Speeding and the weekend

**madbikeboy** · 27th April 2009, 11:21

Okay, 14 deaths over the weekend, and an incredibly small ray of sunshine, none of them were bikers.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=10568784

The link about is an article about speed. I think the problem is worse than speed, poor judgement, driver inattention, and in the case of the tragic crash in Taupo, it sounds like the black Chrysler was the centre of some reports about careless or dangerous driving.

How does this relate to biking?

I noticed an incredibly heavy police presence on the roads last night, with lots of focus on speeding. If you were planning on speeding for the next few weeks on your trusty steed, maybe you might want to rethink things.

Ride safe.

**Burtha** · 27th April 2009, 11:26

yes, sudden increase will get alarm bells going off.
safe here, riding like a granny at the mo while getting use to me new stead.
relief no bikes involved!
shame all the same.

**MSTRS:Me** · 27th April 2009, 11:32

Originally Posted by madbikeboy

Okay, 14 deaths over the weekend, and an incredibly small ray of sunshine, none of them were bikers.

That must be a record. Terrible. How many were due to inappropriate speed, and how many were innocents caught up in someone-else's stupidity? Will it force a rethink on the speed-thing campaign?

Originally Posted by madbikeboy

I noticed an incredibly heavy police presence on the roads last night, with lots of focus on speeding.

Not yet anyway.
Still...much too hard to detect more general idiocy from afar, eh?

**madbikeboy** · 27th April 2009, 11:58

Reading the reports, a combination of aggressive driving, poor judgement, driver error. But speed is easier to measure...

Perhaps it's because I'm a motorcyclist, but I find most car drivers to have poor skills and judgement.

**sunhuntin** · 27th April 2009, 12:17

Originally Posted by madbikeboy

Reading the reports, a combination of aggressive driving, poor judgement, driver error. But speed is easier to measure...

Perhaps it's because I'm a motorcyclist, but I find most car drivers to have poor skills and judgement.

yep. my now ex was about the WORST driver ive ever encountered... numerous near accidents due to her not looking, or rather, not seeing what she was looking at. and she wanted to get her motorbike license... ummm, fastest ever darwin award if she does ever get it. the near misses we had in the car, would have been hospital time on a bike. a mixture of not looking properly, speeds all over the show both in town and open road, and being unble to stay in a straight line when on the open road.

im picking the deaths over the weekend, many could be put down to driver impatience and incompetence.

**Hitcher** · 27th April 2009, 12:31

Whoar!

Here's a chance for the trolls to take their hobbyhorses out for a bit of a canter.

**The Stranger:Me** · 27th April 2009, 12:37

Originally Posted by MSTRS

That must be a record. Terrible. How many were due to inappropriate speed, and how many were innocents caught up in someone-else's stupidity? Will it force a rethink on the speed-thing campaign?

Sure it will - lower speed limits and greater penalties of course.

**Katman** · 27th April 2009, 12:44

Originally Posted by Hitcher

Whoar!

Here's a chance for the trolls to take their hobbyhorses out for a bit of a canter.

Thanks for the offer but in light of the stats I think I'll give my pony the week off.

**mrchips** · 27th April 2009, 13:01

3 weeks of no rain + 2 days of light drizzle = sidewayz through roundabouts.
The roads where damn slippery yesterday so kudo's to the guy riding through Upper hutt on the red Boulevard s40 / honda VT ? 2 up yesterday p.m. you have my utmost respect.

Still, it didn't seem to bother the tards tailgating me in the dark with no headlights on. I hope you crash & burn mofo, Ohh the carnage.

**Morepower** · 27th April 2009, 13:20

Originally Posted by MSTRS

Will it force a rethink on the speed-thing campaign?

I have been thinking about this . ( very rare that I think ) .
It pretty much shows that what they are doing is not working. I don't have the answers but I do know that to continue doing what they are doing or doing it with more vigor is NOT going to produce any different results.

The non existent" quota " system must take some of the blame in that to meet "performance expectations" its very tempting for a Traffic policeman to ping people for creeping over the speed limit ,say on a passing lane ,all day than to pull people up and discuss poor driving , which may not result in an infringement notice and therefore not count towards performance of that officer.

Getting rid of the quota system and giving back some discretion to the officers would be a very good start. Then rewarding them for dealing with the more difficult issues rather than fine collection would be another.

I also have issue with years of advertising that seems to indicate that if you travel within the speed limit you will be safe. oh but venture into the terrifying speed of 110kmh is inviting sure death.
Motor vehicles are UNSAFE at any speed .

Hey but I can talk on the phone , take notes while eating a burning hot pie and juggling a coffee all at 100kmh and I bet I could get away with it all day.

Off my soap box now.

**The Pastor** · 27th April 2009, 13:29

Just lets pray they stay away from the coromadle yeah?

**Maha** · 27th April 2009, 13:33

Originally Posted by madbikeboy

Okay, 14 deaths over the weekend, and an incredibly small ray of sunshine, none of them were bikers.

Anyone of them could have been biker, just so happens they happened to be in their car at the time. Being killed on the road is a bastard for a whole lot of people, not just the ones concerned. Seems to me that, if you are a biker, and you die, and its not on the road on your bike, it dosent count.

Why is it that, if a biker dies on the road on his/her bike, its more tragic that if they had been Base Jumping/Parachuting/Hit by a Boat/car smash or die of cancer?

I congratulate you Mike on starting a thread about the weekends road deaths. Horrendous loss to those involved directly and indirectly

**MSTRS:Me** · 27th April 2009, 13:35

Originally Posted by Morepower

I have been thinking about this ... and have come up with a whole lot of sensible stuff...

Forgive the 'paraphrasing', Dave, but can you get out of my head. Please. There really is only enough room for my thoughts...

**HenryDorsetCase** · 27th April 2009, 13:44

Originally Posted by Hitcher

Whoar!

Here's a chance for the trolls to take their hobbyhorses out for a bit of a canter.

mmmmmm.

Shrek and the donkey on a quest.

s'funny....... we had nice weather here, maybe some of the last nice weather this year, I have a fully functioning motorbike, and had some spare time at the weekend. I didnt feel like going for a ride, so I didnt.