Open road signs

thornz · Post by **thornz** » Sun Apr 21, 2013 10:43 pm

The open road sign, and 100kmh both mean the speed limit is 100kmh.
Does anyone know whats the reasoning behind having two different signs?

Are there certain situations when one is used over the other?

They annoy the heck out of me on my daily commute, as it seems alot of people dont realise that it means you can go 100kmh.

Lloyd · Post by **Lloyd** » Sun Apr 21, 2013 10:45 pm

The open road ones are all supposed to have been replaced. But obviously many have been missed. And yeah they mean the same thing.

MrOizo · Post by **MrOizo** » Sun Apr 21, 2013 10:54 pm

These ones?

Vs.

As far as i am aware, the LSZ can not be used when road works end at construction sites. Still a current sign though.

It is annoying when people dont go the 70kmh through Huntly - its been that designation for over a year. Most people can only manage 50-55kmh

Elmo · Post by **Elmo** » Mon Apr 22, 2013 6:23 am

The black stripe is from the days when the speed limit was not 100, its term is 'open road speed zone' or something. Yes, they were meant to have all been replaced but as said, its still an acceptable term for the accepted 100kph now.

There used to also be LSZ that meant 70 (I think) if conditions were poor or people around, they used to be used in smaller country towns etc, they all got replaced with other signs.

Leon · Post by **Leon** » Mon Apr 22, 2013 8:03 am

Elmo wrote:There used to also be LSZ that meant 70 (I think) if conditions were poor or people around, they used to be used in smaller country towns etc, they all got replaced with other signs.

Used to be 100, or 50 if there were bad conditions.

They had one of those on the way out to the Wellington airport, and it made it quite exciting as sometimes you caught somebody doing 50k slower than you. I used to work at a rental car company so tended to be driving to the airport very very often!

xsspeed · Post by **xsspeed** » Mon Apr 22, 2013 10:07 am

open road sign basically means you can go up to 100kmh, but the road might not suit that speed, often see them in the country side, where there is very little signage around corners/suggested corner speeds etc as well

I didnt know about them being replaced, is that true? Still see lots of them around rural areas

B1NZ · Post by **B1NZ** » Mon Apr 22, 2013 4:26 pm

xsspeed wrote:open road sign basically means you can go up to 100kmh, but the road might not suit that speed, often see them in the country side, where there is very little signage around corners/suggested corner speeds etc as well

I didnt know about them being replaced, is that true? Still see lots of them around rural areas

Which is pretty much what the 100kmh sign means as well :idea:

This sign is good when your travelling in Germany :-)

MrOizo · Post by **MrOizo** » Mon Apr 22, 2013 4:40 pm

From NZTA:

Policy:
Either RG-2 (100 km/h) signs or the alternative RG-2.1 DE-RESTRICTION sign must be installed at locations where a lesser speed limit (either temporary or permanent) changes to the general maximum speed limit, ie. 100 km/h. An additional R G-2 (RG-2.1) sign must be installed on the right-hand side of the road, or on the central median where appropriate, if the estimated two-way annual average daily traffic at that point exceeds 500 vehicles.

RG-2 signs are preferred and should be installed in situations where the alignment and nature of the road in the vicinity of the sign generally permits safe travel speeds of 100 km/h. Where this is not possible RG-2.1 signs may be used

RG2 is 100km/h
RG2.1 is Derestriction

BZG Wagon · Post by **BZG Wagon** » Mon Apr 22, 2013 6:30 pm

Funny story: in a car with some mates and we hit the black stripe limited speed zone(?) sign. My usually sedate made who's driving just goes for it and we're hitting close to 170 clicks on a country road. Everyone's like WTF?

Turns out he thought it meant unlimited speed ("like an autobahn") and had spent most of his restricted & full licence time hooning around the country and insane speeds without getting caught.

I thought they were a drive to the road conditions, and the absolute max speed is 100kph but only where it's safe.
I.e. a 100kph sign means you should be driving 80kph to 100kph, while a LSZ sign means anywhere from 20kph to 100kph is acceptable.

blindnz · Post by **blindnz** » Mon Apr 22, 2013 6:52 pm

BZG Wagon wrote:
I.e. a 100kph sign means you should be driving 80kph to 100kph, while a LSZ sign means anywhere from 20kph to 100kph is acceptable.

The speed you should be driving is just as dependant on the weather as the road itself. All speed limits are speed limits. They are the maximum under good conditions.
However you can get fined for driving to slow and holding up traffic.

BZG Wagon · Post by **BZG Wagon** » Tue Apr 23, 2013 10:14 am

Yeah - I'm referring to 99.9% of the time you're driving on a 100kph road.

It'd be an absolute torrent of rain, snow, hail, surface flooding or some other issue to be doing less than 80kph.

There are quite a few LSZ's out West Auckland way and some are narrow one lane roads in places. Generally in rural areas too, where animals occasionally walk onto the road. Some of them there's no way in hell you'd hit 100kph (although when we were teenages that'd be the goal).

85AW20v · Post by **85AW20v** » Tue Apr 23, 2013 5:21 pm

You also get them heading out of the pits onto the racetrack proper....

Monsterbishi · Post by **Monsterbishi** » Wed Apr 24, 2013 8:24 pm

The derestriction sign is being completely phased out, they haven't even issued it a new designation number in the TCD manual.

And if you go back in time: (This from my 1982 NZ road code - 40 a5 pages of awesome!)

Open road sign (80km/hr)
80km/hr for cars, light trucks, motorcycles, and buses.
70km/hr for school buses.
70km/hr for heavy trucks.
70km/hr for cars or light trucks towing trailers.
50km/hr for motor-cyclists and power-cyclists with provisional licences.

:lol:

THA SHZ · Post by **THA SHZ** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 11:37 am

and here i was thinking those LSZ signs meant Lunatics Speed Zone :lol:

Quint · Post by **Quint** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 1:12 pm

Monsterbishi wrote:The derestriction sign is being completely phased out, they haven't even issued it a new designation number in the TCD manual.

Still a regulatory sign according to MOTSAM.
http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/motsa ... ion-02.pdf

LSZ signs should all be gone tho.

Monsterbishi · Post by **Monsterbishi** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 2:15 pm

Quint wrote:
Monsterbishi wrote:The derestriction sign is being completely phased out, they haven't even issued it a new designation number in the TCD manual.

Still a regulatory sign according to MOTSAM.
http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/motsa ... ion-02.pdf

LSZ signs should all be gone tho.

Have a look at the date on the pdf ;-)

Well before the release date of the mighty TCD manual.

The derestriction plate will legally remain a regulatory sign until there are none left on our roads, they are being phased out on a 'once worn, replace with RS(xx)' policy.