Bikers collide with Police car in Buller Gorge (1 December)

[Sanx]

However, whenever I hear of cops going to extremes and taking risks on behalf of their employer to issue a simple 'exceeding the posted limit ticket' my blood boils. I believe the blame lies with the employer and the Govt that seem to be driving, forcing I suspect, the mentality down to the rank and file cops - must issue tickets, must issue tickets..must issue tickets...
How many more incidences like this before the pressure is taken off the Police? Drunk Mum doing 146km in a 50 zone with 3 unrestrained kids- now that was a case where extreme action to intervene was warranted and paid off.
Let the officers have the discretion to make the choice not to pursue every minor ticket.

What really needs to happen is a return to the whole point of road policing; making the roads safer for all road users. This current government have become fixated on speed. The only research they deem worthy of not is that that supports their fixation (namely, anything that comes out of Monash). The Police need to be freed from political interference and pressure and simply go back to ensuring that the actions of driver do not present a risk to the public. 112kph on an empty motorway does not. 49kph in the pouring rain with limited visibility on a residential street may very well present a danger, despite it being under the posted limit.

Unfortunately, Labour is a party who are slowly working towards their utopian goal of a fascist state where every last vestige of free will has been signed over to the government, supposedly for the good of the country as a whole. Until Labour realise that people are capable of doing the right thing most of the time and, by virtue of actually being there, are much better at assessing things like a safe and reasonable speed on a particular road at a particular time than any ivory-towered bureaucrat.

In this case, the evidence tends to indicate that the cop concerned made an error of judgment, and that error of judgment had some pretty severe consequences. However, this particular officer's screw up and the government's speed-nazi attitude are not really related. The current counter-productive fanatical fixation on speeding, although enforced by the Police, is the result of the government's political aims.

[Nasty]

You have to admit it is amazing how quickly the bikes no longer parked on the path and found other places to go .... quite stunning really.

[Usarka]

I made it in reference to people jumping to half-assed assumptions of 'guilt' before being in possession of all the relevant facts.

Would YOU want to face a jury that is armed with only half-assed info to make a judgement on your fate??

I'd be surprised if most cops weren't pissing themselves lauging and high fiving down at the station after hearing that (unconvicted) Kahui got run out of town in northland while on bail granted by the courts......

[vifferman]

What really needs to happen is a return to the whole point of road policing; making the roads safer for all road users.

Yeah, the "reduce the road toll campaign" has lost the plot somewhere along the way.

[spudchucka]

If riding single file and at the same speed (what ever that may be) the first bike hits... there is no reason why the second wouldn't hit as well...

Oh sure, that's a given....... assuming of course the rider of bike two was either asleep or stuck up bike ones exhaust pipe.

[terbang]

Firstly MD, good thing you did there by facing up to the police and your involvement. You are part of the analysis of this incident and if all others involved were as honest as you, then we will see an honest outcome and perhaps some preventative measure. Sadly, human nature means that not all will face up to their responsibilities and some will remain in 'Arse covering" mode. The truth will become clouded.

Lets remember this Cop did not wake up that morning and think, Today to be different I'm going to go out and inflict pain and suffering on some motorists and stuff up their lives.

Your comment above is correct and only a murderer would think otherwise. However, how many of these guys, professional road users I hope, actually think, 'today my intention is to conduct my affairs with safety to others first.'? Clearly this guy didn't as he committed a basic and very lethal act, something that even a biginner is taught not to do, just so that he could get on the chase..!
Joe bloggs car driver seems to be pretty thick now days judging by the myriad of comments we see here (KB)and perhaps we need to up skill NZ drivers. But I see professional drvers (cops included) in a different light. They get paid to be on the road, they make their livings there, so one would expect a higher standard of performance. Right? No-one is perfect and mistakes get made, thats human and we all know that, but doing a youey in the middle of a bend, especially by a so called professional, is unacceptable. Lets hope they (NZ Police) face up to that and put measures in place to stop a re-occurance.

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

Oh sure, that's a given....... assuming of course the rider of bike two was either asleep or stuck up bike ones exhaust pipe.

Just because its the second bike doesn't give it any more time to react...

[MSTRS:Me]

Just because its the second bike doesn't give it any more time to react...

He did react, otherwise the first bike would have got an exhaust raping. Second guy tried to go around?? Still nowhere to go.

[spudchucka]

Just because its the second bike doesn't give it any more time to react...

Assuming bike one applied the brakes its a safe assumption that bike two would have had more warning, at least two seconds more if they were following the Peter Brock rule.

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

Assuming this and assuming that... how about waiting for the full story to come out and let the SCU do their job and the not making any judging... we weren't there, so we don't know

[spudchucka]

Assuming this and assuming that... how about waiting for the full story to come out and let the SCU do their job and the not making any judging... we weren't there, so we don't know

How about ever body just shuts the F*&K up and does some F&%kin work for a change.

I'm on a day off so I'm allowed to waste my time if I want to, the rest of you loafers pull ya bloody heads in start paying your taxes so I can get pay rise.

[HenryDorsetCase]

By my count I've made four posts in this thread, (this is the fifth).

I have not openly supported either the bikers involved, the cop involved or the police as an organisation.

You looneys get so fired up and start beating your cyber chests whenever there is a story in which a cop may have screwed up you all get tunnel vision and are blind to the fact that the known facts are minimal at this stage.

You know how it goes Skyrider, sort how in murder cases where the bodies are never discovered but there's a local scum bag that might fit the profile quite nicely the police can be accused of having tunnel vision, deciding he's the guilty party and then building a case to support their assumption that he did it????

On the face of the little I know about it it does appear to me that the main likely causative factor will be a miss-judgement or poor decision making on the part of the cop. However the bikes could also have been doing warp factor nine and not in the cops field of view when he began the U-turn.

I do find it interesting that two bikes collected him. Were they riding two abreast? Seems a little odd to me considering it was a fairly narrow and winding section of road, (its a gorge isn't it?).

Most bikers I've ever ridden with ride single file through gorge type roads, they tend to want to enjoy the corners and use the whole width of available lane to flick the bike around the twisties. Which is something they can't do that well two abreast.

If they were riding single file and not doing warp factor nine then at least the second rider should have had a better chance of avoiding collision, having just seen his mates fate?

Speculation, granted but having been to my fair share of crashes these are the questions that run through my mind, not how high can we hang this poorly trained, quota lusting, revenue gathering highway patrolling piece of crap.

I know the extent that the serious crash teams go to and have seen the reports that they produce. They will investigate the crash completely and totally honestly. The factors involved will be known, in time.

If its totally the cops fault then go ahead and bay for his blood but at the moment you're just engaging in a virtual vigilante, get the posse together, ride out and hang the bastard from a tree crusade.

We're all pissed off whenever bikers get hurt regardless of the circumstances but it wouldn't hurt people to just shut their mouths and wait for the facts.

This is the internets. There is no place here for sensible reasoned comments such as the above. Kindly desist, and join in the torch burning, pitchfork carrying crusade.

[HenryDorsetCase]

Sorry dude, but that's simply not true. I've personally reported a few cops for doing fucking stupid things, by phone (*555) and on two occasions gone down to a cop shop to report it in writing. Every single time, there was absolutely sod all done. I've had a sergeant call me and tell me that the cop in an unmarked black Commodore screaming up and down my residential street (I watched him for about 45 minutes) at speeds of well over 100kph and crossing a yellow line on an S-bend, all on a sunny weekday afternoon about school closing time, was perfectly correct in doing so so he could give drivers tickets for doing 65kph, although he grudginly admitted using a camera van might have been a better idea. I made several phone calls to a Sergeant John Sharpe of the Strategic Traffic Unit to find out what was happening about one of his officers (whose name and number I provided to the Sergeant) who I saw commit criminal damage. Never a returned phone call or a letter; nothing.

Did you take it any further? Ombudsman? PCA? The Minister? Clint Rickards?

[Fatjim]

Before you get onto the 'KB cop-bashing wagon' just think about my comment.

I made it in reference to people jumping to half-assed assumptions of 'guilt' before being in possession of all the relevant facts.

Would YOU want to face a jury that is armed with only half-assed info to make a judgement on your fate??


(Sorry about the 'asses' Mr H.)

I'm not commenting on the accuracy of your statement, just the irony.

[MSTRS:Me]

Did you take it any further? Ombudsman? PCA? The Minister? Clint Rickards?

Them? Pfft!! He spoke with that fine chap Dewar....