Do not visit New Zealand for the next two months

Do not visit New Zealand for the next two months

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CR6ZZ

Original Poster:

1,313 posts

144 months

Friday 28th November 2014
quotequote all
In their infinite wisdom the BiB and authorities in NZ have decided that for the next two months (i.e. over the summer holiday period) there will be no tolerance whatsoever for exceeding posted speed limits. Thus, careening along at the breakneck speed of 51 kph (or 81 or 101…) will likely earn you a ticket. And they are contemplating making this permanent. All in the cause of safety of course… They have, for the past three or four years run a 4 kph tolerance during holiday periods (it is usually 10 kph during non-holiday times to allow for speedo error and whatnot) and, based on a reduction in fatalities of 22% last Christmas, have decided that “no tolerance” is the magic bullet. This, of course, completely ignores the fact that during some of these low tolerance “holiday” periods the road toll was actually higher than it was in years where the tolerance was the usual 10 kph. This year the road toll (during which every single holiday has been policed stringently using the 4 kph tolerance) is tracking considerably higher than last year when a similar regime was enforced, so clearly it is not working as well as they would like us to believe. Meanwhile, I regularly observe police disregarding the (all too common on NZ roads) failure to keep left, failure to indicate, failure to drive at speed appropriate to the conditions, following too closely, speeding up to prevent overtakes, etc., etc. Scenery is still lovely though…

Edited by CR6ZZ on Friday 28th November 01:53

Some Gump

12,671 posts

185 months

Friday 28th November 2014
quotequote all
...Or do, and just drive in accordance with local laws?

CR6ZZ

Original Poster:

1,313 posts

144 months

Friday 28th November 2014
quotequote all
Yes - you could do that... clap

grumbledoak

31,504 posts

232 months

Friday 28th November 2014
quotequote all
Yes, the danger here is all speed related. I've been here a month and I could make a good case for employing the sheep as chauffeurs.



Edited by grumbledoak on Friday 28th November 01:46

BritishRacinGrin

24,602 posts

159 months

Friday 28th November 2014
quotequote all
I bet this is Jeremy Clarkson's fault.

caziques

2,567 posts

167 months

Friday 28th November 2014
quotequote all
Or do what all sensible visitors do and ignore any tickets you may pick up here.

No one will be chased very hard overseas, as there are no enforcement procedures.

The ones to perhaps check a bit more closely are spurious charges on a credit card that may arise from a speed camera ticket, make sure every such charge is challenged. Rest assured your credit card cannot be charged for an actual offence.

Happy motoring.

RDMcG

19,096 posts

206 months

Friday 28th November 2014
quotequote all
caziques said:
Or do what all sensible visitors do and ignore any tickets you may pick up here.

No one will be chased very hard overseas, as there are no enforcement procedures.

The ones to perhaps check a bit more closely are spurious charges on a credit card that may arise from a speed camera ticket, make sure every such charge is challenged. Rest assured your credit card cannot be charged for an actual offence.

Happy motoring.
If you have a rental car it will show up on your credit cased courtesy of the rental company I would think.

CR6ZZ

Original Poster:

1,313 posts

144 months

Friday 28th November 2014
quotequote all
Well, that didn't last long. After an unprecedented public outcry the BiB have backtracked on their threat of zero tolerance...

Gren

1,947 posts

251 months

Friday 28th November 2014
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4 hours. We need some of that common sense over here!

Mind you, my lasting experience of Kiwi coppers was listening to a local radio station when we were last out there. The law had just changed on giving way when turning left and this local copper was doing a tour of local towns with a very informative Powerpoint presentation. Told us all about it.

Dunno why, but it just cracked me up. Especially after hearing it hour after hour on the local news bulletins.

gshughes

1,277 posts

254 months

Friday 28th November 2014
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I got nabbed for speeding by a cop near Queenstown in my rented camper van a few years back. I wasn't going THAT fast by UK standards, although Kiwis do seem to be quite slow drivers. He really wasn't very impressed at all and told me I was the fastest camper van he had pulled that year, which I was slightly proud of. I paid the fine as I didn't fancy the rental company charging me more for admin.

JustinP1

13,330 posts

229 months

Friday 28th November 2014
quotequote all
CR6ZZ said:
Well, that didn't last long. After an unprecedented public outcry the BiB have backtracked on their threat of zero tolerance...
It's too late now - I've cancelled my whole fking holiday on your recommendation!

Hooli

32,278 posts

199 months

Friday 28th November 2014
quotequote all
gshughes said:
He really wasn't very impressed at all and told me I was the fastest camper van he had pulled that year, which I was slightly proud of.
thumbup

Good effort there.

Dogwatch

6,223 posts

221 months

Friday 28th November 2014
quotequote all
CR6ZZ said:
Meanwhile, I regularly observe police disregarding the (all too common on NZ roads) failure to keep left, failure to indicate, failure to drive at speed appropriate to the conditions, following too closely, speeding up to prevent overtakes, etc., etc. Scenery is still lovely though…

Edited by CR6ZZ on Friday 28th November 01:53
Do they drive on the right? tankyikes

Dracoro

8,662 posts

244 months

Friday 28th November 2014
quotequote all
No, they drive on the left in NZ.

Chimune

3,164 posts

222 months

Friday 28th November 2014
quotequote all
JustinP1 said:
CR6ZZ said:
Well, that didn't last long. After an unprecedented public outcry the BiB have backtracked on their threat of zero tolerance...
It's too late now - I've cancelled my whole fking holiday on your recommendation!
biggrin

CR6ZZ

Original Poster:

1,313 posts

144 months

Friday 28th November 2014
quotequote all
JustinP1 said:
CR6ZZ said:
Well, that didn't last long. After an unprecedented public outcry the BiB have backtracked on their threat of zero tolerance...
It's too late now - I've cancelled my whole fking holiday on your recommendation!
getmecoat

stichill99

1,040 posts

180 months

Friday 28th November 2014
quotequote all
When 3 of us went to visit NZ we rented this lime green Mitsibushi from rent a cheapy in Whangarei. When you reached the speed limit it had a bell that pinged and pinged faster the faster we went. The strange thing was it encouraged us to drive flat out to see who could get the bell to sound nonstop!!! Not that I would advocate this ofcourse,especially on the road to Milford Sound,we went round a corner and 3/4 of the road had disappeared down the bloody mountain!

bitwrx

1,351 posts

203 months

Friday 28th November 2014
quotequote all
Got nabbed for speeding in NZ as well. In my tractor. At 40km/h.

Turns out tractors are only allowed to go 30k in NZ. But rather than do me for speeding as a tractor, the bib decided my speed made me a truck which meant that, from memory:
  • No licence
  • Trailer too wide
  • No brakes on trailer
  • Too large an overhang on front
  • Too many spikes on front
  • No WOF
I'm fairly sure the list went on.

I was looking at a $3k fine until my boss turned up, told the copper he was being a bloody idiot, and compromised on one $600 fine for "operating a vehicle (being a heavy motor vehicle) on a road when that vehicle was not displaying current evidence of vehicle inspection".

All seemed a bit pointless really. Sounded like trafpol went around the country during harvest blitzing town after town for tractors going too fast/trucks being overweight/whatever. As soon as people knew they were around, everyone started driving slower, short loading, taking the back roads etc until they moved on. Then went back to blazing around with at 50t!

Glad to know the public still has a say in policing over there though. I did like the way boss and copper came to an arrangement. Seemed very civilised.

caziques

2,567 posts

167 months

Friday 28th November 2014
quotequote all
I have to travel from Christchurch to Queenstown a few times a year, 480 kilometres - all single carriageway roads.

Best time to travel is at night, Police don't seem to be out in the sticks at all.

Speed limit is 100, two speeds to cruise at usually. 109, just below the usual tolerance - or 119...and keep a good lookout. Any van parked at the side of the road could be a speed camera, any car coming towards you could be a cop.

Generally find I can average about 100 for the whole trip. Easiest car is my JDM Prelude, CC set on 109.

Haven't been caught speeding for a few years now, last three times the police dropped the case the day before the court hearing - not fully sure why.


JustinP1

13,330 posts

229 months

Saturday 29th November 2014
quotequote all
CR6ZZ said:
JustinP1 said:
CR6ZZ said:
Well, that didn't last long. After an unprecedented public outcry the BiB have backtracked on their threat of zero tolerance...
It's too late now - I've cancelled my whole fking holiday on your recommendation!
getmecoat
Well, that's not good enough, what do I tell my kids, eh?

We've already got Grandma in North Wales. We've not seen her since 2006 because of all the cameras there, and the plod on the bridges.

Now we book a bloody holiday, to a place where Dad can exercise his human right to drive just a little bit faster than everyone else, and you've ruined it!