[Tia Maria]

I did some driving practice today and it made me wonder about speed limits and whether the majority stick to them.

Cheers

Tia

[willsken]

:no

I do when I'm in town but I'm pretty bad on the open road.

[ellenmelon]

i always stick to the speed limit. i'm already majorly aware of the consequences of a crash at the speed limit (have been in a major accident and have lost 5 extended family members in accidents) and every km you go over the speed limit the worse an accident is going to be if you are in one to not only yourself but your car, other people, property etc.
if i'm on the open road, going 100km and someone is tailgating me wanting to go faster i honestly don't care. the speed limit is 100, not 110 or 120.
there's also the fact that i cant afford a speeding ticket at the moment!

[Carol]

i always stick to the speed limit. i'm already majorly aware of the consequences of a crash at the speed limit
every km you go over the speed limit the worse an accident is going to be if you are in one to not only yourself but your car, other people, property etc.
if i'm on the open road, going 100km and someone is tailgating me wanting to go faster i honestly don't care. the speed limit is 100, not 110 or 120.
there's also the fact that i cant afford a speeding ticket at the moment!

I agree 100%.
I pull over and let the tailgaters past. let them go off and kill themselves if they want to.


And.. will NEVER forget being pulled over by a cop for speeding. Will be imprinted on my brain forever.
I remember thinking - "Well that was a waste of time going to work today - what I earned I just got fined".

[dharder]

I just got a speeding ticket the other day, $30 for doing 56kmh where I should have done 50kmh. Quite rightly of course, and I always try to stick to it in town.

I find the speed limit on the motorway silly, 100kmh isn't necessary imnsho, but that may just be the German in me.

I have gotten three speeding tickets in my life (the one here included), the first two in Germany, with a lovely photo attached of me in my car doing the speeding. In the second one, I was picking my nose. To be honest, the idea of being caught again doing something embarrassing like that and have everyone have a good laugh put me off more than the fine...:o

Daniela

[nippa&pippa]

i always stick to the speed limit. i'm already majorly aware of the consequences of a crash at the speed limit (have been in a major accident and have lost 5 extended family members in accidents) and every km you go over the speed limit the worse an accident is going to be if you are in one to not only yourself but your car, other people, property etc.
if i'm on the open road, going 100km and someone is tailgating me wanting to go faster i honestly don't care. the speed limit is 100, not 110 or 120.
there's also the fact that i cant afford a speeding ticket at the moment!

me too because
1. It is not worth it to risk your life and children's lives
2. At most of junctions, we get some prats doesn't bother stop at STOP junction, so I need to slow quick in time to prevent accidents occur which I can't if I am driving too fast (hence I tend to drive around 80, I don't care if car behind me want me go faster) Plus already had three car accidents, two of them, my children was in the car, in UK (not my faults :no)
3. I don't want get any tickets as too expensive!

[dharder]

hence I tend to drive around 80, I don't care if car behind me want me go faster)
3. I don't want get any tickets as too expensive!

Is that going 80 when the speed limit is 100? You can actually get a ticket for going too slow, too (I know people who that happened to). So if the you want to make sure to not have to fork out for tickets, going at the speed limit rather than above or below is probably the safest...

Daniela

[Familyofmonkeys]

me too because
1. It is not worth it to risk your life and children's lives
2. At most of junctions, we get some prats doesn't bother stop at STOP junction, so I need to slow quick in time to prevent accidents occur which I can't if I am driving too fast (hence I tend to drive around 80, I don't care if car behind me want me go faster) Plus already had three car accidents, two of them, my children was in the car, in UK (not my faults :no)
3. I don't want get any tickets as too expensive!

Totally agree with you....I also sometimes drive more slowly when there are prats on the roads around me...in case I need to stop suddenly. The speed limit as a Maximum speed...in ideal road conditions. How often are the road conditions really perfect (?)....and i'm not just talking weather...this also applies to how busy/congested a road is too!

I too have been in major accident and had to be pulled out of a car when I was a child....was handing from a seatbelt upside down in back of car......a memory I will never ever forget :no

[nippa&pippa]

Is that going 80 when the speed limit is 100? You can actually get a ticket for going too slow, too (I know people who that happened to). So if the you want to make sure to not have to fork out for tickets, going at the speed limit rather than above or below is probably the safest...

Daniela

yep and we do have lots of police cars presence where we live (due to high numbers of car accidents!) I always drive at 80 and they NEVER stop me for "driving too slow" beside 80 is still "fast". Plus we got lots of old banger and landrovers around us that never go over 80 even we own series 1 landrover...it will be "challenge" to get our landrover to go over 80!!!!:laugh

[jpd]

This is what the NZ Road Code has to say about driving slower than the speed limit.
Seems quite sensible to me...

Slow drivers

If you are travelling slower than the speed limit and there are vehicles following you, you must:

* keep as close to the left side of the road as possible
* pull over as soon as it is safe to let following vehicles pass.

Don’t speed up on straight stretches of road to prevent following vehicles from passing you.


http://www.landtransport.govt.nz/roadcode/about-limits/speed-limits.html

[dilanium]

I'm not sure how fast I'll drive in NZ, but in the US I tend to drive about 5mph over the speed limit. Usually I'm still getting passed by just about everyone on the road.

Of course on my trip from Cleveland to Las Vegas we were in a tiny car towing a trailer so we couldn't go the speed limit so we went as fast as out little car could (never went over 65mph... downhill) and most of the states that we drove through have a speed limit of 70 or 75.

[StevieD]

I often found it difficult when I first started driving here. As you spend so long travelling at certain speeds (in UK) you tend to "know" when you are travelling at or near the national speed limit.
I found it difficult here for a few months, until my senses adjusted to the feeling of travelling at the slower speeds. I have actually found myself travelling slower than 100k now when I out on the main road, but I do go over sometimes when I not really paying too much attention to my clock, especially when there is a hard rockin' song on the radio .... funny how they make you drive faster.

[Caroline and Dave]

I stick to the speed limits but it amazes me particulary on the minor roads how there is always someone tailgating me. This is worse at night when you have headlights blinding you because they are far too close. You let one go and along comes another. There use to be the odd one tailgating in the UK but here virtualy everyone does it, or they do where we live.

[AndyR]

I stick to the speed limits if I do not know the roads....as I don't know what the conditions are. If i know the roads then I will drive to the conditions but fairly close to the speed limit.

[James 1077]

Stick to the speed limit in built up areas (and often lower depending on conditions, number of pedestrians etc).

Outside of the city I generally drive to the conditions while keeping an eye on the speedo; so I generally don't let it go too far over 110 on a clear motorway but will also go much slower if it is wet / I don't know the road etc.

The thing that really annoys me is people who refuse to pull over to let you pass when the road is too bendy to be able to overtake safely so you end up driving behind them for ages due to their belief that they have the right to hold everyone up. I always pull over for people who want to go faster (as I feel that I don't have the right to slow them down) and just don't understand the mindset of somebody who won't - it isn't like it ends up taking them any extra time!

[willsken]

Don’t speed up on straight stretches of road to prevent following vehicles from passing you.


And this is what so many drivers over here do. It's really really really annoying. :mad::mad::mad: So often you're stuck behind someone doing 80 and you get to the passing lane and have to hit 140 to get past them. We often take bets in this situation, how fast you are going to have go, to get past the car in front that has been going really slowly for the last few miles. The worst thing about this is, if you don't overtake them you can bet, the minute you get to the end of the overtaking lane they'll be right back down to 80 again!!!

[Tia Maria]

Its like wacky races driving a car with 'L plates'! I had to slam on the emergency brakes twice yesterday, (neither my fault), as people are convinced they can pull out in front of me. The OH says it definitely happens more to me, than when he drives.

I pretty much drive dead on the limit as I need to practice keeping it right for the test but lots of people feel the need to pass me in built up areas. Once again, something to do with the L plates maybe?

I think when you have children you are very aware of how oblivious they are and just how often they step out into the road without looking.

What people don't seem to realise is even if you are the best driver in the world, (and its amazing how many people think they are! :p ), it only takes one other idiot, or one oblivious child, for an accident to happen. If you are speeding it will be a fatal one, its as simple as that.

Its hard to talk about speeding without sounding self righteous, or like a bit of an old granny, maybe its just not cool to stick to the speed limit? But I don't get speeding at all, can't people just chill? Is it just that people get really uptight when in a car? What's wrong with enjoying the journey?

Cheers

Tia

[Philip10]

My wheels have two litres, double overhead cam, low profiles and this baby built for speed and I know how to handle it, speed limits are for those who live their lives in the slow lane :nice1

[Tia Maria]

My wheels have two litres, double overhead cam, low profiles and this baby built for speed and I know how to handle it, speed limits are for those who live their lives in the slow lane :nice1

Lol, see told you! Speeding - cool....

By the way my baby has two legs, a mop of blonde hair and is built for cuddles, screaming and having fun - I'd like to keep him that way thank you. :D

Cheers

Tia

[Carol]

speed limits are for those who live their lives in the slow lane :nice1


really?

And there was me thinking they were an attempt to keep people safe.
:nice1

[Georgebulldog]

Lol, see told you! Speeding - cool....

By the way my baby has two legs, a mop of blonde hair and is built for cuddles, screaming and having fun - I'd like to keep him that way thank you. :D

Cheers

Tia

:clap Well said

Originally Posted by Philip10
speed limits are for those who live their lives in the slow lane

Well you know what they say about men with these type of cars ;)
I love seeing them come past me so I can say "Hope you die soon" unfortunatley it's usualy some innocent person that ends up the injured party but there may just be the satisfaction one of these days of seeing a few miles up the road in a tangled mess, saw it once (not that bad) but had to laugh as a boy racer came speeding past only to take the corner to fast & trash his pride & joy :raebanana

[willsken]

:clap Well said

so I can say "Hope you die soon"

That's a little harsh!:eek::eek:

[dharder]

I thought Phil was joking.

In any case, speeding and going fast aren't necessarily the same thing. It is not the speed itself that kills, but going too fast for any given situation.

I cycle to work in the mornings, and there are loads of cars that go too fast but are still within the 50kmh limit when they squeeze past me...

That is far more dangerous than going 110 where the limit is 100.

Just saying that speed in absolute terms doesn't mean a lot, it's where and how you drive.

Daniela

[willsken]

I thought Phil was joking.

In any case, speeding and going fast aren't necessarily the same thing. It is not the speed itself that kills, but going too fast for any given situation.

I cycle to work in the mornings, and there are loads of cars that go too fast but are still within the 50kmh limit when they squeeze past me...

That is far more dangerous than going 110 where the limit is 100.

Just saying that speed in absolute terms doesn't mean a lot, it's where and how you drive.

Daniela

Exactly. I drive quite slowly when I'm in town, normally under the speed limit. I have children and I'm very aware of the speed kills message. I don't drive slowly on clear open roads and I don't believe I pose any danger to anyone.

[Carol]

I thought Phil was joking.

Daniela

I think he must have been........ ??

[nippa&pippa]

Exactly. I drive quite slowly when I'm in town, normally under the speed limit. I have children and I'm very aware of the speed kills message. I don't drive slowly on clear open roads and I don't believe I pose any danger to anyone.

True.
My question to you, can you stop in time if the other driver failed to stop at STOP junction? very common in clear open roads where we live because they think the roads is always clear to pull out, even the traffic is coming, without think they need to stop at stop junction:eek: and often my OH and I end up need to do emergency brakes because of it. If I was driving at 100, it might be too late........

[KerryS]

I got a speeding ticket the other day - got blipped by a camera for going at 43 during school time, so should have only been doing 40. I'm always really careful around schools - but obviously just not careful enough and had let my speed creep back up. Lesson learnt, and I shan't be going that fast near a school again.
Thankfully, as it was a camera I only got a fine, and no demerit points on my licence.

[willsken]

True.
My question to you, can you stop in time if the other driver failed to stop at STOP junction? very common in clear open roads where we live because they think the roads is always clear to pull out, even the traffic is coming, without think they need to stop at stop junction:eek: and often my OH and I end up need to do emergency brakes because of it. If I was driving at 100, it might be too late........

If you take into account everything that could or couldn't happen when you're driving, you wouldn't end up wanting to drive at all. ;)

It is my firm belief that it more dangerous to drive too slowly on open roads, it causes people to become frustrated and this leads to them performing stupid and dangerous over taking to get past. You see this happening all the time. There is nothing wrong with going slowly if you're prepared to let people pass. Not many people have the patience to drive along at 80km when they don't have to. :)

[CJ22]

I'm going to find it tricky to stick to the speed limit in NZ, especially as the conversion from MPH to KPH tends to make the limits slightly slower than I'm used to. I don't go mad, but do tend to be over rather than under.

Still, points on your licence is what your non-driving partner's licence is for!

[Tia Maria]

I suspect there is a lot of difference between country driving and city driving.

My instructor takes me down Hurstmere Road, Takapuna, (a busy shopping street with lots of zebra crossings and reversing cars), to practice my ability to spot 'hazards'. Its like playing one of those driving games except you don't get points for hitting the pedestrians. (or so she says! :p)

Cheers

Tia

[dharder]

Its like playing one of those driving games except you don't get points for hitting the pedestrians.

Wait - what? You don't get points for hitting pedestrians? Or cyclists? I must have been misinformed then, cause I have the distinct impression they (you know, the ones in cars) are all out to get me (on my bike).

Now why would they do that if there weren't any points in it for them?!

Personally, I think every member of traffic should spend a day in the shoes of another: the car driver has to cycle for a day, has to spend a day as a pedestrian with squirming and active toddlers making their way to preschool and across busy roads, the pedestrian has to spend a day on a bike, the car driver parking cars has to spend a day pushing a double buggy past parked cars... etc.

This should be an annual requirement to keep your license.

Okay, I'll step off my soap box now :)

Daniela

[Kim39]

As a professional driver( well thats the tag HGV drivers get back home) and 15 years service in the Ambulance Service i only go at the stated speed limit as there are so many factors that could endanger not just yourself but others. Also i feel that the roads here do not allow for certain speed limits. As a trucker i can honestly say that sometimes it gets scary on certain roads driving certain configuration of rig.


Kim

[benandclare]

Used to speed regularly on the motorway back in UK but adhered to speed limit everywhere else.

Keep to speed limit here wherever I am.

[Sam B]

Well, as I've posted before, I have already been done for speeding twice since I got here, so there's no point lying about it. I ALWAYS try to keep the limit in built up areas, but if I'm honest, I sometimes glance down and see I've crept over and brake immediately. But it happens.

On the open road I often find it very difficult to stop my speed from creeping up, although since my 2 fines, it has never been intentional. I have been driving for 19 years and have never had an accident or a near miss. I am rigorous about keeping safe distances and only overtaking safely. I am very careful in bad conditions, and I'm always alert for hazards. But I do seem to find it difficult to keep to the speed limit.

[cappuccino]

I also have the same problem as SamB. Have also noticed that there are places that the speed limit changes down suddenly ie on one road I use, before a rail bridge the speed limit is 70 but the other side of the bridge it drops to 50. Guess who sits the other side of the bridge waiting for 'speeding' drivers to forget to slow down!

[DMcG]

I stick to the speed limit in the city and generally stay under 105Kmph on the open road. That ensures I'm not causing a queue unless other people want to be dangerously fast. But I've found it's not the speed you're doing, its which side of the road you're on that matters most. I regularly drive the Coromandel coast road - a notoriously windy and narrow road - and I'm appalled by the number of vehicles I see going around a blind corner with a portion of their vehicle on the wrong side of the road.

If you're tempted to take a blind corner at speed, just assume there's someone doing exactly the same, coming the other way!

Dougie

[Familyofmonkeys]

the car driver parking cars has to spend a day pushing a double buggy past parked cars...

Oh how I wish people would think about where they park their cars sometimes.....I have frequently had to negotiate a double buggy and a pre-schooler into a busy road to get around plonkers who seem to think it is OK to completely block the pavement with their parked cars :mad:

[familyof5]

Hi, to be honest it depends on the road conditions, around town etc I generally stick to the limit. Whilst on the subject I have recently found out that as of 1st Sept we no longer have to take the theory test to transfer onto NZ licence.

[incredible hulse]

Quite often speed if the road allows it. Also quite often go under the speed limit if conditions dictate. Personally feel more endangered by the constant dazzling from front fog lights, the lack of indicating, the inability to read the road, the crazy give way rules and people too busy talking into mobiles to drive properly than someone doing 110kph on a straight dual carriageway

[James 1077]

I also think that before anybody gets their car licence they should have to spend a week riding a motorcycle. My driving got much, much better after commuting into London on a motorbike for a few years as before then I didn't really take too mcuh notice of motorcyclists. Now I am far more careful when manoeveuring (always checking my blind spot at least twice) and will always keep a look out for motorcycles and make sure that my road position makes it easy for them to pass me safely.

As a motorcyclist the only way to ride is to assume that the driver of any car on the road is an ex-girlfriend who you dumped in a particularly horrible way after she announced that she was pregnant. That way you KNOW that everyone is out to kill you so you ride accordingly!

All in all though it isn't speed that kills - it is the stopping suddenly that gets you! So drive / ride to the conditions and keep an eye out for all potential hazards so that you can adjust your speed accordingly!

[JandM]

I've never wanted to ride a bike, but I became very aware of them after both my children became bikers, and we'd had the fun of patching them up after they found out that everybody on the road was out to kill them, like you say. I've even scraped a couple of other mothers' sons off the tarmac.

[jdbob]

I found that there are few straight sections of road in New Zealand long enough to gain much speed before encountering a curve again.

On the other hand, here in Oregon the highway speed limits are lower than neighboring states but the police know they are unreasonably low so they give you quite a bit of margin.

[richard]

I found that there are few straight sections of road in New Zealand long enough to gain much speed before encountering a curve again.



I agree, I haven't been over 200km/h for at least a week! :o

I try and make as much use as possible of cruise control, even around town. That way you know what speed you are doing and can concentrate on looking at the road not the speedometer.

Unless there is a campaign on the police will generally leave you alone at up to 9km/h over the limit so where conditions allow I set it to 59 in a 50, 69 in a 60 etc. Even then cars still fly past me.

On the open road I tend to stick to less than 120.

[Caco]

It's going to be hard for me, since here in Chile top speed on open roads it's 120 KM/H, and what can I say...most of the time we go a little over it:uhoh...we got two lanes on most highways, dunno there actually..someone?

Carlos