Has the current propaganda focus on speed and road safety affected how you ride?

**Katman** · 1st January 2011, 15:28

Originally Posted by FJRider

Fix the roads ... easier to drive faster ... (regardless of the/any limit) more deaths due to higher speeds ... fix road again ... drive faster ...

er ... hang on ..

Precisely.

We keep coming back to the base need to 'fix' the goings on inside the head of New Zealand motorists/motorcyclists.

**p.dath** · 1st January 2011, 15:38

the number comes from a "crude" scaling method (for want of a better word) but effectively the number comes from the study done by the UK's MOT (which they tried to hide, seems the report wasn't to their liking) stating 1000 lives could be saved in the UK each year by not running speed scams, given the population difference this works out to 69 NZ'ers each year.

Real interesting. I found this web site discussing the issue:
http://www.safespeed.org.uk/

**miloking** · 1st January 2011, 18:18

Originally Posted by p.dath

Real interesting. I found this web site discussing the issue:
http://www.safespeed.org.uk/

Hmmmm interesting..and since our Police tries to copy UK (and AUS) like little bitches, most of it probably applies to NZ too...

**miloking** · 1st January 2011, 18:20

Originally Posted by p.dath

Real interesting. I found this web site discussing the issue:
http://www.safespeed.org.uk/

Hmmmm interesting..and since our Police/Transport minister tries to copy UK (and AUS) like little bitches, most of it probably applies to NZ too...

**sinned** · 1st January 2011, 18:46

Originally Posted by miloking

Hmmmm interesting..and since our Police/Transport minister tries to copy UK (and AUS) like little bitches, most of it probably applies to NZ too...

Also interesting: there has been a change of government and the focus seems to be the same.

**Ocean1** · 1st January 2011, 18:56

Originally Posted by sinned

Also interesting: there has been a change of government and the focus seems to be the same.

Yes, Minister.

**steve_t** · 1st January 2011, 19:09

A cruise up to Thames today made me think that the speed limits seem as low as they do because TPTB need to cater for the lowest common denominators. From what I saw today, they are VERY low

**MSTRS:Me** · 2nd January 2011, 09:52

Originally Posted by steve_t

A cruise up to Thames today made me think that the speed limits seem as low as they do because TPTB need to cater for the lowest common denominators. From what I saw today, they are VERY low

And why is it that these prats all seem to be on my bit of road while I'm using it?

**steve_t** · 2nd January 2011, 10:36

Originally Posted by MSTRS

And why is it that these prats all seem to be on my bit of road while I'm using it?

Meh. A lot of people will travel over the holidays; no avoiding that. I was just thinking that if the speed limit was 120 like in other countries or higher, the people who pull out from side roads without enough space will pose a much greater risk to everyone else. Maybe the propaganda is working on me...

**swbarnett** · 2nd January 2011, 17:54

Originally Posted by p.dath

I think I would find the question easier to answer if you asked how much was I prepared to spend to save a human life.

I think I would be prepared to spend $1m to save a human life.

If it were only money I might agree with you. However, the cost is far beyond mere dollars and cents. How much FREEDOM are we prepared to lose so that less of us cease to exist?

The issue is that the more freedom that we lose the less living we are able to do. You will eventually get to the point were people may not be dieing on the road anymore but they're not exactly living either (merely existing).

**swbarnett** · 2nd January 2011, 18:01

Originally Posted by p.dath

How would I spend it?
Well I guess the case needs to be made. For example, if three people a year die on a particular corner, and $3m worth of road works will resolve it, then spend the money. The case has been made.

The same could be said for smoking and probably many other causes of death. If we paid $1m for every one of those as well the bill would run in to the 10s of billions. Where do you stop?

**swbarnett** · 2nd January 2011, 18:08

Originally Posted by FJRider

more deaths due to higher speeds

This is just another part of the propoganda.

**jafar** · 2nd January 2011, 18:53

Originally Posted by cheshirecat

Personally I'd much rather they put effort into rewarding good drivers/road users and hitting red light runners, drunks, center line crossers, dopey 'sunday' drivers blah blah and a decent driving test where amongst other things (big list potential here) you don't give a lisence for two tons of metal to a 15 year old in a non urban lax settting. There - - and I've spelt license wrong.

Crossing the centre line isn't an offence, neither is crossing a yellow (no passing)line unless your actually passing. The lines are there to mark the theoretical centre of the road & thats all.

**p.dath** · 2nd January 2011, 19:02

Originally Posted by swbarnett

The same could be said for smoking and probably many other causes of death. If we paid $1m for every one of those as well the bill would run in to the 10s of billions. Where do you stop?

You could easily pose the same cost question for that as well. I guess the difference I consider is that smoking is self-inflicted - and that most smokers should know there is a 50% chance harm will come to themselves by engaging in the activity. As a result, I'm not prepared to spend very much to save a smoker.

Using a road is more a necessity, and the chance of being killed by it is not 50%, like smoking.

But lets not distract from the initial question, which was how many deaths per 1000 km's is acceptable, and I personally prefer a financial measure like I had given.