The Police are FINALLY taking this seriously "National operation targeting those 'driven to distraction'"
From Monday (September 14), Police nationwide will be paying particular attention to drivers who are putting others' lives at risk while focussed on their phone, instead of on the road ahead.
"We want drivers to put away the phone, tablet, i-pod or other distractions that can tempt you or take your attention away from driving," says Superintendent Steve Greally, National Manager Road Policing.
Ministry of Transport data shows that in 2014, 'diverted attention' was identified as a contributing factor in a total 1,053 crashes (12 percent of all crashes), which resulted in 22 people being killed and a further 191 sustaining serious injuries.
The total social cost of crashes involving diverted attention was about $297 million, which is approximately 9 percent of the social cost associated with all casualty crashes.
???However, this is nothing compared to the devastating human cost of the broken families and friends that are left behind when someone is needlessly killed in a crash that could have been prevented, and that is what Police are focusing on," Mr Greally says.
???While mobile technology has increasingly allowed us all to stay connected, no text, call or social media update is so important that it's worth risking life and limb for ??
peja,
Sep 12, 11:53am
Family, friends and colleagues can also help by not having phone or text conversations with drivers while they are travelling.???
Mr Greally says Police is concerned at a rising number of people being caught while distracted by their phone, despite legislation being in place since November 2009.
This makes it illegal to text or use a mobile phone when driving ??
tony9,
Sep 12, 1:12pm
Not before time.
poppy62,
Sep 12, 1:52pm
Agree peja! Yesssssssss! my biggest motoring hate. Crush their cars I say with phone in it and may be the hand holding it too.
tgray,
Sep 12, 1:59pm
PR stunt. It will be business as usual - " Sir I clocked you going 58kph in a 50 zone. "
gazzat22,
Sep 12, 2:01pm
The fines if you get caught and its a bloody big IF are pathetic particularly in NZ compared with Australia and in other countries.I think in Australia they are about $300 and in the UK about 3 times that.Enforcement is a joke !
johotech,
Sep 12, 2:24pm
I don't see what your point is. 58 in 50 zone is dangerous. Do you have kids? Older parents?
Other innocent people using the roads as pedestrians or cyclists or even driving, get killed every week by people speeding or distracted, or driving un-roadworthy vehicles.
phillip.weston,
Sep 12, 3:00pm
Great. Now can we target those who stay in the fast lane doing 10km/h under the limit while sitting exactly side by side with the car next to them for 5-10kms totally oblivious to the massive traffic build up behind them?
lookoutas,
Sep 12, 4:42pm
You'll have to have a Tui on that!
tgray,
Sep 12, 4:47pm
So you drive at 50kph maximum all the time do you? If so, have you noticed the tailgaters behind you waiting for their moment? or perhaps the ones that don't wait and simply pass you in less than appropriate times? My point is 55 is the unofficial speed limit and is perhaps safer than trundling along at 45 - 50 all the time. (35 years experience and accident free history). And no, I am not condoning speeding, but just being realistic. 55 is probably about 52 anyway, because of the speedo readings being set slightly higher in most cars. People doing these speeds are not the ones out their killing people. Really.
johotech,
Sep 12, 7:15pm
Tgray. Well, your post was about getting a ticket at 58. Which would be "real" 58, which would be indicated at 60+. Too fast IMO and a ticket would be deserved.
Anyway, where I am, most of the time I'd be lucky to hit 50 (real, GPS) around town. This morning, a gentleman I was following was doing about 40-45 in a 50 zone. Often, on SH1 (2 lane) through town, traffic would be lucky to get over 45, often around 40. Which is a great pity cause the 8-10 sets of lights are actually well synchronized at 50kph. Even in the few 60kph roads (2 or 3 lanes), traffic is often only just breaking 50.
So I agree that 55 used to be the unofficial limit, but these days, especially with sometimes 4kph tolerance, the average speed seems to be slower. People going faster these days really do stand out now.
Me, over 35 years experience and apart from a couple of "young and indestructible" incidents, pretty much accident free as well. Glad we have survived this long aye!
henderson_guy,
Sep 12, 9:19pm
I'm not entirely sure what to think about this. So 12% of crashes were reported as being caused by "distraction", which is a pretty broad scope really. Cellphones, yes, but also eating, drinking, changing the radio station, looking at the next intersection on the gps, baby crying in the back, checking out that hot blondie jogging down the road in those tiny little shorts, looking at that classic car heading the opposite direction, etc etc. Meanwhile, 88% of crashes were NOT reported as caused by distraction. If seen by police, fine, expect a ticket, it just seems odd to have a blitz on it when (a) it should really be part of everyday duties anyway, and (b) it doesn't seem to me that it's really going to make a measurable difference.
stevo2,
Sep 13, 4:22am
To have an effective blitz on this, coppers need to be driving a truck or van where you can look down into the car in the next lane. I see people using their phones at nearly every set of lights.
survivalkiwi,
Sep 13, 4:47am
Well I hope they do something about the biggest distraction on our roads. They will have to get all those lovely ladies in their tight pants and short skirts to cover up. How is a bloke expected to keep his eyes on the road with that sort of distraction happening on the footpths of our great land.
stevo2,
Sep 13, 4:52am
They have been working on that over the past few months with something they call WINTER. However they are now changing to focus on cell phone use instead so those mini skirts will start rolling out again now. ;)
As a regular cyclist (as or some weeks more often than I drive) I have never been endangered by people driving over the 50 kmh limit - in fact it is the slowest ones I am leery of, for they are the far most likely to be distracted or just incapable.
peja,
Sep 13, 6:43am
I'd actually say its far far higher.than that. Distraction is pretty difficult to prove after the point, unless the Police are incredibly lucky and either find 1) a mobile with a half-completed text on it that is in response to one that came in within a few minutes of the accident (AND there were no other people in the car) or 2) The whole accident is on HD video ( which can happen, the silly girl that hit me going over the harbour bridge while texting was done because the bridge is covered by HHD CCTV, and they had footage of her using her phone.)
I'd say most of the accidents involving single vehicles leaving the road or hitting objects or parked cars are caused by distraction - its just that it is difficult to conclusively prove that
I know that when I am cycling, being a little higher up means I get to see a few people on their phones at the wheel - an not talking either, but texting/ facebook etc
peja,
Sep 13, 6:44am
True, but motorbikes can also be used to great effect, saw a video on youtube somewhere of this being done overseas, USA I think
richynuts,
Sep 13, 7:48am
Ever tried lane splitting in a truck?
mrfxit,
Sep 13, 7:53am
WRONG . >
" Sir I clocked you going 51kph in a 50 zone. "[
peja,
Sep 18, 12:13pm
Well its reaping results; "Seen on Lincoln Road - A cellphone in one hand, a beer in the other and steering with his knee"
Waitemata Police officers working on a national campaign targeting people who use their cellphones behind the wheel were left shaking their heads after a checkpoint in Henderson yesterday afternoon.
Officers based themselves on Lincoln Road and over a period of just two hours, issued 54 infringement notices for cellphone use.
But it was the recklessness of three of those people that really left officers dismayed;
-A man texting with two cellphones.
One in each hand and steering with his knee on his steering wheel.
-A man using his cellphone in his left hand, steering with his knee and drinking a beer in his right hand.
-A woman texting with three children in the back of the car and towing a horse float with a horse inside."
FFS.
elect70,
Sep 18, 12:32pm
Those girls riding bikes wearing lycra are a distraction ( or the boys if your that way inclined ). I sideswiped a power pole 1 night , dog ran accross the road & I was distracted trying to avoid him . Reported to plod next day & he reckons I was pissed na
purplegoat,
May 31, 5:10am
As the fleet manager for a large company that has just installed GPS monitoring in over 100 vehicles my observation based on factual data from those 100 vehicles is that those who tut tut the loudest about speeders rack up by far the largest no of over speeds particularly in 50-70 zones That's concerning as clealy they're often oblivious to what speed they are actually doing .In my opinion those who say they dont speed fit into just two categories , liers and oblivious speeders as outlined above
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