At last someone prepared to speak some sense about the road toll
https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/op...safety-for-all
SH6 between Blenheim and Nelson is a cracking example of how the 'Speed kills' mantra simply isn't working.
At last someone prepared to speak some sense about the road toll
https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/op...safety-for-all
SH6 between Blenheim and Nelson is a cracking example of how the 'Speed kills' mantra simply isn't working.
On one of my trips down there the radar detector went off in the Lewis pass heading west, it didn't go off again for three days, until Dunedin on the way north. SH6 down the west coast is a motorcyclists dream, but the average car driver probably isn't speeding, enforcement would be running at a loss. Unlike the McKenzie country where the police tend to be active on the long straights.
There is a grey blur, and a green blur. I try to stay on the grey one. - Joey Dunlop
Did my first big trip on a bike in a long time and I was pleasantly surprised at how courteous drivers of all types were. The state of the roads is pretty dire though. Tar bleed, grit, pea gravel, wheel eating potholes, suddenly disappearing road surfaces and road works that have a sign-posted start but nothing to say that they have finished and normal service has resumed. 20 kms later one has a brain fart that makes one wonder if one should still be doing 30 kph. There will always be turkeys behind the controls of a vehicle who should never have ever gone there. But it is very obvious that there is no commitment to the quality of roading. I am sure a large number of incidents could be avoided if the road surface had grip instead of a sign that says "Slippery When Wet."
If a man is alone in the woods and there isn't a woke Hollywood around to call him racist, is he still white?
Everywhere I go, the roads are in poor condition whether it be town or country. Given the rising cost of council rates it seems weird how the money goes nowhere these days and they are all crying out for more money to do things. I can understand the tax on fuel income will have diminished in covid times hurting highway maintenance funds (and contribution to council road maintenance), but the decline in maintenance was going on long before we knew what covid was. So why is that?
Cheers
Merv
it's not a bad thing till you throw a KLR into the mix.
those cheap ass bitches can do anything with ductape.
(PostalDave on ADVrider)
The west Coast of the South Island is patrolled (away from the larger towns) mostly by double cab 4WD's ... and in the McKenzie area ... they used to use cars with a turbo. Now it's just reliant on weight of numbers of Patrol cars.
The only way out of the coast is from the north or south. The only way out of the McKenzie area is north, south, or east.
The time of day ... speeds that are being done ... and the officers enthusiasm to enforce the law ... are the basis of getting a ticket in either regions. If they get your number ...
When life throws you a curve ... Lean into it ...
I'm sure I saw stats somewhere that a majority of crashes occurred below the speed limit. Obviously not something loudly broadcasted by NZTA. Part of me can't help but think that lowering the speed limit is partially an effort to start skewing those numbers, and go look! Speed kills!
Obviously the major fact espoused is that then when a crash occurs, less speed involved means less kinetic energy, less serious injuries etc - sure, you can't argue with physics. The problem with that thinking? Ambulance at the bottom of the cliff... the crash is expected to occur, and now we're just trying to lessen the severe impact/consequences post crash, not work on preventing the crash, or is it in the too hard basket?
While they continue to be fixated on speed (or bribed/budgeted to) which they have been for decades... it won't fix anything - as now evidenced that it's doing very little to the stats. Doing 120kph down a straight road in good condition without dense traffic? Safe. Watching a driver unable to maintain 60kph on a lesser highway (still had a highway designation, but winding/rolling) in 100kph zone and clearly the driver had no concept of the link between steering wheel and car direction? Downright scary. Which one is getting the ticket? How would authorities solve the 60kph problem? Well under current thinking, the road is dangerous, and therefore all drivers should be slowed down...
Cater for the lowest common denominator and you'll eventually find a better idiot.
On 2/1 I was poking my nose up dead end gravel roads east of Te Kuiti. Lots of fun, albeit hot work. Came out onto the sealed roads, and with the temperature in the 25-30 bracket, the roads are melting. Not just a stone or two, in some places it was almost rivers of liquid tar, road ripped up by vehicle wheels. Worst was the more rubbery looking pieces, that were solid or squishy, and you had no idea until the bike was sliding on it. I was happy to get back onto the gravel, because at least it doesn't melt. While on those sealed roads, there is a dirt bike, rider with no helmet, pillion had helmet, but no foot pegs. No other gear obviously. Yay, that's going to count as a road statistic when the dumbarses crash.
Originally Posted by Jane Omorogbe from UK MSN on the KTM990SM
I've seen some dumb arse shit driving today. Some clown decided to pass me out of the melling carpark on the wrong side of the traffic island doing about 90. I was in the van, he could have had no possible idea if someone was coming. This was less than metres from that big arse crash on sh2 today. Then several other instances
Don't you look at my accountant.
He's the only one I've got.
Roads are only tar sealed to prevent water getting in and destroying the base construction. The chip is there in a token effort to hold tar together and provide some traction depending on grade of stone.
What may look good to the naked untrained eye might just be one decent prolonged heavy rain storm away from a pot holed nightmare. High traffic volumes and geological movements all contribute to minor cracks and failures that eventually start letting water in under neath....
A lot of central plateau and Taupo area is built on soft pumice from centuries ago eruptions and is always moving. You need to drive a heavy truck though where the smallest changes are noticeable from the night before even hauling the exact same load to feel it.
Govt gives you nothing because it creates nothing - Javier Milei
Cause their trying to “save” the planet. The only way they meet their “emissions” targets is to do less work. Hence why as of late grass verges on country roads are shockingly high. Sometimes that’s unavoidable like lately where we’ve had lots of rain plus warm temps but mostly it’s because some brain washed greenie councillor will risk another dead/maimed biker to meet their kpi’s.
Maybe once a horde of the Whiney Lycra brigade get a pelaton taken out by a rogue sheep they will mow verges and put up signs telling sheep to stay 1.5m away from roads
Govt gives you nothing because it creates nothing - Javier Milei
Paying attention to your surroundings is best thing though for safety on roads or workplace. Watch this two car crash turn into eight or so over multiple incidents. No ones really speeding just not paying attention....
Govt gives you nothing because it creates nothing - Javier Milei
1st driver could have hit their hazard lights, would have helped but tough to think when you've just had a crash... note the truck drivers flashing brake lights etc, i've giot a high top van and people can't see what's in front of me so always tap the brakes a few times when slowing.
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