Law change - Daytime headlights and ban on handheld devices

[popelli]

A kneejerk political reaction. Dumb law, because it's unenforceable. If people are so stupid that they need a law to stop them doing something that logic and reason suggests they shouldn't be doing anyway, then we're doomed.

so drink driving laws using this logic are a knee jerk reaction

and yet people texting whilst driving have been proven in "laboratory tests" to be worse than drunk drivers

like most driving laws its unenforcable becuase there are no police out on the roads, a few undercover mufti cars and they could catch a lot more offfenders - if they had the political will to do so

[James Deuce]

Well, perhaps, but...................

...................a lot of people these days seem to be devoid of common sense.

I think it's a good thing, but just like any law, it'll be broken. At least now, if an accident is caused because someone is on their phone or texting, then the cops have another law to ping them on. Not that they didn't before!

You'll also have to prove that your headlight was on at the time you t-boned the car that just pulled out of the intersection in front of you. I forsee a number of people not getting insurance because the car driver says they didn't see you and didn't see any headlight. Said headlight is now shattered glass and plastic of course.

[Leyton]

Now you will have to prove you had your light on when the tosser crashes into you.

Drivers receive even more FAIL points because the rider was abiding by the law as opposed to a recomendation (And common sence) hehe

I think it is a good idea. I wonder what the fine is if your cought without the light on ?

[Max Preload]

Yebbut if J. Fuckwit esquire is involved in an accident of any description while talking on the phone they are now screwed. This will do for me

How is this different to before when if you crashed into someone while talking on a cellphone you'd get a careless use?

[F5 Dave]

Bingo Jim. That is why the law for lights on sucks because car drivers will use it. He didn't have his light on it's his fault, how could I have seen him? he didn't have his light on, it's the law. As opposed to they didn't look, or rather didn't register the bike as a threat.

[MSTRS:Me]

You'll also have to prove that your headlight was on at the time you t-boned the car that just pulled out of the intersection in front of you. I forsee a number of people not getting insurance because the car driver says they didn't see you and didn't see any headlight. Said headlight is now shattered glass and plastic of course.

I believe the cops can tell if an indicator was in use at time of accident. Surely this would apply to headlights as well?

[zeocen]

i think hitchers comment has something to do with the idea that car headlights being used during daylight make our lights less visible.

Ah, fair call. Motorcycle lights are usually higher up than an average car's light, though. If one was driving around the right-hand wheel of the road then our lights could be thought of as a 4x4 or similar. I don't think just because everyone's lights are on, that ours are immediately exempt.

[oldrider]

What will they think of when every vehicle on the road has their headlights on?

Will they make motorcycles turn their lights off during the day, so that they will be noticed? (this actually works now, believe it or not!)

How many new laws have you seen politicians bring in to counteract a perceived problem and it has succeeded?

New Zealand is choked with infective laws,

Police are understaffed and unsupported,

Legal system and judiciary are almost disfunctional,

Corrections is run by and for the benefit of the criminals,

Governments come and go, (is there really any clear difference between Labour and National lead governments today?)

Nothing really changes! (Well, for us anyway)

How clever is that?

New Zealand desperately needs a proper spring clean!

[RantyDave]

How is this different to before when if you crashed into someone while talking on a cellphone you'd get a careless use?

Ahhhhh, dunno. I had no idea you did. Score!

[Max Preload]

Ahhhhh, dunno. I had no idea you did. Score!

So then that would make it a largely pointless regulation other than a $80 infringement fee and 20 demerits.

Driving while talking on a cellphone is something you can either do or you can't, like backing a trailer. It's just another feelgood measure that lacks any substance. I can still eat a pie while changing the radio station and drinking my coke while driving, and yet that's strangely somehow safer.

Mind you, anything that takes the focus off just exceeding an arbitrary speedlimit is good...

[gegvasco]

A view from across the Tasman where mobile phone use is already banned...

This is a good thing. Trust me. It is so noticeable when someone is on their phone. They often veer all over and often out of their lane. Their speed control is appalling which means they are often speeding without knowing it (which even goes against many motorcyclist's justification for it) and often fall below the speed limit thereby holding everyone else up. They don't look properly before they change lanes or pull out because they are too busy having an argument with their spouse about what's for dinner. Given we are one of the most vulnerable road users on the roads, and mobile phone inattention often causes minor lapses, it is motorcyclists that have the most to lose most often and are hence most at risk from mobile phone use.

And as mentioned, in regards to ability to control a vehicle and detect, assess and react to dangerous situations, people on mobile phones have the same ability as someone with 4 beers under the belt. Texting is even worse because even their subconscious can't save them because their eyes are inside the car.

Trust me, making this illegal is a good thing. And it can be enforced. Put a cop on a city intersection footpath and as the drivers pull up on their phone...ping. They aren't going anywhere. I've seen this in action in Sydney. Works a treat.

[xgnr]

Bulb blows... pull over to the side of the road and ring AA or carry a spare right? Like you will even know when it happens.

Why make it compulsory if everyone is doing it anyway?

Havn't "they" just told us that we get killed cos we are riding bikes that are too powerful and we are now too old (or words to that effect)

I don't get this law TBH what is it trying to do? Just another thing that makes it our responsibility to prove that we had our light on...


imagine this at the accident scene...

"I didn't see the bike Orrficer"

"Was the headlight on?"

"Errrr not sure.... um don't think so... I didn't see him eh so prolly didn't"

(great might be a way out of this)"

[sunhuntin]

Ah, fair call. Motorcycle lights are usually higher up than an average car's light, though. If one was driving around the right-hand wheel of the road then our lights could be thought of as a 4x4 or similar. I don't think just because everyone's lights are on, that ours are immediately exempt.

mstrs has it correct. so many cars come with lights hardwired, its taken away one of our only "oi, im riding here!" defenses. like the old saying about too many cooks spoiling the broth, too many lights destroy the purpose.

[Owl]

No. It doesn't. We've been through this a million times before.
If 'they' are not looking now, what makes you think a headlight on will make them look in future? There are very few bikes on the roads these days whose riders leave their light off, and the ISIDSY brigade make no distinction.
FWIW - I agree that lights should be on (for motorcycles) in the forlorn hope that it will make a difference, but don't expect that it will make me visible.

I had to give way to a motorcyclist a few weeks ago (early morning) and he was almost invisible.
I saw him, in fact I watched him approach, but I was blown away by how well he blended in with the road. Every other vehicle had their lights on and were of course easy to see, but not this dude.
I just hope he made it to wherever he was going, because he certainly wasn't doing himself any favours.

[Max Preload]

I believe the cops can tell if an indicator was in use at time of accident. Surely this would apply to headlights as well?

They can - oxidation and deformation of the filiment. Will they? Most likely not unless it's a death or serious injury.

Easiest way to prevent the he said/she said would be have an automatic headlight relay that by-passes the switch if your bike isn't always lights on from factory.