Revenue collection before public safety

[_STAIN_]

Went for wee toddle down south at weekend, come across an incident where ute and trailer had rolled. It was mid way thru a moderate tight set of "S" bends. From the north it was a right hander just after cresting a rise. From south the right hander was a banked cutting. There was a large oil spill rendering south lane impassable. In my opinion a moderately dangerous situation for traffic from both directions.

Access the situation, little I can do so proceed south.

10 min. down the road Fire Engine and Ambo heading north.

15 min. Mufti car heading north.

20 min. marked stationwagon carrying large "Accident Signs" pulls me over for as I was traveling at more than 10 kph over the open road speed limit. I was in no hurray and as I explained to the Officer, I think my speed may have accidentally crept as I was thinking about the crash up the road which is in a dangerous place and the area needs traffic control. Reply is, "I already have 2 officers on the way: Speaks like a senior and is carrying the Large "Accident Signage"
Clearly he considers his quota is more important than Public Safety and further delays were he should be, by casually writing me up.

Police attitude is getting more and more distant from the public protector role of past.
We have volunteer Fireman and Ambo staff at the scene who need their back's watched at such accident scenes.

I have no issue that I was breaking the law.
There was no lesson in this misdemeanor that I deserve to loose 20% of my right to ride or drive. (Demerit Points)
The lesson is the growing lack of respect from the older generation to the community safety issues, the Police fail to uphold.
Unfortunately the small pittance I will pay for this infringement is unlikely to go toward better judgment training, for seniors.
Neither will it be used for driver education or competency to drive testing.
I am absolutely sure part of it will be used for more speed detection devices that is so far removed from the real reason for crashes it is laughable........as the Police well know.
Their drive to slowing the speed is not a cure for incompetence, way past time the correct issues were addressed.

Cheers
Bryce

[XRVrider]

Agree with the fact that maybe the police are losing sight of real crimes and targeting ways to make revenue from soft crimes such as speeding. i know speed kills, but not like heroin or or the destructive nature of "P" or alcohol violence in the and at home etc...

Just have a look at prison sentences these days and guys like Liam Reid who played the system heinously well. I work in the centre of my town and I can count on one hand the number of times a cop on the beat has walked past this year, and there's so many mid day drunks and drug deals going on right outside the door. They must be out racing around in cars if they arent on the beat.

Perhaps take a look at the UK where a speed camera has made a million quid, thats nearly 3 million NZD!!! Hmm cops aint what they were in my view, but maybe the politically correct world has made that happen.

[98tls]

Agree with the fact that maybe the police are losing sight of real crimes and targeting ways to make revenue from soft crimes such as speeding. i know speed kills, but not like heroin or or the destructive nature of "P" or alcohol violence in the and at home etc...

Just have a look at prison sentences these days and guys like Liam Reid who played the system heinously well. I work in the centre of my town and I can count on one hand the number of times a cop on the beat has walked past this year, and there's so many mid day drunks and drug deals going on right outside the door. They must be out racing around in cars if they arent on the beat.

Perhaps take a look at the UK where a speed camera has made a million quid, thats nearly 3 million NZD!!! Hmm cops aint what they were in my view, but maybe the politically correct world has made that happen.

Nope there out attending the neverending 111 calls re domestic violence/timewasters etc,cops may not be what you consider they used to be but neither is the rest of the world.

[XRVrider]

They're setting up speed cameras, so no street police presence. National Govt say they're going to change things for the better... wait and see.

[awayatc]

The only signal we can send through the system would be to challenge each and every revenue collection in court....
i.e don't pay the fine, but go to court instead....that way the judges/courts/ whole system will get overburdened, and maybe things will change....

[BiK3RChiK]

Kind of reminds me of the time I was a victim of robbery but the only officer in town when I called 111 was determined to finish writing up the ticket for some speed offender until the 111 operator gave him a bollocking

[awayatc]

Well the police can't attend to every muggery/buggery/robbery now can they?
But since it is a well established fact that all crims distance themselves from the crimescene at a great rate of knots, they stand a fair chance of getting caught on a camera, or in front of a gun. (speed gun/camera that is...)

Unless of course, the crims just linger, or take of at a leisurely pace....

[MSTRS:Me]

In cases like this, it is obvious that this cop's priority 'system' is seriously out of step with the demands of reality.
I can't say that it is across the board tho ... DAMHIK

[SDU]

Thanks for keeping him busy for us
Nasty spot to come across a accident-dangerous

[peasea]

The only signal we can send through the system would be to challenge each and every revenue collection in court....
i.e don't pay the fine, but go to court instead....that way the judges/courts/ whole system will get overburdened, and maybe things will change....

I do that every time, I go for the defended hearing, don't turn up etc. So you get court costs, so what? Once it's been through the system you can drip it up, you can't do that with instant fines. (To the best of my knowledge.)

It's entirely possible that the revenue gatherer that issued the ticket wasn't the only one with 'accident signs' in his vehicle but they do seem to have all day to badger people for minor infringements and no time for burg's etc.

[Mikkel]

Considering that the law-enforcement community is a "run-for-profit" coporation and that they are feeding us bullshit 24/7 and expecting us not to think for ourselves this can hardly come as a surprise can it?

[Patrick]

... 20 min. marked stationwagon carrying large "Accident Signs" pulls me over for as I was traveling at more than 10 kph over the open road speed limit. I was in no hurray and as I explained to the Officer, I think my speed may have accidentally crept as I was thinking about the crash up the road which is in a dangerous place and the area needs traffic control. Reply is, "I already have 2 officers on the way: Speaks like a senior and is carrying the Large "Accident Signage"
Clearly he considers his quota is more important than Public Safety and further delays were he should be, by casually writing me up.

20 mins at "more than 10kmph over the limit... Hmmm... 100k zone, I assume. So... "at least" 30 kilometres from the scene and he should be there too? How many did you want to be at this scene? 3 at least, apparently.

Suck it up, you sped. End of story. Stop bitching.

...
I have no issue that I was breaking the law.

Ay????????? The majority of the thread is another moan about a ticket earned.

There was no lesson in this misdemeanor that I deserve to loose 20% of my right to ride or drive. (Demerit Points)

It is not a right. It is a priviledge. Misuse it, you lose it and donate to the govt coffers at will.

The lesson is the growing lack of respect from the older generation to the community safety issues, the Police fail to uphold.

By being too busy having at least 1 extra unnecessary staff member attend an accident over 30km away, apparently....

Unfortunately the small pittance I will pay for this infringement is unlikely to go toward better judgment training, for seniors.

???? Sounds like this one used his judgement and felt that two patrols were more than enough to attend the crash. Or is it that his judgement was lacking because he gave "you" a ticket, for "your" speeding?

Neither will it be used for driver education or competency to drive testing.

Both are private businesses.

I am absolutely sure part of it will be used for more speed detection devices that is so far removed from the real reason for crashes it is laughable........as the Police well know.

Stats show otherwise..... An increase in the vehicle fleet and population, and corresponding fall in the road toll, as an example..... Other factors, sure, ............... perhaps....., but hey.....

Their drive to slowing the speed is not a cure for incompetence, way past time the correct issues were addressed.

But it is a beginning...... and times are a changin....

Cheers
Bryce

Agree with the fact that maybe the police are losing sight of real crimes

When did this become a fact?????? I must have missed that training day. You were much closer with the "maybe"..... wrong still, but closer.....

and targeting ways to make revenue from soft crimes such as speeding.

Speeding isn't a "crime," but there are so many who are so keen to donate to the government coffers. The reduction in fines (which has begun already) makes a mockery of this "claim" of revenue gathering.

i know speed kills, but not like heroin or or the destructive nature of "P" or alcohol violence in the and at home etc...

How many heroin, P or alcohol fuelled murders are committed in NZ every year?

How many died in speed realted crashes in any year?

Betcha there were far more speed related fatal crashes, but this is acceptable.... for some unknown reason....



Just have a look at prison sentences these days and guys like Liam Reid who played the system heinously well. I work in the centre of my town and I can count on one hand the number of times a cop on the beat has walked past this year, and there's so many mid day drunks and drug deals going on right outside the door. They must be out racing around in cars if they arent on the beat.

Considering there is a community cop shop in Liardet St in the middle of town and she does not have a car and walks the beat all day, ever thought of phoning up and reporting such things? Those cameras are great at night time, even better in the day time.

Perhaps take a look at the UK where a speed camera has made a million quid, thats nearly 3 million NZD!!! Hmm cops aint what they were in my view, but maybe the politically correct world has made that happen.

Speed cameras - Yeah, but thats logical. This is NZ and a govt department you are talking about......

Cops not what they used to be - yup. PC has, and still is, doing its damage.... it's gonna get worse.....................................

Considering that the law-enforcement community is a "run-for-profit" coporation and that they are feeding us bullshit 24/7 and expecting us not to think for ourselves this can hardly come as a surprise can it?

"Run for Profit?" Is this commission based? Might have to lift my productivity/quota thingy then.....

Its because so many can't think for themselves and its always someone or something elses fault.

[Jantar]

....How many died in speed realted crashes in any year?

Betcha there were far more speed related fatal crashes, but this is acceptable.... for some unknown reason....
.

I know it may seem strange, but 100% of motor vehicle fatalities in any year are speed related. If at least one vehicle wasn't travelling at some speed then the accident wouldn't have happened in the first place. The real question to be asked is "How many died in any year where at least one vehicle was exceeding the posted speed limit?

For some reason that statisitic isn't available from either the police or ACC. They both define speed related as "too fast for the conditions" even though other vehicles may be going faster without crashing.

The best source of accident causes is from the legal and insurance fraternity in USA where litigation is big and the cause of an accident must be shown for litigation to be successfull.

From: http://www.car-accident-advice.com/c...nt-causes.html

For example, a large number of car accidents every year were caused by driving drunk. As a result major pushes have been made to reduce the number of drunk drivers who are on the road. Organizations such as MADD work to reduce drunk driving, and there are also many public information ads that target it as well. These are major steps that are being taken to reduce one of the largest car accident causes.

However, regardless of whether or not the driver was drunk, car accident statistics show that many car accidents (81%) were at least partially caused by the driver talking with other passengers in the car.

The statistics also show other significant causes of car accidents are listening to or changing the radio stations (involved in 66% of all accidents) to talking on cell phones (25%).

What we can see from these car accident causes is that while being drunk is a major cause of car accidents, the most common cause of car accidents is any type of distraction. Simple distractions can be causes of car accidents that create serious life-altering injuries such as those that result in head injury claims.

Note that "exceeding the speed limit" doesn't even rate a mention.

In New Zealand, I have seen data (but can't find it online) that shows that less than 5% of motor vehicle insurance claims involve vehicles exceeding the speed limit.

[Mikkel]

"Run for Profit?" Is this commission based? Might have to lift my productivity/quota thingy then.....

Like most other normal employees in a run-for-profit organisation you are hired on a monthly salary with a specific job description in mind and you are very rarely, if indeed ever, encouraged to "think outside the box".

Sound about right?

This is by no means to take a dig at you personally - but how often haven't we heard the nice officer say "Yeah I know it's silly, but I don't make the rules I just enforce them."?

[Mikkel]

In New Zealand, I have seen data (but can't find it online) that shows that less than 5% of motor vehicle insurance claims involve vehicles exceeding the speed limit.

Well, the drivers have to find their way out of the carpark before they can really get up to speed. Not easy when you haven't had any instruction...