Police saving our lives again

[Scuba_Steve]

but "speeding" & dangerous driving are not related, Australia for one shows this...

Up until 2007, rural roads in the Northern Territory, Australia had no speed limit. Claiming that speed limits were essential to saving lives, the state government imposed a 130km/h (80 MPH) limit on the Stuart, Arnhem, Victoria and Barkly highways and a 110km/h (68 MPH) speed limit on all other roads, unless otherwise marked lower. Despite the best of intentions, however, the number of road deaths actually increased 70 percent after the change -- despite worldwide drop in traffic levels

Doing 160km/h down the desert road I would say is perfectly safe, but doing 100km/h round those corners (despite being the limit) to be dangerous same as doing 100km/h down the desert road if covered in snow or ice.
Speed is not the problem peoples inability to drive is, & the slowing of speed has done absolutely NOTHING to help the road toll, increased safety features in vehicles are the ONLY thing bringing our road toll down. And these speed scams distract the cops from doing their jobs & actually saving lives, like those child abuse cases they like to ignore, family violence cases, rape cases, assault, theft or repeat drink drivers all these are MUCH greater uses of police time.

[ukusa]

Heads will have to roll now, maybe they'll drop to no tolerence on the 100 limit.

1 dead already - http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4266...-road-toll-aim

"Police had targeted zero fatalities for the weekend, with an increased police presence on the roads"

Looks like they failed, someone should fall on their sword!

The truth is, they could drop the limit back to 80 kph & there will still be road deaths (in fact wearn't road deaths higher in the 70's when the limit was only 50mph)

[Berries]

Heads will have to roll now, maybe they'll drop to no tolerence on the 100 limit.

I don't think they can drop the tolerance any further due to the margin of error on their equipment. It'll be a national 90km/h speed limit first.

[trailblazer]

I think that would be a big backwards step in my opinion. I personally think it will have the opposite affect. my2c

[onearmedbandit]

I don't think they can drop the tolerance any further due to the margin of error on their equipment. It'll be a national 90km/h speed limit first.

Do you know what the tolerance is on the speed guns?

[Berries]

I always thought it was +/- 3km/h. If I got pinged for 141 I would be checking it out that's for certain.

[onearmedbandit]

I always thought it was +/- 3km/h. If I got pinged for 141 I would be checking it out that's for certain.

Doesn't give you much room for error this weekend then does it.

[Brian d marge]

I have just returned from down south ( wakayama near suzuka ) a ten hour straight drive , on the motorway , I sat between 120 and 140 kmph all good

On the way back between 100 and 120 ( at night and tired ) ,,all good

How ever off the motorway and following the coast line the speeds ( for a posted 40 kmph )

were , 25 , 50 and the occasional 70

oh and I am still here , so , speeds are relative

100 kmph is IMHO to fast for quite a number of NZ roads but also this strict speed enforcement is also ,,, revenue gathering

long and short of it it comes down to ,,,,

I dont like being lied to by the idiots who run the place ,,,,,,,,,and why we are going down an increased roading model is beyond me

Stephen

[Kickaha]

100 kmph is IMHO to fast for quite a number of NZ roads but also this strict speed enforcement is also ,,, revenue gathering


Stephen

I think the argument for revenue gathering went out the window when they decreased fines a while back

[Yow Ling]

Things could be worse, I can remember when 80 clicks was the limit.

This weekend Ill make sure I dont exceed 130 or 140 in a 50 k area
Greymouth here we come !

[Kickaha]

Things could be worse, I can remember when 80 clicks was the limit.

You must be pretty old then

[MSTRS:Me]

The truth is, they could drop the limit back to 80 kph & there will still be road deaths (in fact wearn't road deaths higher in the 70's when the limit was only 50mph)

700 - 800 a year was 'normal'. But the roads weren't as good as we'd like to remember them, the cars were crap and we didn't have cheesecutters to keep us all safe.
I also think the average driver was waaaay better back then, but they were only better enough for the prevailing conditions. All the 'improvements' since have only meant that the average driver has dumbed down to keep pace...
But carry on, cops, keep targetting the wrong shit...at least it keeps some accountant happy.

[trailblazer]

the police and goverment can't just look at speed as a factor there are many differant variables like road condition,traffic flow,tired drivers and driver education. I just got my restricted on wednesday and the whole test was a joke aapart from a quick 3 minute ride in a 100kph zone the test was piss easy. There was nothing to do with skill just riding around making sure you indicated,gave way and stopped. I think the key to reducing the road toll should be centred around driver education and then work with speed etc.

[Owl]

That 'Losing Control' one is interesting, shall we say. Every single crash I've ever heard of involved losing control.

Even if you're stationary and involved in a crash, chances are you'll shit yourself, so yeah, losing control is abundant

[ukusa]

700 - 800 a year was 'normal'. But the roads weren't as good as we'd like to remember them, the cars were crap and we didn't have cheesecutters to keep us all safe.
I also think the average driver was waaaay better back then, but they were only better enough for the prevailing conditions. All the 'improvements' since have only meant that the average driver has dumbed down to keep pace...
But carry on, cops, keep targetting the wrong shit...at least it keeps some accountant happy.

I personally never drove on the roads in the 60s or 70s, but I believe the improvements in cars (& bikes to a lesser degree as they don't have airbags/crumple zones etc) would have to be the biggest impact on the lower road toll over the years. I would feel much safer in one of todays modern cars doing 140 than an old HQ doing 90! Again, it's the idiotic things that others do on the road that's the biggest worry (oh, and those annoying pricks that fuck around at 20k's under the limit).