I personally think the most effective change that could be legislated for, is to make driving with headlights or approved other lights (LED Strips) compulsory at all times on ALL vehicles.
skin1235,
May 11, 6:53am
now you're just takin the piss, how does making everyone else aware you are on the road add to your personal responsibility to ensure you are driving in a safe manner
doh officier, he didn't have his lights on so I drove into him
nzjay,
May 11, 7:09am
Not at all. There is always going to be idiots on the road, you might reduce them through education/ driving testing etc, but you are never going to totally eliminate them. The same with permanent hazards on the road, power poles, trees, fence strainers. the cost would be staggering. and you'd still be dealling with the idiots. By world standards (of developed countries) our speed limits ARE too high for the road conditions. I can't see a govt allowing a major reduction and risk an election. But the simple legislation of making driving with headlights (or approved driving lights) on at all times, costs nothing, won't alienate the population and will greatly improve the VISIBILITY of others on the road.
How many times have you hung back waiting to pass someone safely and pulled out to find there is a darker coloured car coming that you couldn't see seconds ago! And yet the car 300m further back with it's headlights on is as clear as day!
queentee2,
May 11, 7:09am
Personally I don't see the point of driving in the daylight looking at sets of car lights ahead of me. I actually find it rather distracting and tiring. I found I tended to eye-track automatically to the headlights and then miss 'other' stuff that I would normally be eye tracking for on the road. Maybe it's because here in NZ we don't as a rule drive with headlights on, that when some folk here do, it's something I'm not used to. ?
Driving in the evening of course is altogether different, it highlights other cars coming toward you, as does large trucks with full peripheral lighting as well as headlights. Great for night time but certainly not daylight travelling.
skin1235,
May 11, 7:19am
sorry officier, I was distracted by the lights on all the oncoming traffic - and completely failed to see the woman pushing a baby carriage on the side of the road, maybe she should have hung a light on her arse
skin1235,
May 11, 7:21am
the driver behind the wheel is the one responsible, making excuses is pathetic, if he cannot drive without maiming someone in his car or another road user he should not be on the road in the first place
ema1,
May 11, 7:21am
In regards to the speed thing being touted by Police well I drove from Christchurch to home today via the Lindis Pass etc and on most of the straight sections of road I was driving at 95-100km/h max pretty much and slower in various places obviously where it required me to do so. Thing is even traveling at the speed limit(legal) I didn't actually overtake any cars apart from a couple of 4WD utes with well laden trailers traveling at sensible speeds for towing, I myself while traveling at 100km/h approx was overtaken by no fewer than 27vehicles which went by so damn quick that I felt as though I was traveling at walking speed. A couple went past at what I reckon was 120-130km/h and they didn't take long to disappear way out of sight and that was on quite long straight road areas. Luckily I didn't see any of them plastered up against a rock face or impaled on a bridge anywhere. Idiot driving was all that was, let alone those especially those totally irresponsible wankers who tail gate you on SH1 from Christchurch to Ashburton where it seems to be rife as I see it all too often on that stretch of SH1, what the hell is it with some of these drivers? Have they got a "No tomorrow mentality or what? I've said it before that over long distances I prefer to fly and leave the driving on the ground to the lame brained drivers out there, only reason I drove to Christchurch this "Mothers Day Weekend" was because I was collecting a fairly sizable item I bought on here actually. I just thought to myself after safely arriving home " Well chalk up another successful trip completed unscathed."
I also applaud the post#27 of nzjay regarding headlights or LED or daytime running lights to be made compulsory to be ON AT ALL TIMES ON ALL VEHICLES. It's the old story "It's better to be seen with good warning than not to be seen at all. period." Plus all the self centred idiots that I saw this evening that were driving with no lights on at all well after sunset and seem to have the idea that aw I can see OK without them on just don't consider the fact that it's important . actually more important TO BE SEEN BY ON COMING DRIVERS or in fact giving on coming drivers the chance to actually know there are vehicles out there that CAN BE SEEN AT SOME DISTANCE and can prepare themselves to be safe in the knowledge that they actually know with good warning that they are indeed there and are going to pass in the opposite direction in due course.
skin1235,
May 11, 7:28am
lol, while I don't hold with any legal rule re day time lights it is the responsibility of the driver to ensure that he can see and be seen - and usually have my sides or parks on, headlights are too distracting from other roadside items - on your trip how many of the oncoming cars had their lights on high ema?, man they piss me off, its automatic to see them and after they've passed you realise you actually saw nothing else for that 500mts, we assume that we will see an obstruction but who knows, your eyes are drawn to the headlights on high everytime
nzjay,
May 11, 7:30am
Side lights or park lights are totally ineffective in daylight.
unideck,
May 11, 7:32am
nzjay wrote:
By world standards (of developed countries) our speed limits ARE too high for the road conditions.
Go on, lets be knowing where you get that info from, kinda interested who would make that an official statement?
nzjay,
May 11, 7:41am
A recently visiting Canadian was absolutely appalled at the speed limits on our roads compared to Canada. Most of our roads would be 80kmph, and many country roads 50kmph according to him. To qualify for a 100kmph limit, there would have to be a solid median barrier, or a quite wide grass strip with a ditch between opposing lanes AND there would have to be at least TWO lanes per side. A very few multi-laned, very well engineered roads (no poles, trees, fences etc) with very gentle curves have limits of up to 120kmph.
My Brother in law, recently back from several months touring Canada concurred this as fact.
ema1,
May 11, 7:45am
Too damn many . probably half a dozen or so of the inconsiderate pricks, or it's probable that a few of them were heavily laden in the boot and rear seat that their lights would be blinding possums on low beam even? That's another classic example of inattention as well, aren't drivers meant to be on control of their vehicles at all times and that means all aspects of their vehicles including dipping lights where they are legally obliged to do so. In my book there's far to many drivers on our roads who should NOT be allowed to drive AT ALL as man I've seen some . I mean lots of idiotic things that make the mind boggle and wonder what percentage of their faculties are absent when they actually do drive. In this country driving judgement of our drivers appears to be a lolly scramble or a race to see who gets "THERE" first? Often so called "THERE" ( 6 FEET DOWN ) might be the last destination they will eventually get to when they come to a "DEAD STOP" !
ema1,
May 11, 7:57am
Dead right . I agree that there far to many objects . power poles, fences and other solid items within far to close proximity to our roads that any wayward vehicle can crash into thus worsening what is already considered to be a serious scenario, besides the obvious ie the sometimes errant traffic behaviour in there as well. Again that's a valid reason why I fly on long distances rather the drive? Wayward cars going off roads at 100km/h or in lots of cases at speeeds in excess of that are actually traveling at 30 or upwards to near 40 meters per second and they are going to go a fair old distance before coming to rest? Coming to rest in an open area is going to be possibly more survivable compared to being wrapped around a power pole or some other unforgiving object? While our roads are slowly improving in certain areas, as far as I'm concerned they still have a hell of a long way to go yet. they are still being outstripped by the increasing performance of today's vehicles, drivers are lagging behind in their performance compared to that of their cars too and that is a fact. right there.
bumfacingdown,
May 11, 2:29pm
And did you hear the squeals when they did make it harder to get a license, they were just picking on people and creating more work for themselves
serf407,
May 11, 2:50pm
It will also be the incremental improvements in vehicle technology that might improve the traffic accident situation into the future. BMW auto switching of headlights to low beam, etc https://youtu.be/-dvPZ3H1Vm4
whqqsh,
May 11, 2:54pm
we only need to improve roads because SOME people cant drive to suit the conditions of those roads, people only drive off roads or their lane because they aren't following 2 basic sets of rules, the road rules & the rule of common sense
henderson_guy,
May 11, 3:25pm
That's because the status quo has lead to the general public opinion that driving is a god given right. It's not going to be a popular approach, but if we're serious about changing the attitude towards driving then it needs to be done.
henderson_guy,
May 11, 3:26pm
Exactly. Take the worst 2% of drivers off the road and there will be a huge reduction in serious crashes
bumfacingdown,
May 11, 3:45pm
Who decides that and what happens if on the day they decide you fit the 2%
henderson_guy,
May 11, 3:54pm
easy. A more difficult driving test and periodic retesting. If I don't demonstrate that I can drive safely and competently on the day, then I don't get my licence renewed until such time as I do. Just like anyone else. If we keep on lowering the bar and make driving more of a thoughtless task than it already is, then how is the general standard going to improve?
tamarillo,
May 11, 4:08pm
In an opposite experience I just got back from UK and came back wondering why we are such crap drivers and how great our roads are. Country roads there are terrible with potholes, bumps, blind corners, narrow lanes, parked car limiting it to one lane frequently. Yet even little old ladies belt down these roads and avoid trouble. They are so much more aware of hazards and we're dealing with possible hazards constantly so are simply more skilled. Yet everyone happily exceeds speed limits and cops only book those being really stupid or dangerous. My point is that they are allowed to drive to conditions and act with far more responsibility and skill. I was impressed when despite belting around lanes drivers slowed on hazards, villages etc. I came back clear it has nothing to do with our roads, it is the dumbing down of driving.
tintop,
May 11, 4:23pm
Yes - get rid of the 80% of drivers who self rate themselves as 'above average'
The thing that 'shone; through during my periods of road safety work was 'attitude'
bumfacingdown,
May 11, 4:27pm
A bit of tit pulling by me, but everyone would probably agree with you but no one would be in that 2%
mack77,
Feb 2, 12:06pm
Yes this is something which I believe is 100% true.
One point that seems to have been missed in the above debate is that even if society was able to improve the attitude of the average driver towards safety, even the best of us can make mistakes at times because were human, not computers. That is why we all have to drive in such a manner to accommodate the mistakes of others.
One thing that irks me is the mindset of the majority of drivers in NZ that they must get from A to B as quickly as possible no matter what risks they take. They even boast about how short a time they did a specific trip rather than about how safely they did that particular trip. Become a truck driver and you will see on a daily basis the risks that many car drivers are prepared to take ''to get there first''.
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