gished: I drove Picton -> Dunedin -> Wanaka -> Picton and have come to loath campervans. Some pulled left when it was safe but the majority would just sit in the middle of the road and not really help people pass even after a fair few cars had started trailing behind them. I'm also wary of rental cars.

Around Central otago some of the tourists I saw driving around was terrifying.

At one point we signaled a cop and told them of an erratic driver who would hit the brakes each time a car came towards them in the opposite lane, couldn't drive around corners without crossing either the inside or outside line and was going odd speeds on straight roads. Would have *555 them but there wasn't any reception. The cops reaction? He initially laughed and said unless they were doing something really dangerous he couldn't do anything. If they are under the speed limit that's not his problem. I got the impression from him sh*ty drivers were par for the course around where we were. Kinda sad really.

Saw another couple of rental cars who had drivers that just couldn't control their vehicles and would constantly cross the center line going around bind twisty corners south of Blenheim. Suffice to say I kept my distance.

TLD:

Geektastic:
If you know the bridge coming into Blenheim southbound from Picton, you will be amazed when I tell you an articulated truck and trailer once actually overtook me on that bridge when I was driving at the limit.

That's incredible!  The big trucks usually stop at either end and wait till it is clear, then cross in the middle of the road.  A can and truck can pass, but not by much, and two large trucks certainly wouldn't fit side by side.  But to actually overtake you while you were doing 50kph, is extraordinary. 

I'm reading this at work at the moment (Marlborough Citizens Advice) and my work buddy has just told me he fitted a forward facing camera last week for exactly this sort of bad driving.  Not entirely convinced about this, as it would record your own driving habits, but definitely thinking about it. I probably get at least a couple of incidents a year worth putting on YT.   Anyone use a dash cam and can recommend?
 

DarthKermit: What's that old saying again?

"You can't legislate against stupidity."

TLD:

DarthKermit: What's that old saying again?

"You can't legislate against stupidity."

And with that sentence, you have completely nailed it!   A zero tolerance with speeding might impact normal folk who seldom exceed 105 to 110kph, and only then when the camper van ypu have been following at 80kph for half hour, suddenly accelerates to 100kph when you reach an overtaking lane, but does anyone think for a moment it will make a difference to hoons doing 130kph plus?  Of course it won't.

And as stated back up the thread, do the cops target said 80kph camper van with a dozen frustrated locals following it?  No they don't!  One of the arguments used for building the new Seddon bridge was that accidents were caused by the old single lane bridge when it backed up a big queue of traffic that then resorted to desperate overtaking measures, and the same applies to slow drivers.  I don't _really_ mind driving long straight, totally empty roads for hours on end at 100kph, but by heck I mind doing it at 80kph!

Another thing the cops love to do round here is hide on the twisty roads around Weld Pass waiting to catch someone crossing the center line.  The thing is they don't target a right hand bend quickly followed by a blind left, because most people have the sense to stay on their own side of the road.  What they do is target right hand bends followed by long straights or another right hand bend with excellent visibility.  That is to say, where crossing the center line would be entirely safe.  The cops get all sanctimonious and pedantic saying rules are rules, and a slight infringement will likely cause the end of humanity.  That just makes them stupid.

Geektastic:

[snip]

Why is speeding the only law we expect tolerance for?

TLD:

Geektastic:

[snip]

Why is speeding the only law we expect tolerance for?

Because it can be damn hard to overtake sometimes without accelerating to 105 to 110kph   On all the Advance riding courses I did, we were told to get out, get past, and get back in again, and do it quickly to minimize the time you spend in the danger zone.

Like I said back up the thread, I am perfectly happy cruising all day at 100kph, but I don't think it unreasonable to go to 110kph for th 200 meters it takes to pass errant camper vans.  That is absolutely the attitude a UK traffic cop would take.

Geektastic:
I find people here very unwilling to follow - there is an 'overtaking imperative' even on empty roads when people will often pass me when I am doing 100 and then just sit in front of me doing exactly the same speed - they just won't sit behind you. Not sure why. As long as I get there alive I really don't care much if I am behind or in front!

Geektastic: Why is speeding the only law we expect tolerance for?

You don't, for example, get tolerance for murder...