all drivers in this category are criminals in the true sense of the word too.
Salted Pork
Sadly that is a fact that we may all have to face. We have to ask why the insurance companies don't want our business even at the very high premiums they set.
Pretty much its because motorcycling is a high risk game and the companies aren't blind to the fact that most bikers will usually travel at high speeds, thus increasing that risk to them.
Salted Pork
If you can't stay on the correct side of the road you should be publicly flogged.
Easily wound up!!
Acknowledged. By the way, I consider myself to be reasonable person, ergo all my opinions are reasonable.
(anyone may use them as a yardstick if they wish
Let them pass..... remember what Billy Connelly said last night, "its nothing personal". Anyway I never suggested that the limits should be variable but the state's approach to policing them can be. In some cases higher limits may be appropriate.
To my mind this argument cuts both ways.
No problem, Paul. Your opinions are as valid as mine.
(...probably)
"There must be a one-to-one correspondence between left and right parentheses, with each left parenthesis to the left of its corresponding right parenthesis."
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