Speed limits

[FJRider]

I have a radar detector, therefore I never speed.

I don't either ... and I don't either ... (much)

[Dave Lobster]

I have been riding/ driving for over 20 years, and driven most of the roads in the country. The speed limits are there for a reason, most people out there don't know how to take lines on corners, handle cars that get out of control, understand what a wof is actually for, and don't even know how to use their indicators. Do you really want the limits raised?

You've not thought of having the drivers taught to a higher standard? I'd be more than happy to have the out of city speed limits double what they are now, so long as the other drivers on the road are capable. Currently, they are not.

[MaxCannon]

When my old man taught me how to drive (he started driving trucks in the Army at 16) we went everywhere and on any surface.
Once spent three hours on gravel roads with him getting me to gradually go quicker until the car started to break away so I learn how to correct properly.
He also once dragged me out in a thunderstorm so I could learn how to control the car while aquaplanning.

It's these sort of lessons that a majority of learners are missing out on.
Having an instinctive reaction to loss of traction has saved my bacon on a couple of occassions.

The stock standard govt road safety message of slowing down doesn't help drivers that don't know what to do in the first place.

[dpex]

What he says is true - about ten years ago almost nobody got pinged for doing 20kph or less over the speed limit - yet heaps of tickets still got handed out to those who still wanted to drive/ride at 121kph+

Scum, can I ask for your candid opinion on the matter of the 'revenue-raising' issue. Obviously, don't answer if it will attract shit, but....

Is it true that speed detection systems/resulting tickets really is a revenue-gathering exercise, or do the authorities truly believe that the uniform speed limits actually save lives?

I'm curious because the various uniform speed-limits are frequently ridiculous.

There are many sections of road, here in the North Island upon which, even if I get so down and dirty as to be grinding metal off my pegs, I still could never exceed 70 (maybe) Ks. Yet I'm perfectly entitled to have a crack at 100Ks in those same corners.

Now take the wide-open motorway mentioned in my opening dissertation. There's not one corner on it which, at even 500Ks, could I get a peg on the ground. but I'd get turned over for doing 111Ks.

The comparisons suggest uniform speed limits don't make sense to me, unless revenue collection is, in fact, a part of the equation.

[Gummie]

Going out on a lim here but...

Imagine if for one day everybody in this country didnt exceed the speed limit.

Where would the governments revenue collecting be then

Pipe dreams are free i supose.

[mctshirt]

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're kidding yourself if you think kiwi's are good drivers - be thankful we get 100kph (I can still remember when 80kph was the limit). Compared to the europeans kiwi drivers are plain awful. Combine that with roads that are just plain rough, poorly maintained, and power poles and fences right on the edge suggests to me adding more speed isn't the answer.

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

If you want to change the law get voted into parliament as an MP - get on to the appropriate committee or introduce a bill into parliament raising the speed limit (the "Everyone Can Drive As Fast As Dpex Believes He Can Safely Ride On A Public Road Act") and convince your colleagues to vote for it. The only way to change the system is from within

[snuffles]

you have to be a pom........

have you not yet realised that NZ drivers are fucking idiots and should not really allowed to do 50 K let alone 140.

[Swoop]

and those who feel threatened always have the left lane.

You are joking, right?
Kiwi fuckwit drivers have NO idea how to keep left, under any circumstance.

If you want to variably adjust speed limits, the idea would be to send out a signal to the cars which electronically restricted it.

That technology is very close indeed. An informed chap keeps harking on about how soon that will be. His estimate is "around five years" from now.
This is involving NO human input. Speed and steering will be vehicle controlled...

[cowpatz]

Speed kills? yeah right...make a good Tui's ad. If speed kills then every circuit rider should be dead by now. It is the decision making, or lack there of, that kills.
Just take a look at some of the muppets driving.....you wouldn't let half of them ride a push bike let alone drive a vehicle....some cant even read road signs! Our (meaning their) poor performance is the reason why we could never adopt things from overseas like a free left turn at a red light, higher speed limits and also why we have those fucking annoying no right turn red arrows whereby even though there is no oncoming traffic we still have to wait for a green.
The roading planners do their utmost best to contribute to the road toll too. How many crappy road surfaces, reverse camber corners, cheesecutter barriers, poorly sequenced traffic signals and massive road edge drainage ditches do we see? Or passing lanes that finish on the brow of a hill or going into a corner...brilliant.
They shamelessly promote the use of SH16 as the alternate route north from Auckland yet it does not have one passing lane from Kumeu through to Wellsford and despite it being well travelled by stock and horse trucks it only has about 5 or 6 places to pass safely from Helensville onwards.
Look at the money wasted on these ridiculous on ramp metering signals. Is someone getting a backhander for installing these? All they do is create a gap between the light and queue that still forms at the end of the ramp. The Waterview on ramp, Westbound at Pt Chev, is a stroke of shear genius. 3 lanes all with just 50 metres to merge into 1 before getting on to the motorway lane and all starting off at the same time! Surely there are much better ways to have spent that cash.
To top it all off (no pun intended) they now want to lower the drink drive limit. Why? It is not the person at, or just under, the limit that is causing the carnage. It is the recidivist moron who is many times over the limit; probably has been convicted numerous times and still has no license.
A limit will never replace or be a substitute for common sense.

[Swoop]

Look at the money wasted on these ridiculous on ramp metering signals.

Does anyone actually pay attention to these things? They are activated when the motorway is empty of traffic, yet the automaton cagers insist on stopping for a red light that serves no purpose.

[SPman]

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

Sure have!


(can I say he was an Asian driver...)

[Marmoot]

Sure have!


(can I say he was an Asian driver...)

Different one then. Mine was white.

[scumdog]

Speed kills? yeah right...make a good Tui's ad.

It's easier to say than "If you go fast enough and stop too quickly by hitting something you could die" though isn't it?

[The Pastor]

Of course speed kills. This I know, for the gubbermint tells me so.

little ones to them belong? we are weak but they are strong?

[cowpatz]

It's easier to say than "If you go fast enough and stop too quickly by hitting something you could die" though isn't it?

Yes it is usually the hitting something that kills. The question is how it was hit and what lack of judgment lead to it.

There are many sections of road, here in the North Island upon which, even if I get so down and dirty as to be grinding metal off my pegs, I still could never exceed 70 (maybe) Ks. Yet I'm perfectly entitled to have a crack at 100Ks in those same corners.

Just because a section of road has a particular speed limit does not entitle anyone to automatically do that speed. It is a maximum permitted speed. Sure you might not be able to take it at that speed but perhaps certain sports cars could.