Speeding are we stupid?

Speed limits in Christchurch are 50KMH ... everywhere, even six lane roads. You feel like you could get out and run faster. Maybe you could.

Somebody pointed out to me the other night that when we received our licences we agreed to abide by all the rules. What happened?

Statistics and reactions to them are funny things - if as many people died from a new designer drug as road accidents there'd be a war on it. But we need cars, just like we need alcohol. We're addicted and defend our addictions accordingly.

So Landyacht......have you ever seen an aboriginal car with "L" plates on it

or any of their kids doing log book hours. It dosent happen over this side

of the continent. Matter of observation, I dont think i have ever seen an

indigenous vehicle with red or green "P"s. one law for some , another

for others. Would their cars pass roadworthy?

A perspective from the USA:

Broke Cities Ravage Motorists
With Speeding Tickets
By Scott Teeters
4-9-10

GOCHA!!! That'll be $500, sir. Have a nice day and drive safely.

Recently, I was listening to Gerald Celente on The Jeff Rense Program on the internet, and Gerald mentioned that the previous weekend in the State of Virginia, almost 7,000 traffic tickets were issued in ONE WEEKEND!

Townships and states all across the Union are feeling the pressure of this Depression, so they are turning to police to help raise money through vehicle or traffic citations. Towns are installing surveillance cameras at intersections to catch drivers cutting a fast yellow light, running a red, not coming to a full stop, not stopping behind the line, etc. A camera catches license plate numbers and a computer sends the ticket in the mail. Pretty soon they'll just debit your checking account.

BEARS ARE MANNING THE SPEED TRAPS

Some townships, such as Medford Township, where I live in Southern
New Jersey, have lowered the speed limit on certain stretches of road, turning those roads into cash cows. I live very near one such road. Taunton Blvd in Medford, NJ has a 2-mile stretch that used to have 35-MPH posted. Now the speed limit is a crawl at 30-MPH. One morning around 9:15, I was sitting at the corner gas station at the intersection of Taunton Blvd and Tuckerton Rd and saw that the other three corners of the intersection had police cars with lights flashing like crazy while drivers were getting ticketed. The gas station owner said, "This has been going on since 7AM when I got here. One, right after another"

It is very obvious that, the local law is using traffic tickets to make up for loss of state and federal revenues. Last week I saw that my town will be raising school taxes because of a huge shortage of money from the State and Federal government. To make it up, the average local taxes will go up $300 per year ? about $25 a month.

The very same day that I read about my real estate taxes going up, I saw this headline in USA Today

"Speeding 'cushion' may dwindle due to recession"

Here's the USA Today link

usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-03-30-speeding-cushion_N.htm

The story has a lot of interesting statistics, but here's the bottom line. When you see a sign that says, "SPEED LIMIT" the word "LIMIT" means just that, "LIMIT" It doesn't mean 3-MPH, or 7, or 8-MPH over the limit. The "LIMIT" is THE LIMIT! The ticket book is coming out
and being used!

END OF ARGUMENT.

Where I live in New Jersey, a 45-minute drive could easily take me through 10 townships, each one with its police task force looking for the SLIGHTEST infraction of the law. ANY infraction of the law by the passing motorist!

FIRST TICKET IN 65 YEARS!

Here's a good one for you. My Mom and Dad live in a retirement community in rural Florida. It's quite common for the main road to have very little traffic. Dad's 81 years old, sharper than a tack, with excellent motor skills. He still thinks he's 41. They went to the grocery store one day and on the way out of the parking lot (with NO traffic in sight, BOTH ways), Dad didn't come to a FULL and COMPLETE STOP. Less that 1/4-mile down the road as they were turning into their community, all the sirens and lights were in his rear-view mirror. "What's the problem officer?" he asked. "You failed to come to a full stop sir. Here's your citation." This was his SECOND ticket in 65 years of driving. I said, "Well Dad, you were just overdue."

So, between the fine, court costs and a class he had to take to keep from getting points on his record, (if you get points, the insurance company wants to punish you too, even at 81-years of age) Dad made a $200 donation to his town. I said, "Gee Dad, that was VERY nice of you." He replied, "Yea, I'm SO nice."

"WELL, MAYBE THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TO BE SAFE..."

Now if you're thinking, "Well, if that's what it takes to make things safer on the roads for everybody, maybe it's a good thing." Look, I know that car crashes can be devastating. But nailing drivers for minor infractions is nothing more than a regressive TAX. This is the same "logic" I hear concerning everything we have to do today to get on an airplane. Where does it end? REAL strip searches? Maybe we should be shackled to our seats? There was one plan I read about a few years ago that would have required passengers to wear RFID bracelets with a built in Taser device. "Well, if it keeps us safe" Over ten years ago I read that cars would one day be equipped with a camera that aimed at your eyes that would report to the authorities if your eyes weren't looking straight ahead and listening devices that will make sure your not arguing with someone. Can't have distractions, you know. For those with GM's OnStar systems, police can shut off your car if they choose. So where does it end?

And unfortunately the lower your income, the larger the impact will be for simply not coming to a full stop or being 3 MPH over the limit. A $200 fine for someone with an average income is a minor nuisance. The same fine for someone just eking by could mean not being able to buy groceries or medication. And you BETTER pay the fine or they'll put a warrant out for your arrest.

Having a Tough Time Financially? TOO BAD!

As this Depression continues on, and more and more townships struggle with their budgets, they WILL turn to this kind of regressive tax into income generation. And have you ever noticed that when government gets bigger, or new rules or fines are imposed, they never go away? They're permanent. So, if and when we ever get out of this Depression, don't expect townships to lower those fines. No way! They're going to start liking that extra money and they ain't about to stop that gravy train.

BE CAREFUL and PAY ATTENTION!

Look, times are tough and they are probably going to get tougher. Unless you are housebound or live in the city and only ever use public transportation, you have to use a car to get around. So when you're out going here and there, BE CAREFUL. PAY ATTENTION because your local police officers are no longer just "Keeping the Peace." Their Commanders have instructed them, "WRITE MORE TICKETS!" That means they're looking FOR YOU AND ME.





Who knew the "To Serve & protect" would
one day mean, "To Serve & Collect"?

To Serve & Protect

There's a common saying that's painted on many police cars that says, "To Serve and Protect." Perhaps it should be changed to, "To Serve and Collect." Police now have a new duty, to participate in tax collection. They start the process with a little piece of paper.

And one last thing. If you do get pulled over, you're GETTING A TICKET. Don't talk, don't try to explain or argue, unless you'd like a Taser experience. So, MOTORIST BEWARE! This is the only warning you're going to get!

Be careful out there,

K. Scott Teeters

It's interesting that they keep a road toll but more die from committing suicide but they don't run a tally on that on a daily basis as road accidents.
Anyway pic of a driver in Adelaide:
This is an actual photo taken by Transport SA last month at the corner of Trimmer Pde and Frederick Rd Seaton.

The wood was about 2 mtrs out of the left hand side and about three out of the right. The beams in the front window went across his chest and he could only get one hand on the wheel.

I like this, no, I really like this.




limiting heavy vehicles to 80k's would have enormous benefits with only the one obvious drawback of long haul trips taking about 20% longer.
It would -
Reduce the number of heavy vehicle accidents
Reduce the severity of the accidents
Reduce the amount of fuel consumed
Allow other motorists to pass them without breaking the law
Reduce the maintenance costs of trucking companies, tyres, brakes etc
Reduce the damage to our roads

I'm sure I'm going to get caned by any truck drivers on this forum but after 35 years of driving on our highways I've had a few positive interactions with heavy vehicles but most have been dangerously negative.
Anything the weight of a road train doing 100kph is simply not safe for all the other road users

You want simple?




*We get












Police warned of speed sign loophole (I'm sure they've plugged it now)
www.theage.com.au/national/police-warned-of-speed-sign-loophole-20050627-ge0exo.html

buell- truckies are the best and most careful drivers on the road. they have to be.

limiting trucks to 80 won't solve anything, as you mentioned transport times will rise which in turn will cause prices associated with tranport to rise significantly, turnaround times to be longer, and drivers spending even longer out on the road.

motorists do stupid things to get past trucks as it is, imagine if trucks were even slower how many more idiots would try to overtake dangerously.

road congestion will also increase, especially on freeways.

You've got that one right Buell. Freight by rail is the most economical tonne/klm form of goods transport.

This country desperately needs the high speed Darwin to Melbourne rail freight line via the heart lands. The government won't build it and expects private enterprise to do it.

I believe there should be little or no interstate heavy truck haulage of anything that can be handled by rail.

At night I see trucks get into a convoy of up to 6 trucks and fly up or down the highway at 130 kmh. Totally irresponsible and sheer madness.