I was making a run for home coming out of Auckland on Friday towing a trailer and saw a unmarked cop car go past, I was stuck in some slower traffic, once i got in the clear I set the cruise control for 105km/h and then just sat back in the arm chair, I ended up passing the 2 cops in the unmarked car on the left and they looked and just carried on doing their thing, and I just sat on cruise control merrily down the motorway minding my own business.
mrcat1,
Sep 1, 11:04pm
What a load of rubbish, if they actually made the speed limit the same people wouldn't try and break their necks to have to try and pass as everyone would be doing the same speed. In aussie everyone does the same speed, its nothing to have B doubles pull out into the fast lane and get along at 115 quite comfortably, all you have to do is give them room and respect that might has right and if you want to play dodgems against a 50-60 tonne unit, don't try it in a 1100-1500 kg car.
phalanax,
Sep 2, 4:43am
hehe. as a truck driver that drives a gps monitored truck (which isnt accurate compared to the trucks actual speedo). I dont see many trucks driving at 90kph. most are doing 100. lol. time we stopped pretending everyone is obeying the law. likewise ive driven many times at 100 kph in my car only to be constantly tailgated or overtaken. it is a MYTH that folk drive at 100kph. it is not a problem when the weather is fine and road conditions dry. but it goes to custard when it rains for many i suspect. the quick and the dead. which begs the question is our road toll lower (compared to decades ago). not because we have been driving safer. but because airbags have been keeping lunatics alive.
eleni01,
Sep 2, 8:57am
And who are you?! Someone who hits the open road once or twice a year and forms a baseless opinion void of any fact, knowledge or experience is my guess. Nissan Tiida or JDM spec Corolla or Rav4 driver to boot.
If you've been behind the wheel of an 'over powered' rig you'll know,
That nearly all passing lanes are on an incline - a 40 plus tonne rig can't suddenly accelerate up them to prevent anyone passing. Something at 10hp/tonne will feel even the slightest but gradual incline that isn't noticeable in a car.
All trucks these days have cruise control and most drivers use it.
A huge huge majority of car drivers are brain dead muppets with most of their attention diverted to everywhere or anything but the task of driving. These same drivers don't have the common sense or competency to pass on the opposite side of the road, yet sit right on the arse of the bigger slower vehicle. In turn exacerbates the total distance a competent driver further down the que of the tail gating sheep needs to pass on the opposite side of the road. Leading up to a passing lane, the same brain dead tail gating muppets don't take heed of the three passing lane advisory signs, and by the time they realise there is a passing lane, and start to pass, half the lane has gone already, only allowing one or two cars to pass. Then once these retards have finally passed the truck, that truck sitting on 90-100 cruise control has to knock it off or back because the retards don't have the competency to hold a consistent speed on anything but a straight road.
You perceive trucks speed up on passing lanes because you need to close the following distance gap, plus the length of the truck to get around it. Obviously you'll need more speed if you're the third or fourth car in the que.
framtech,
Sep 2, 10:35am
Rubbish, I drive around 1000 klm a week on open roads and see it all, most trucks are good but light load trucks and empty logging trucks are the cowboys on passing lanes, as well as caravans towed by late model utes, boats and late RV's, My point is only this, slow down at let cars pass in passing lanes, nothing else, not everyone drives a powerful late model car and has years of experience. Professional drivers should be just that and I get sick of seeing cowboy drivers blowing off road users, who gives a shit if you need to kick off the cruise control, and caravans and horse trucks will be a pain in the arse for everyone, for ever, but letting others pass makes for safer roads.
framtech,
Sep 2, 10:45am
Australia is flat and very few corners, won't work in NZ, Australia is not like the diversion road from Picton to Christchurch when the earthquake hit, or the Napier, Taupo road, or the dessert Road or Lewis , Arthurs and Lindas passes, then theres the whole of the west coast, so sorry don't buy that story. Last thing we need is trucks doing high speeds in NZ and the number of trucks crashes is already showing this.
tweake,
Sep 2, 12:36pm
most here are pretty good. you do see some who do 100+ especially unloaded trucks. a lot of the big trucks tend to be speed limited anyway.
tweake,
Sep 2, 12:51pm
one thing i have issue with is you never want two drivers double guessing each others move. the overtaken driver should not do ANYTHING at all. the onus is on the overtaker to do a safe overtaking maneuverer.
we used to get a lot of "force overtake" ie car that would hit the indicators like the are pulling over, sometimes wave for you to overtake. they have no idea IF you have the ability to overtake. they don't pull off the road to give you room. i've had many where they are just goading you into an accident eg theres oncoming traffic, blind corner etc or even swerve into you as you pass.
the other thing is the sheer arrogance that everyone else must do what you want them to do, like the world revolves around you. if your car is to slow to overtake then thats your problem not everyone else's.
robbief,
Sep 2, 1:07pm
Got stoped by a cop just out of taupo a week ago in fiat camper its not slow a woman had made a complant about my driving slow around 60kph in the section between te pohue and te horoto very winding wet raining and she had to follow for 6km to the passing lane.and when i got to the passing lane she pulled in front of me put her brakes on slowed to about 20kmph.and she told the cop she did that to show me what it was like to be held up so i dont know what some drivers are thinking i drive all the time told the cop i had it all on camera she the cop just said not to hold up traffic which i dont
eleni01,
Sep 2, 2:52pm
Rubbish you think?! Perhaps get behind the wheel of a class 5 truck which does thousands of kms a week and then re consider your stance. The entitlement is strong in you post.
Consider an empty logger at 600hp weight about 15-20 tonne, cruise at 90-100kmh and will travel just as quick as as car up hills and around corners, why do you need to pass? If you rely on an empty logging truck to let you pass then perhaps take a look at yourself and ask should you even be on the open road, and how much quicker are you going to arrive at your destination?
If I'm doing line haul Auckland-Wellington and choose to take SH2/27 south of the Bombays why do you expect me to slow down under my speed limit to compensate for incompetent drivers who are too scared to pass, or fuck round on the passing lanes? Bare in mind I can hold 92kmh cruise control on a fully loaded B train from the bottom of the Bombays to Kaihere Hill with the exception of Maramaruas 70kmh.
And nearly always the usual useless, impatient suspects (drivers of Tiidas, Corollas, Marchs/Demio/Yaris, people movers and any small SUV) that sit on my arse, who just have to get around the truck, slows me down further up the road when the speed advisory 95,85,75k corners scare the shit out of them.
You'll find trucks do pull over and let faster traffic pass where is is safe to do so and where justified (around the coromandel, north end of desert road, Arthurs pass, hundalees etc). To slow down and let cars pass on flowing roads of 90-100kmh is un necessary and dangerous - will only create confusion between the two road users - no one is a mind reader, and it is not a truckies job to worry about getting some fool pass them while doing 90-95kmh so the car can do 5-10kmh more only to stop in the next town! Hastings-Woodville, Levin-Waiouru is a perfect example.
I can't comment of the boat or caravan towers, the percentage of them on the road is minimal, it is really a non issue even if everyone of them is guilty of what you say.
Get over it, learn how to pass on the other side of the road, increase your following distance, concentrate on driving and cut the entitled, impatient attitude found in a lot, if not most kiwi drivers and the roads will be a lot safer.
mrcat1,
Sep 2, 4:18pm
Aussie is not flat, theres the Blue mountains, Toowoomba range and the likes, and most modern trucks are already doing 100km/h on the open roads here, its usually when a operator pushes the boundary's or a car tries to play dodgems that things go pear shaped.
mrcat1,
Sep 2, 4:25pm
So your point is what exactly? Are you actually trying to tell operators of heavy vehicles who try and keep along with the flow of traffic and not hinder the flow of most at 100kmh to slow done so you can pass? Really, either get something with more horsepower or just pull over and let people who want to get along at 100kmh get past you and let them go. If I remember correctly its in the road code that if your a slower vehicle to keep as far left as practical to let faster vehicles past safely.
framtech,
Sep 2, 4:30pm
And there is the issue right there, your max speed is 80 -90kph not 90 - 100 kph. your 15 ton truck should also be under the marked speed for corners (its not a 1 ton race car) You are paid to drive safely, so whats the issue with looking after the truck and not pushing it or are you on a 1000 buck bonus for every trip. the other point is this, its the number of trucks crashing and theres a lot of them and how many accidents do trucks cause? Good operators shift goods without killing and driving the crap out of the vehicles. ripping the tires etc, yes most are good drivers but as I said, its some of the loggers and long haul curtain siders push it. Most of the late SUV's piss off into the distance once they pass the trucks, thats not the issue here. The operators also need to fit all the options on Eroad and the police should have access to them, that would sort the cowboys.
tweake,
Sep 2, 4:30pm
just another antiquated law that was probably made when all roads where single lane. theres also the "you must pull over to let traffic pass if there is more than 6 vehicles behind you" (which i'm not sure is around today).
mrcat1,
Sep 2, 4:31pm
Exactly!
Well written and exactly right, its usually people in small vehicles that either don't have the power or balls to pull out and pass and then once they are past they slow back down to 85-90kmh and next minute the behemoth they have just passed is now trying to climb into their back seat or getting pushed up the hills as the guy behind them is starting to unleash the 740hp in his Volvo so he doesn't have to play a tune on the gear stick to try and keep some momentum up the hill.
mrcat1,
Sep 2, 4:34pm
That should still be around as many are oblivious to a line of traffic behind them and the cops should enforce it.
mrcat1,
Sep 2, 4:37pm
Speed limit in a heavy is 90kmh, and would you rather most travel at that speed and hold people up or do 100kmh and just keep with the flow of traffic?
If you actually worked out how many heavies have accidents verses how many kilometers per year they travel, I think you would find that the number is low, like air travel is a very safe way to travel even though the odd one falls out of the sky.
tweake,
Sep 2, 4:38pm
really this is simply passive aggression. intentionally holding up traffic is an offense. just like we have up north where there is people who will cruise at 80k, do 120k up the passing lane, then do 80k again. its fully intentional and the sheer lack of police enforcement allows them to do it.
henderson_guy,
Sep 2, 4:46pm
I had a truck & trailer on the Auckland motorway yesterday, 90km/h on the cruise control, and had to spend most of my time in the fast lane cause the bloody cars all wanted to do 70, in perfect driving conditions. If you car driving twats can't do the speed limit, stay off the bloody road!
framtech,
Sep 2, 4:55pm
Thats a fair call and a real problem, Thats what police should be sorting, part of the problem is the cost of fuel, nerds tend to slow down when fuel is expensive, but the truck driver passes the cost of fuel and tires onto the customers. In a perfect world, all our roads would be duel carriage ways and the cost of fuel would be less. I also wonder why old people and in experienced drivers choose to drive long trips, on difficult roads on dark wet nights
nice_lady,
Sep 2, 5:03pm
With regard to what you said, (perhaps an unintended pun? ), - they already are !
daves,
Sep 2, 5:39pm
Have you not heard, It's a LIMIT, NOT a target
mojo49,
Sep 2, 5:43pm
I posted something similar ages ago, but it is common to see speed traps near the end of passing lanes. That has effectively undermined the effectiveness of passing lanes as no-one will actually speed up, pass and then pull over quickly to free up the passing lane any more. I still do, but I am old and don't give a shit.
tom-tk,
Sep 2, 6:52pm
I agree, it is a limit not a target
But if I'm towing at the speed limit (GPS based) and drivers behind me can't pass, that's their problem not mine. Why should I need to slow down to less than the legal speed.
I used to find on the napier taupo road that I could hold 90 on the long uphill passing lanes, while the small cars that were keen to pass couldn't. if they can't do above 90 on a passing lane, they need to change their driving approach.
mojo49,
Sep 2, 7:01pm
That is simply pratt behaviour. You know full well that once on the flat you cannot do more than 90 and the small cars can easily do 100. You are deliberately holding up the flow of traffic by using your vehicles superior uphill performance to frustrate other road users. It is that sort of arrogance that gets up other drivers noses and results in smashes.
Since the public registrations are closed, you must have an invite from a current member to be able to register and post in this thread.
Have an account? Login here.