NZ vs rest of world: Toughness and enforcement of traffic laws

[Macstar]

What are your thoughts on NZ's number of, and toughness / enforcement of traffic laws in comparison to other developed countries? Are we tougher than others? Are our fines and penalities comparable?

Is Australia any better?, Canada? USA?

Many potential cans of worms to be opened with these questions, I know. I am trying very hard myself to remain diplomatic and not have a bitch and whine about the situation here - but am genuinely interested to gain a little perspective... is it really that bad here in NZ (traffic rules and enforcement-wise?). Should I pack my bags and bike and head for a more biker friendly country??!!

[Hitcher]

What does Sharia law have to say about traffic offences?

[Big Dave]

What does Sharia law have to say about traffic offences?

[firefighter]

I just spent a month in the U.S and I had a ride-along with the Las Vegas metro Cops, and they didn't give a shit about traffic offences, unless you were being a complete idiot they didn't really care, and unless you really really deserved it they generally just tell ya off.So yes I do think it's regulated VERY harshly here, I don't know why other than revenue collection as our roads are far superior in markings, signage, and condition, AND our speed limits are slower (significantly)

[Headbanger]

Funny thing, 5 years in Aussie, I got pulled over and ticketed just once.

Come back to NZ and I get three tickets in 2 weeks.

When I was in Aus the only time I ever saw police was when they had the sirens on and were going somewhere in a hell of a hurry, or when 10 of em were manning a speed trap.


I think the main issue is kiwi's are shitheads.



Sorry

[jimbo600]

Aussie is really anal about infringements. 1kmh over and you're done.

UK are more tolerant towards speeding and if you pass the tried and true attitude test you'll get away with a warning.

NZ, I believe have hammered roading at the expense of other forms of policing and we are now seeing the manifestations of that policy in Sth Auckland.

It would help if the traffic depts actually policed accident black spots.

[Swoop]

As long as our limited police force is concentratin on the serious issues.
Auckland hasn't had any sort of serious crime (Murders, Armed robbery, etc) in ages, so they can concentrate on minor road offences now.

[vifferman]

We would be very similar to Victoria, seeing as how LTNZ likes to adopt anything the Victoria polis think is a good idea.
Like many countries, there's an obsession with policing speed, because it's easy to measure and a good moneyspinner. Like many countries, the lawmakers and enforcers have lost sight of the primary focus of our rules'n'regulations: safe motoring. F'rinstance: a polis will happliy scream though heavy holiday traffic in order to catch a vicious criminal he's pinged with his raygun going 12km/h over the limit, even though the pursuit in itself endangers other motorists.
F'rinstance: to meet quotas, a polis will crack a u-turn and cause an accident. Luckily, all polis drivers are highly trained, and their cars never have 'physical interactions' with other vehicles.

It would be OK if traffic laws were enforced more rigidly, as long as it included running red lights, failure to indicate, following too closely, talking on cellphones, failure to keep left, etc etc, and as long as it was sensible. I mean, what's the point of pinging someone for 10km/h over the limit on the Canterbury Plains, when there's very little traffic? Or for passing a slow-moving, fume-belching, shit-spraying stock truck quickly and efficiently, and momentarily exceeding the speedlimt by a few km/h?

[NOMIS]

As long as our limited police force is concentratin on the serious issues.
Auckland hasn't had any sort of serious crime (Murders, Armed robbery, etc) in ages, so they can concentrate on minor road offences now.

So what about the 3 homocides in south auckland?

[Swoop]

So what about the 3 homocides in south auckland?

Three gays? What did they do?

[firefighter]

So what about the 3 homocides in south auckland?

I think he was taking the piss mate..... at least I hope so!

[portokiwi]

Portugal the traffic police or GNR are strict but fair.
I never once saw a police officer in Spain.
france had so many speed camreas it wasnt funny. Well it was till the fines arrived.
But the uniforms are so cool.
Got to remember that they all have BMWs and other Euro bikes and cars.
Very fast.

[Macstar]

I think we all have a fairly good grasp of the current situation in NZ. I researched and posted some facts last year in another thread:

*In the last 12 months there have been 408 deaths on NZ roads, Police want to reduce this to 300.
*The instances of Police recorded speed camera offences (classified seperately to Traffic Offenses / infringements) have increased marginally from 363,578 in 1996/7 to 394,585 in 2005/6.
*The number of traffic offenses / infringements have increased from 513,563 to 1,064,489 in the same period.
*In 2004/5, (12 month period) a total of 1.6 million traffic infringements were issued (speed cameras and cop issued). If you consider that around 50% of Kiwis drive vehicles on the road (underage and old geezers), that means about 80% of NZ drivers received a traffic fine that year.

Question is, do other countries give 80% of their driving citizens traffic infringements on an annual basis?

[K1W1]

Cops are getting a lot tougher here in Colorado AND are getting pretty sneaky about where they hide with their speed guns! The speed limits are are higher though - 65 MPH or 75 MPH on the freeways. Cops don't usually mind 10 MPH or so higher but I got stung recently in my cage doing 65MPH in a 45MPH zone - ugh!

It seems like the cops are very tough in NZ these days... what is the tolerance levels like? 110 KPH on the motorways acceptable?

[Tank]

Depends - I think in general that NZ is BETTER than most of the UK and US.

Ive driven a lot in both.

In the US - yep cities etc as mentioned above are not too bad - but drive between cities and every little hick town will try and get ya - its their main revenue stream and local coppers get cash bonuses for it.

In the UK you get pulled over a lot less - BUT there are over 4000 fixed speed cameras alone. In london they are everywhere.

Anyway -0 Ive driven here the best part of 15 years and only been pulled over twice - and Im not slow in the car. Im guessing its more how you drive - time place and all that