uh-oh, bad news comnig...

[pidge]

They're wanting more from us:

Police want the Government to lower speed limits, lower breath- and blood-alcohol limits and give all speeding motorists demerit points.

Lord save us from idiots on the road and in the Police. *sigh*

[Ae92typeX]

Dont really agree with lowering the speed limit, but do think there needs to be more variance in speed limits in different areas (which has slowly been happening anyway).
as for the alcohol limits and demerits to speeders, no problem at all.

[86_rolla]

i dont really mind the lower breath alcohol thing cause i never drink/drive even if i have only had one. The demerit points meh, u speed u face the consequences. The only thing i wouldnt agree with is the speed limit, people will still go at the current speed limit now even if it was lowered to 40kmph or whatever.

ah well thats my 2c

[drftnmaz]

bah more revenue-gathering....

how bout the police concentrate on some real crimes insted, gangs, home invansion,robberys, car theifs etc....

[Ae92typeX]

bah more revenue-gathering...

but...the proposed changes dont even suggest revenue... demerits arnt exchangable for cash...
(but yes, lowering speed limit and getting a fine for speeding is- although no different to now)

[vhpacer]

Yeh dont any speeding tickets come with demerit points now anyway?

[86_rolla]

nah i think you onli get demerits if you a pulled over not if you get caught by a camera, correct me if im wrong

[Dell'Orto]

bah more revenue-gathering...

but...the proposed changes dont even suggest revenue... demerits arnt exchangable for cash...
(but yes, lowering speed limit and getting a fine for speeding is- although no different to now)

Well to me it does, as its aimed at causing more people to break the law....ie those who sit on 55k in residential areas would then be breaking the law. The lowering of alcohol levels doesnt bother me too much, but whats wrong with the current levels?
Hopefully the new police minister will see some sense, but Im not holding my breath.

[method]

nah i think you onli get demerits if you a pulled over not if you get caught by a camera, correct me if im wrong

I dont think they mean that the camera cant prove it was you driving the car.

A lot of people arnt the only ones that drive the car thats reged under their name. And a lot of people drive other peoples cars too, be it a family member, flat mate, partner what ever.

[Adamal]

Just means that more of the populous will 'speed', as we are used to 55kph and will be impatient at 45kph.

Its a sneaky and underhanded tactic towards more revenue gathering. I'm calling bollocks on the 'will save more lives' thing.
The amount of tickets dished out each year has trippled in the past 4 years or so, and there has been no drop in the death toll.
Most of Police time is spent in city areas anyway, not out on main highways between cities, where a lot of accidents happen.
On my way to and from Pauanui last year, I saw a total of 3 cops. 1 on the Southern Motorway leaving Auckland, and 2 on the Southern Motorway coming back in.

As for the alcohol thing, you don't really see or hear about that many accidents related to drinking, and the ones that are, they're way over the limit anyway. Sounds like extra padding to me to fool the public.

[no_8wire]

They can change the 50k areas...but I hope they leave the 70k areas alone...not that Ive seen much cops up waiatrua roads anyway...


But it would suck to be on the open road doing only 80k

[Emperor]

For $&#$% sake. How is lowering the speed limit gona change anything? Seriously. 50K is fine. 60K is fine. 80K is fine. 100k IS FINE.

You can die in a crash doing 50K and you can die in a crash doing 100K. Educate the $&#$% up drivers instead of lower the speeds.

[cheese]

Yeh dont any speeding tickets come with demerit points now anyway?

nah because they cant prove who the driver of the car is.

[86_rolla]

For $&#$% sake. How is lowering the speed limit gona change anything? Seriously. 50K is fine. 60K is fine. 80K is fine. 100k IS FINE.

You can die in a crash doing 50K and you can die in a crash doing 100K. Educate the $&#$% up drivers instead of lower the speeds.

Yeh those speeds are fine in the designated areas, you wouldnt want to be doing 80 or even 100 in a residential area with children and schools.

How would you determine who is a "$&#$% up driver" by tickets, crashes? Instead of lowering the limit they should make defensive driving compulsary and liscensing more strict

[Emperor]

Asian drivers My GF's asian, so i'm allowed to criticise
I was pulling into the right turning lane, where you're meant to, then this asian lady indicates and cuts in right in front of me, with her hand out the window waving

[Ae92typeX]

... Educate the $&#$% up drivers instead of lower the speeds.

I agree with that. I spend a lot of time on the road most days and so much of the driving actions I see going on are pretty $&#$% up. Education is required...however- this would also mean more money we would all have to spend in the long run most probably also, -ad's dont work so it could mean more tests & more $$.

In all fairness, its a pretty breif and non-precise article, but the proposed change it clearly states looks mainly at removing the 10kmh tolerance policy. The fact is, whatever the sign says- 50km, 70km, 100km- thats the speed limit. doing 55 is covered under the tollerance policy, but its still breaking the signed legal speed limit. Additionally, they have been introducing more variable speed limits rather than just the 50/70 and 100km - that involves both slowing some areas down and speeding others up. In really builtup areas I dont see reducing the speed an issue, also around schools etc.
Dont get me wrong- I have no problem with how it is, and dont agree with a 'potential' drop in speed in most situations, but I just dont see any changes being bought in which would drastically change things from their present situation.
It would also be interesting to gauge if people would react in a negative manner if the speed limits were raised (being that sooo many of our drivers in nz are actually undercover racers with amazing skills lol ) I would again idealise it to be variable, but not really much higher than present limits.
what a ramble...that must be 7c worth

[IH8TEC]

Instead of lowering the limit they should make defensive driving compulsary and liscensing more strict

to tell you the truth, defensive driving coarse is shit, doesn't teach you much, you go and fill in a book, which he just tells you the stuff anyway. i saw it as a pointless easy thing to do to get 6months taken off getting my full.

unless of coarse its changed in the past 4 or 5 years, from what i hear, it hasn't

[86_rolla]

i havent done it yet, meh id rather wait a couple of months extra. Just thought it might be an option but it seems not

[gurutasker]

unless of coarse its changed in the past 4 or 5 years, from what i hear, it hasn't

Not really...you can learn something from it if you actually put effort into it.. but you don't have to put that effort in to pass.

[V8MOFO]

Asian drivers My GF's asian, so i'm allowed to criticise
I was pulling into the right turning lane, where you're meant to, then this asian lady indicates and cuts in right in front of me, with her hand out the window waving

hell, I get this 400 times a day! I dont drive, but I witness it.