Speed limits

[dpex]

In a society where personal responsibility has been sublimated to over-arching authority (which always knows better) an argument can be constructed for limiting vehicle speed in selected areas such as schools (during set hours) for example.

Given that huge variances in speed-limits in various Western nations clearly prove that all speed limits are entirely arbitrary and thus have no basis in fact. It follows that the continual promotion of the concept that 'speed kills' is pure nonsense except, of course, unless you believe two stationery objects can collide.

Today, and for the first time, I traversed the new Northern Toll motorway, a road equal to any European autobahn, yet there we all were, trudging along at between 100K's (the goody-two-shoes) to 140Ks. And still it seemed slow.

Surely, if all traffic is traveling in the same direction on such wide, sweeping roads such as new motorway, limiting speed to 100Ks cannot be reasonably justified.

Sure, maybe during peak-hour traffic such a limit 'might' be justified, but during the day? Nup. Such a limit is silly.

But the authorities now have relatively cheap technology able to control general speed, minute-by-minute. As we have all seen sundry schools have L.E.D lighted signs requiring a speed reduction to 40Ks during school entry exit times.

Such electronic signs can be manipulated from afar. So why can't we have variable speed limits?

On the section of motorway mentioned above any vehicle with a modestly competent driver could have traveled at 140K, and those who feel threatened always have the left lane. Good drivers with good cars could have easily managed speeds such as are achieved on the European autobahns.

So what are the NZ authorities telling us? Are they saying that NZ drivers are so far below the skill-levels of our European counterparts, or our American counterparts in states which have 'no' maximum limit?

Given that I am peripherally involved with such technology I can assert, without fear of contradiction, that twenty (each-way) solar powered, radio-controlled speed-limit signs could be placed on the new motorway, for less than $200,000 (way less).

Such signage could dictate speeds depending on traffic loading. Such signs could be split to indicate lane speeds. Right Lane. No less than X-Kph. Left Lane no more than X-Kph.

Why should we all be treated like Asian drivers, or generally moronic drivers when such a simple solution is at hand?

Maybe we need to get a hikoi together to make such a thing happen.

[martybabe]

They have such a system on the M25, the motorway that encircles London and it seems to work really well most of the time.

The bad news for you is they use it only to regulate speed down from the national limit (70mph).

Whilst I do agree that NZs national speed limit is too low on some roads, the chances of them increasing the limit are precisely zero, think of the revenue they'd lose for one thing.

[Marmoot]

So what are the NZ authorities telling us? Are they saying that NZ drivers are so far below the skill-levels of our European counterparts, or our American counterparts in states which have 'no' maximum limit?

You just answered yourself.

Surely, if all traffic is traveling in the same direction on such wide, sweeping roads such as new motorway, limiting speed to 100Ks cannot be reasonably justified.

Haven't seen a car suddenly swerve and slam into the motorway barrier without any reason, have you? Not even a blown tyres. Nothing.

Why should we all be treated like Asian drivers, or generally moronic drivers when such a simple solution is at hand?

What the f**k are you on ...let them loose and they'll drive faster than you whiteys can say "fuck me uncle I like it real hard!".
We don't enforce speed limit in Asia so we're just driving slow here because we're not used to these lollipop signs. They're hard to read and the numbers are not even in Chinese!

Maybe we need to get a hikoi together to make such a thing happen.

Brilliant! They see you walking down the motorway and the Greens would just ban the cars altogether. "look! apparently they don't even want to use their cars"

[Grahameeboy]

Yep, cars are safer, brake better etc and the speed limit has not really changed for decades....

The idea of a speed limit is that you can stop to avoid something...that's fine in towny areas but on open roads / motorways there is scope to have a higher limit...may stop some drivers getting impatience and overtaking dangerously

[Gummie]

This is because we are all highly trained drivers that go through a rigorus training schedule just to get our learners then months if not years of driver tutoring so we can then get our restricted. Now comes the intense psyco-analisys to see if we have the capacity to have passengers annoy the hell out of us while our head are in the zone of driving.

Sorry for that most of us do a scratch and win to get a licence and are not deemed competent to do such speeds. Especialy if the person in front of them did same scratch and win only to slam brakes on in front of you because they drop there $2 cell phone on the floor and it might get scratched, bugger the $8000 car they are driving.

Thats why i like riding, no body in your head, and if you drop your cell phone somehow you just know that it will at least have a scratch on it

[varminter]

Moderately competent driver, that would be about one in four. Yes, cars have changed, they're now full of distracting stuff, phones, mirrors, music, heaters even, no manual gear stick, why, you hardly have to concentrate at all..whoa, where the fuck did that bike come from, almost interrupted my important phone call.

[Supertwin Don]

No it fxxxxxxx dosen't - what it DOES do is seriously exacerbate the effects of vehicle operating incompetence.
One reason for keeping a speed limit "artificially" low is that when an idiot does something wrong, the effects are kept to an acceptable mimimum.
The "acceptability" varies with custom and culture - mid-eastern and asian cultures have MUCH less requirement for individual survival - In-s-allah - If the big fella says your time is up, it's gonna happen anyway!
Also, it's the DIFFERENCE in speeds that has the biggest effect - 100kph hitting 80kph = not too bad, 140kph hitting 80kph (or 0kph) = a hell of a lot worse! Not to mention that you bounce a lot further at 140 than at 100.

[nallac]

I have heard that the new motorway is super smooth @200k's..
And nobody died at that speed either...(bad bad people -SPEED KILLS)

But i agree,they say reduce your speed according to conditions
what about raising speed to suit conditions...120-140 could be perfectly safe
depending on conditions.

[Mikkel]

Whilst I do agree that NZs national speed limit is too low on some roads, the chances of them increasing the limit are precisely zero, think of the revenue they'd lose for one thing.

That, good sir, is where you are mistaken. If they raised the speedlimits most people would most likely still speed

So no need to worry about that

[nallac]

never... speed kills,
i would never knowingly speed cause i don't want to kill..

[Dave Lobster]

The idea of a speed limit is that you can stop to avoid something..

Rubbish. The idea of a speed limit is to gather revenue from people exceeding it.

[Grahameeboy]

Rubbish. The idea of a speed limit is to gather revenue from people exceeding it.

Agreed but I am just saying what their a answer will be...

[Anarkist]

We don't enforce speed limit in Asia so we're just driving slow here because we're not used to these lollipop signs. They're hard to read and the numbers are not even in Chinese

Then get the fuck off my roads. If you can't read my language and drive appropriately then you can fuck right back off to where you came from.

It's a sad day when Kiwi's don't even own their own country any more.

[mujambee]

Good drivers with good cars could have easily managed speeds such as are achieved on the European autobahns.

Autobahns are specifically German, not European, and there is a proposal to change their laws and put a speed limit there (probably learned from their neighbours the huge revenue they are loosing)

They have such a system on the M25, the motorway that encircles London and it seems to work really well most of the time.
The bad news for you is they use it only to regulate speed down from the national limit (70mph).

Same here, in Madrid and Barcelona. Rush hours they reduce the speed limit.

But i agree,they say reduce your speed according to conditions
what about raising speed to suit conditions...120-140 could be perfectly safe
depending on conditions.

France has variable speed limits. Dry weather 130Kph, 110 on wet. There is no led signpost or nothing, its simply a rule there.

It's a sad day when Kiwi's don't even own their own country any more.

Ask a Maori

[Marmoot]

Then get the fuck off my roads. If you can't read my language and drive appropriately then you can fuck right back off to where you came from.

It's a sad day when Kiwi's don't even own their own country any more.

Oh wow, a 12 year old racist with a red rep syndrome.
Winston Peters is your sugardaddy?

P.S.
Where did YOU come from? Even Moriori didn't spawn from this land.