What would you do to make the roads safer?

[vinnieh]

What would you do to make NZ's roads safer if you were a Road Safety Minister?

I would:

• Cops carry special hammers and can bash a car or motorbike on any non-glass surface if the driver is caught infringing the law. Refusal to co-operate results in a jail term.
  
  
• Fines for bikers multiplied by 3 (e.g. a $100 fine becomes $300)
  
  
• Bikers that are repeat offender speeders get their bikes crushed - no exceptions
  
  
• Most areas of motorways - 110km/h speed limit (like Australian highways)
  
  
• People should have the option to pay off their fines or do community work instead of paying a fine (I'd much rather do a bit of work in the community rather than pay the government, plus it'd be a good way to meet fellow speeders)
• Drink driving automatically equals a prison term or or community work (why should it be more affordable for rich people to drink drive?)
  
  
• People on learners and restricted licenses can't drive cars with engines larger than 1.6l, turbos not allowed.
  
  
• Automatic fine for people driving more than 20kmh under the speed limit unless they have a reasonable excuse (e.g. trailer, engine troubles)
  
  
• Roads are built properly, come up with some formula that determines how sharp a corner can be - i.e. no ridiculously sharp corners, roads are designed to last for more than 5 years (most roads are only designed to last for 5 years before complete resealing is needed)
  
  
• Speed limit automatically reduced by 20km/h when it's raining. vehicles must turn on headlights in rain or risk fines
  
  
• People under the age of 21 (that includes me) can't purchase powerful motorbikes or cars
  
  
• WOFs needed every 12 months instead of 6, and 2 years for new cars. Introduce compulsory 3rd party insurance

(PS: just kidding about those first three rules )

[piston broke]

a 6 lane arterial(sp)from one end of the country to the other

[devnull]

Handguns for bikers.

Cagers are less likely to endanger our lives if it means they also endanger theirs

[BMWST?]

a 6 lane arterial(sp)from one end of the country to the other

Roads are built properly come up with some formula that determines how sharp a corner can be - i.e. no ridiculously sharp corners, roads are designed to last for more than 5 years

you sure you guys actually ride bikes on our highways...the corners are the best part!

[PirateJafa]

Elect Katman as supreme Fuhrer.

That should keep everyone cowering in their homes.

[1 Free Man]

What would you do to make NZ's roads safer if you were a Road Safety Minister?

I would:

[LIST][*]Cops carry special hammers and can bash a car or motorbike on any non-glass surface if the driver is caught infringing the law. Refusal to co-operate results in a jail term.

[*] Fines for bikers multiplied by 3 (e.g. a $100 fine becomes $300)

[*]Bikers that are repeat offender speeders get their bikes crushed - no exceptions



(PS: just kidding about those first three rules )

Just as well I was going to suggest you be burned at the stake!

[James Deuce]

Ban bikes.

Ban cars.

Put bombs in trucks attached to the "tamper proof" speed limiter. Exceed 90km/hr, get blown up.

Put seatbelts in buses.

Shoot taxi drivers.

Execute anyone who has ever owned a scooter, a skateboard or a push bike.

[Sketchy_Racer]

Ban scooters

Kill scooter riders

Wrap everyone in bubble warp......


Seriously, if you think the roads are too dangerous as they are, get the fuck off them and stop trying to fix something that ain't broken

[Sketchy_Racer]

Oh but to seriously answer your question, re-introduce PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

Seems no one knows what that is these days. It's always someone else's fault.

[BOGAR]

What Sketchy Racer said plus
Don’t limit engine size on the cars / bikes make it a limited HP instead.
Have car / bike crushed after x number of repeats for different offences.
These people who are getting 10 drink driving convictions should be locked away, they should not even be able to get that many.
I agree with the 110 km/h on motorways.
Make it illegal for people in front doing 80km/h to speed up at passing lanes.
As for the roads being built properly it only comes down to cost. Some road contracts only last for 5 years. You could make the road last longer but if you don’t re-win the contract someone else gets an easy 5 years.
I like the idea for people to get WOFs every year except for people who fail it. You could make an exception on things like one light out or a number plate light and a side lamp…just because if you walk through town and look at peoples tyres you may see quite a few that are bald.
But how long would it be with a good working system for some twat to add something stupid again.

[vifferman]

When I am OberFuhrer of OuterRower, I'm going to repeal all laws, especially the ones pertaining to safety. You can't make the roads safer by making more laws. Also, vehicles have become too safe and cosseting, and the roads are too easy to navigate with impunity. They need to be more challenging.
If people don't measure up in the driving skills department, they will get pwnd by themsleves.
Yeah, I *know* they'll also pwn other motorists. What's your point?
Life has a 100% mortality rate.

[MSTRS:Me]

Oh but to seriously answer your question, re-introduce PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

Seems no one knows what that is these days. It's always someone else's fault.

I second this.
Because everytime something is 'improved', an improved idiot comes along to negate the benefit.

[BOGAR]

Funny enough one study found by opening the road up and making it wider people were having more accidents and driving faster because the perceived risk is less even if the road stays unchanged. So building these wider safer roads isn’t always the best option.

[Jantar]

A good question. I would comment that almost all suggestions in this thread so far are about enforcing the existing laws rather than making the roads safer. I believe that safety comes through reducing the cause of accidents in the first place, rather than blindly following some politician's mantra.

That means improved driver/rider training in many areas, and some road modification in others.

Such as keeping a good lookout: In aviation, no pilot is permitted to go solo until he/she has demonstrated the ability to lookout for other aircraft, and that's in 3 dimensions. On the road all we ask is that drivers/riders look in 2 dimensions and most can't even do that.

Such as reading the road surface: Motorcyclists are often better at this than drivers, yet how often do we read that riders get it wrong and slide out on painted lines or looses gravel.

Such as looking through bends: All drivers/riders are able to corner much more confidently when they can see through a bend or corner. This may require engineering on some roads, not to change the road surface, but to clear visual obstacles.

[madbikeboy]

We're a super aggressive nation (anyone recall Goofy and Mr Hyde) behind the wheel of a car. Remove that national aggression, and instead replace it with courtesy and awareness.

Failing that, and a less peaceful option:
1. Organise a night in Hamilton where anyone can drive, speed, take drugs, and drive. Should aolve our issues by the 3rd night (accounting for slow learners)

2. Make gas for SUV's $20/litre.

3. Make gas for anyone driving a mid life crisis (HSV/XR6 etc) $50 per litre

Ahh, this is too hard, the unfunny thing is nothing is going to change, in fact, as our roads get increasingly crowded, the problems will escalate...