Slow drivers are being targeted by Police: Great, but how slow is too slow?

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › Slow drivers are being targeted by Police: Great, but how slow is too slow?

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#1630583 15-Sep-2016 00:54

vexxxboy:

if you have cars banking up behind you on the open road , then you are travelling to slow. i cant remember the last time i had cars behind me on the open road.

This is not the case when I drive, I always drive the speed limit and there are always people behind me, most people on the road speed, the road can get very narrow for a 100KM/h road. I really wish the road was much better so I wouldn't have a collection of stone chips on my car.

I travel to Whangarei every weekend from Auckland and back, there are some parts of the road that simply shouldn't be what the speed limit suggests.

I always see people passing people doing well over the 100KM/h speed limit on a passing lane, myself included even though I am doing the speed limit if not a little over, people unfortunately here have the "I must be in front" mentality which is extremely unnecessary and dangerous.

MikeB4

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#1630603 15-Sep-2016 06:54

Folks seem to think 50/100 kms are the minimums. Those limits are the maximum allowable having regard to the prevailing driving conditions.

Bung

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#1630608 15-Sep-2016 07:36

From the Road User Rules

5.9Stopping and following distances
(1)A driver must not drive a vehicle in a lane marked on a road at such a speed that the driver is unable to stop in the length of the lane that is visible to the driver.
(2)A driver must not drive a vehicle on a road that is not marked in lanes at such a speed that the driver is unable to stop in half the length of roadway that is visible to the driver.

Some heroes drive quickly on winding roads by ignoring the above and trusting that there'll be nothing around the corner.

Centennial Highway on Wellington's Kapiti Coast used to be known for nose to tail accidents especially South bound as there were frequent hidden queues. The limit has been dropped to 80.

Where " the normal and reasonable flow of traffic " can not be safe at 100kph a more realistic limit should be set. If the limit is enforced in overtaking lanes perhaps the overtaken lane should also be restricted to stop slower traffic speeding up.

Technofreak

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#1630627 15-Sep-2016 08:35

I regularly check the speed of different cars I drive using the GPS on my phone. One thing I have noticed is many speedometers over read, some by up to 10 kph at 100 kph.

This means that if you're sticking to what's indicated on the speedo you're likely to be holding people up even though you think you're driving at the speed limit.

I usually travel at between 100 and 105 kph (traffic and road conditions permitting). I rarely have vehicles pass me and almost never have a queue behind me. In my experience most drivers observe the speed limit.

I also do my very best to drive at a constant speed. Some drivers cannot seem to manage a constant speed. While they will travel at the limit for some of the time they will still end up with a queue behind them since they spend significant periods travelling below the limit when the conditions allow them to drive at the limit.

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#1630654 15-Sep-2016 09:09

I applaud the Police taking on slow drivers, Kiwi's are some of the worst drivers in the WORLD, and Billy Connelly said it best when he suggested that Kiwi's have a horrible tendency to take being overtaken PERSONALLY, so it's not uncommon to see someone drive at 80KM in a 100 zone, and then get to an overtaking lane and stress the limits of their cars getting to 120Kmph to stop someone overtaking them.

Having said that, in the OP's case I would have argued you were driving to the conditions, which is the number one rule of driving in my opinion. Had you have been issued a ticket, I would have gone to court to defend it, and your entire defense could have been "I was driving to the conditions" and it's exceptionally likely the fine would have stood.

1eStar

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#1630695 15-Sep-2016 09:46

NZ drivers have very little training. There are no requirements for refresher courses. There is no training in traffic courtesy. Police apply little nous to courtesy, only generally targeting legal infringements.

Basically it's like teaching your kids table manners with a whip.

I applaud the police for pulling over inconsiderate drivers. But seriously we need to raise the standard of driving in this country!

MikeAqua

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#1630699 15-Sep-2016 09:48

The 'conditions' include driver and car capability, which vary widely. I can do things in the mazda 3 that would put the pajero in a ditch and vice versa. Different vehicles.

Fortunately there is very simple solution - pull over. It's not hard, it costs you nothing and there are normally plenty of places to pull over.

I applaud the cops taking a hard line on slow drivers. I would support them treating slow driving as seriously as speeding.

Mike

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MikeAqua

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#1630703 15-Sep-2016 09:50

surfisup1000:

I find truck drivers are fairly courteous at pulling over, and campervans the worst.

In my experience campervans are second worst and the absolute worst are vehicles towing horse floats.

Mike

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#1630731 15-Sep-2016 10:01

MikeAqua:
surfisup1000:

I find truck drivers are fairly courteous at pulling over, and campervans the worst.

In my experience campervans are second worst and the absolute worst are vehicles towing horse floats.

Yeah these last tend to be very powerful vehicles. Very slow on the corners with the horse, all good.

Then 110kph on an uphill straightish section with a passing lane! Exceeding the trailer limit and very few can pass. Behaviour deserving of an etiquette lecture at the very least.

Hammerer

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#1630738 15-Sep-2016 10:10

I am very happy to hear that the police do something about slow and uncourteous drivers.

Even on very windy narrow roads it is still possible to let others past by signalling left and pulling over as far to the left as I can. It's usually safest to do this just before the apex of the right turn, i.e. where the bend is furthest to the left.

The signs that indicate a slower speed are recommending the safe speed in wet conditions. If you are driving on a dry road then you should be able to go a lot faster. I typically add 50% to the recommended speed when on a dry road in good condition. So if the sign says 70 I can easily drive at the open road limit of 100kmph.

trig42

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#1630743 15-Sep-2016 10:18

Hammerer:

I am very happy to hear that the police do something about slow and uncourteous drivers.

Even on very windy narrow roads it is still possible to let others past by signalling left and pulling over as far to the left as I can. It's usually safest to do this just before the apex of the right turn, i.e. where the bend is furthest to the left.

The signs that indicate a slower speed are recommending the safe speed in wet conditions. If you are driving on a dry road then you should be able to go a lot faster. I typically add 50% to the recommended speed when on a dry road in good condition. So if the sign says 70 I can easily drive at the open road limit of 100kmph.

70-75 is about the lowest speed on those advisory signs that I will continue going 100 for. a 65 or 60 sign, I will button off before the corner so I can coast in and power on through the corner. a 35 sign, I will brake for when going downhill, or let gravity slow me down when going up a hill. Still power on through the corner when safe to do so.

Jase2985

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#1630745 15-Sep-2016 10:20

MikeB4: Folks seem to think 50/100 kms are the minimums. Those limits are the maximum allowable having regard to the prevailing driving conditions.

the problem there is there is no specified minimum so you get people doing 70-80 on a road thats safe to do 100 on which end up affecting other drivers and potentially causing them to do something silly

there should be a minimum speed

Inphinity

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#1630746 15-Sep-2016 10:21

I'm glad to see a few instances of drivers going slow and holding up traffic finally being pinged for it. I don't have enough situation-specific information about the OPs circumstances to meaningfully comment on the validity of it in this instance. As others have said, if you've got traffic backing up behind you because you're consistently doing well under the speed limit given suitable conditions, pull out of the way. If you're not confident doing 100 in a 100 zone in good conditions on straight road (which the OP implied they weren't), you are likely to present as a hazard in these situations. Just like those people that come to a near-complete stop mid-intersection because they can't turn a corner at more than 10kmh.

MikeB4

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#1630760 15-Sep-2016 10:50

Jase2985:

MikeB4: Folks seem to think 50/100 kms are the minimums. Those limits are the maximum allowable having regard to the prevailing driving conditions.

the problem there is there is no specified minimum so you get people doing 70-80 on a road thats safe to do 100 on which end up affecting other drivers and potentially causing them to do something silly

there should be a minimum speed

It is not speed, it is consideration for other drivers and consideration for the conditions. A slow driver is not necessarily bad but a slow inconsiderate driver is bad. In some scenarios the slow driver is the considerate one and the

fast driver is having no regard for other road users. Drive to the conditions, drive within the drivers and vehicles ability and have consideration for all other road users, it is not hard.

Sidestep

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#1630771 15-Sep-2016 11:11

MikeB4:

It is not speed, it is consideration for other drivers and consideration for the conditions. A slow driver is not necessarily bad but a slow inconsiderate driver is bad. In some scenarios the slow driver is the considerate one and the

fast driver is having no regard for other road users. Drive to the conditions, drive within the drivers and vehicles ability and have consideration for all other road users, it is not hard.

Bring on the self driving car!

Courtesy's what's needed – courtesy.. consideration and basic driving skills.

I enjoy driving, even the cut and thrust of driving a work truck can be a enjoyable challenge - but on sunny weekends I'll take a toy out and go for a blast along the coast road just for the buzz of it.

For my Mother-in-Law, who sits ramrod straight with a white knuckled death grip on the wheel and navigates curves as a series of secant lines, driving's akin to being fed to lions..
80 km/h is almost supersonic to her... I tune my defensive driving skills by visualising her driving every approaching car.. and she often ends up with a trail of angry drivers behind her.

..I'd loose some autonomy myself for the greater good, for her to reach her destination safely -and without having caused several risky overtaking maneuvers.

For GZ'ers – our exceptional space/depth perception, cat like reflexes and ability to tap The Force means we're more than competent drivers, - and it will feel like a loss of control. So maybe there should be an override button, that you qualify for.. with a much stricter driving test. Including skid pads (love those!) and driver courtesy training..

In 2034 - as we relax in our autonomous cars, I'm sure we'll look back and marvel at the danger and carnage we accepted as normal on the roads “back in the teens”

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