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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#1635725 19-Sep-2016 10:19

ScuL:
As a general note, in my country of origin I was always taught to do at least the speed limit or preferably up to 10% above it in order to keep traffic flowing.

I noticed this when driving in the USA last year.

Unfortunately this is strongly discouraged here by the gents with disco lights on their roof racks.

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pbgben

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#1635732 19-Sep-2016 10:30

Technofreak:
ScuL:

As a general note, in my country of origin I was always taught to do at least the speed limit or preferably up to 10% above it in order to keep traffic flowing.

I noticed this when driving in the USA last year.

Unfortunately this is strongly discouraged here by the gents with disco lights on their roof racks.

I wonder if that has to do with revenue gains? AKA, only pull them over if you can deliver a fine.

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#1635734 19-Sep-2016 10:38

There is such a thing as common sense. Truly bad drivers seem to lack it, whether going too fast or too slow. Anal nit-pickers who insist on drilling down to the letter of the law and beyond are little better. Relax, show a little courtesy, and enjoy your trip.

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MikeAqua

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#1635735 19-Sep-2016 10:45

It's simple. If there is traffic building up behind you, let them pass.

It doesn't matter if they are too fast or you are too slow.

Pulling over is not about skill or confidence it's about attitude.

Just let them past.

You can still *555 if you want to (just pull over to do it).

Mike

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#1635788 19-Sep-2016 12:10

pbgben:

I would 100% use a website that allowed me to submit evidence of a road violation. Dash cam records speed, capture car zooming past so should be able to submit it as a speeding offence. Sure its not 100% enforceable but after a few reports they got to do something. Govt, should spend some $$$ on "Rehab" classes for bad drivers, if they get reported for doing dumb sh1t or bad road etiquette then force them to take an hr long class.

A guy in Palmerston North who is disabled used to go around and take photos of people parking in disabled parks who weren't disabled. He'd post the photos on Twitter and a web site.

One day, one of the people who owned the car he'd posted a photo of went around and assaulted him. Actually beat up a guy in a wheel chair for outing him doing a stupid selfish thing.

Incredible. Takes low-life to a new low.

Not saying you shouldn't do it, but be careful about how easily you can be identified.

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frednz

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#1635827 19-Sep-2016 13:19

MikeAqua:

It's simple. If there is traffic building up behind you, let them pass.

It doesn't matter if they are too fast or you are too slow.

Pulling over is not about skill or confidence it's about attitude.

Just let them past.

You can still *555 if you want to (just pull over to do it).

Agreed that it's really simple if the slow vehicle can pull over safely and the road is wide enough to allow this. But I have sometimes wanted to pass a slow vehicle on a long winding hilly road where I would have to agree that there simply weren't any opportunities for the slow vehicle ahead to safely pull over and there were double yellow lines (and / or a lot of traffic coming the other way) which prevented me from passing.

Now there may have been a perfectly valid reason under the road code why the vehicle in front was going quite slowly, so even though there may have been a long line of traffic behind this vehicle, it may well have been driving within the spirit of the road code and therefore should not be later stopped by a traffic officer because I doubt whether it has broken any laws or rules.

MikeAqua

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#1635958 19-Sep-2016 16:39

frednz:

Agreed that it's really simple if the slow vehicle can pull over safely and the road is wide enough to allow this. But I have sometimes wanted to pass a slow vehicle on a long winding hilly road where I would have to agree that there simply weren't any opportunities for the slow vehicle ahead to safely pull over.

I've towed a caravan and a boat trailer extensively around NZ (e.g. Nelson to Kerikeri) and I can normally find somewhere to pull over every 5 - 10 minutes. In the case of the boat I'm towing 8m x 2.4m and >2,000kg. Yet I still find heaps of places, despite needing longer distance and to brake and gradually pull over. I'm just an average ability driver.

Of course there are exceptions I can think of - Whangamomona, Northern Coromandel, that windy lakeside section between Taupo and Turangi.

But generally there are heaps of places, especially for car but people just don't use them.

For example: I was driving from home to Nelson Airport this morning on SH6/QE2 Drive. It's a 100km area of wide, flat, dry road; with good visibility and light traffic.

Yet here was a driver in little Daihatsu dawdling along at 75kmh and hugging the centre line, while a line of cars built up behind her. Enough room for her to pull over without leaving the tarmac in a number of places Did she pull over? No she did not.

Mike

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#1635976 19-Sep-2016 18:03

Linuxluver:

pbgben:

I would 100% use a website that allowed me to submit evidence of a road violation. Dash cam records speed, capture car zooming past so should be able to submit it as a speeding offence. Sure its not 100% enforceable but after a few reports they got to do something. Govt, should spend some $$$ on "Rehab" classes for bad drivers, if they get reported for doing dumb sh1t or bad road etiquette then force them to take an hr long class.

A guy in Palmerston North who is disabled used to go around and take photos of people parking in disabled parks who weren't disabled. He'd post the photos on Twitter and a web site.

One day, one of the people who owned the car he'd posted a photo of went around and assaulted him. Actually beat up a guy in a wheel chair for outing him doing a stupid selfish thing.

Incredible. Takes low-life to a new low.

Not saying you shouldn't do it, but be careful about how easily you can be identified.

I took a photo of a courier van that was parked in the mobility park at my Doctors surgery, I sent the photo to the courier company and actually received an apology.

pbgben

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#1635979 19-Sep-2016 18:07

Linuxluver:

pbgben:

I would 100% use a website that allowed me to submit evidence of a road violation. Dash cam records speed, capture car zooming past so should be able to submit it as a speeding offence. Sure its not 100% enforceable but after a few reports they got to do something. Govt, should spend some $$$ on "Rehab" classes for bad drivers, if they get reported for doing dumb sh1t or bad road etiquette then force them to take an hr long class.

A guy in Palmerston North who is disabled used to go around and take photos of people parking in disabled parks who weren't disabled. He'd post the photos on Twitter and a web site.

One day, one of the people who owned the car he'd posted a photo of went around and assaulted him. Actually beat up a guy in a wheel chair for outing him doing a stupid selfish thing.

Incredible. Takes low-life to a new low.

Not saying you shouldn't do it, but be careful about how easily you can be identified.

Wow, no words to describe those actions. A disabled person too, no place for people like that on earth, especially if they we're in the wrong... I can't understand why you would assault anything for reasons that aren't self-defense?

I had more of a public service kind of website, something that in anonymous and dealt with internally to the govt, could be used to report all sorts of things and make things easier for police, I sure know they hate dealing with small things but if nothing is done about it then small things will lead to bigger and worse abuse of rules and laws that were enacted to keep us, and all that inhabit NZ safe.

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ScuL

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#1635980 19-Sep-2016 18:16

There is a page where you can report bad driving incidents:

https://forms.police.govt.nz/forms/report-bad-driver-community-roadwatch

However sadly this team is unable to accept dashcam videos as evidence. I have e-mailed them before asking if they had any plans to allow the public to send in photographic evidence or videos and the answer was "not for the time being"

-edit-

Forgot to add, you can report slow drivers by using this form. If you leave a report with a reg number they will send the owner of the vehicle a warning letter reminding them of the rules of the road.

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richms

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#1636051 19-Sep-2016 19:13

Yeah, had a couple of those letters. Not about slow driving tho ;)

Richard rich.ms

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#1636116 19-Sep-2016 20:54

I got one too about 2 or 3 years ago. I thought it was a practical joke to start with as I couldn't remember doing anything that was remotely like I was accused of. My wife was with me at the time and she couldn't think of anything either.

My experience highlights why these sort of dobbing in processes should never be anonymous. With anonymous reports there is no redress for false accusations.

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Dratsab

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#1636215 19-Sep-2016 22:46

richms:
Yeah, had a couple of those letters. Not about slow driving tho ;)

Technofreak: I got one too about 2 or 3 years ago. I thought it was a practical joke to start with as I couldn't remember doing anything that was remotely like I was accused of. My wife was with me at the time and she couldn't think of anything either.

My experience highlights why these sort of dobbing in processes should never be anonymous. With anonymous reports there is no redress for false accusations.

The problem I see here is that these letters are based on one side of a story. Obviously no investigation whatsover in your case at least @Technofreak. It's basically taking one person's word as gospel with all else being irrelevant.

MikeAqua

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#1637059 21-Sep-2016 09:36

Yes those letters seem pretty pointless/one-sided.

I got one for 'overtaking' on the flush median.

But I wasn't overtaking, I was swerving to avoid a nose to tail when the complainant pulled out of a side road into a 100km area leaving me insufficient room room to brake.

I wrote back to her majesty's constabulary explaining my side of the incident, but I never got a response.

Mike

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#1638065 21-Sep-2016 09:55

MikeAqua:

frednz:

Agreed that it's really simple if the slow vehicle can pull over safely and the road is wide enough to allow this. But I have sometimes wanted to pass a slow vehicle on a long winding hilly road where I would have to agree that there simply weren't any opportunities for the slow vehicle ahead to safely pull over.

I've towed a caravan and a boat trailer extensively around NZ (e.g. Nelson to Kerikeri) and I can normally find somewhere to pull over every 5 - 10 minutes. In the case of the boat I'm towing 8m x 2.4m and >2,000kg. Yet I still find heaps of places, despite needing longer distance and to brake and gradually pull over. I'm just an average ability driver.

Of course there are exceptions I can think of - Whangamomona, Northern Coromandel, that windy lakeside section between Taupo and Turangi.

But generally there are heaps of places, especially for car but people just don't use them.

For example: I was driving from home to Nelson Airport this morning on SH6/QE2 Drive. It's a 100km area of wide, flat, dry road; with good visibility and light traffic.

Yet here was a driver in little Daihatsu dawdling along at 75kmh and hugging the centre line, while a line of cars built up behind her. Enough room for her to pull over without leaving the tarmac in a number of places Did she pull over? No she did not.

I drive often with my horse and float on board, I manage to keep up with the speed limit for the most part but I am always on the look out for people stuck behind me, if there is I can usually find a place to pull over, if I can't I find a long safe place to slow down enough to let as many people over take as possible, on over taking lanes I will slow to 70-80 again to let as many people pass as I can safely. It isn't that hard and really doesn't take much time out of my day.

Yesterday I got stuck behind someone doing 60-70 in a 100km/h zone, they were blissfully unaware of the queue forming behind them, luckily I can pull off a safe overtaking manoeuvre in a short distance due to having plenty of power under my right foot but others are not so lucky and can end up either stuck behind these people or worse making foolish mistakes.

We need more adds showing people pulling over and being courteous on the road, maybe a shock one showing an idiot speeding up for the overtaking lane and what happens to frustrated drivers. Maybe the catch phrase stating "is speeding up for an overtaking lane worth someones life?" - well clearly I am not a poet or an advertising executive!

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