Driving with the flow of traffic?

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › Driving with the flow of traffic?

newtogeekzone

1 post

Wannabe Geek

#311576 27-Jan-2024 20:49

I've just started driving in New Zealand and from what I understand there is no leeway over the speed limit allowed

However, when I stick to the speed limit, I find that alot of people overtake me

If I go with the speed that most of the other cars are going, and there is a police around, will they just overlook it? Or will they just randomly pull over a single car?

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2391 posts

Uber Geek

#3187487 27-Jan-2024 21:11

firstly check your speedo, many read low.

no, police will not overlook speeding. its a cheap easy thing to get people on. typically speeds will always creep higher, then police will be out, speeds go down and rinse repeat.

also it depends on where you are. locally to me its not to bad, most people won't speed due to fuel cost. other places where policeing is non-existent everything is just feral.

Linux

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#3187488 27-Jan-2024 21:14

Police should be enforcing drivers that don't move left out of the fast lane!!

I drive on the new Puhoi motorway and the number of drivers that sit in the far right hand lane and will not move left is just off the planet

tweake

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#3187493 27-Jan-2024 21:28

Linux:

Police should be enforcing drivers that don't move left out of the fast lane!!

I drive on the new Puhoi motorway and the number of drivers that sit in the far right hand lane and will not move left is just off the planet

afaik its still legal to pass on the left.

shrub

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Ultimate Geek

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#3187495 27-Jan-2024 21:32

Sorry if this offends but if you are asking this question then you are driving too slow.
Check your Speedo accuracy against GPS likely to be -5-10% under.

On highways the tolerance police have is normally +10km/h so if sign says 100 most will be doing 105 - 110. If your doing 90 - 95 then your going to get passed.

On public holiday weekends this drops to +5km/h so keep it at 102-105.

Linux

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#3187498 27-Jan-2024 21:37

tweake:

Linux:

Police should be enforcing drivers that don't move left out of the fast lane!!

I drive on the new Puhoi motorway and the number of drivers that sit in the far right hand lane and will not move left is just off the planet

afaik its still legal to pass on the left.

@tweake Not the point cars should be moving left! They are breaking the Law

SheriffNZ

671 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3187501 27-Jan-2024 21:55

My view (and the law), drive to the speed limit. If the signs say 100, don’t exceed 100. If you think your speedo is reading low, get it calibrated (I’m assuming this is a thing). If it’s a long way out, it should get picked up at a warrant.

In summary, drive to the speed limit.

Oblivian

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#3187509 27-Jan-2024 22:33

NZ does not have 'fast lanes'.

What it does have is a vocal majority who think the right is solely for them and everyone else needs to move left.

Thus negating the entire thing because there is noone remaining willing to move left.

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jarledb

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#3187512 27-Jan-2024 22:56

Oblivian: NZ does not have 'fast lanes'.

What it does have is a vocal majority who think the right is solely for them and everyone else needs to move left.

Thus negating the entire thing because there is noone remaining willing to move left.

Nah. Thats not how it goes.

It is a race.

You can do 90 in the 100 until the passing lanes, then you should be doing at least 110 so nobody behind you can pass.

When you are on multi-lane highway you can do 100 in the right lane if there is a car in the left lane doing 100. Make sure nobody can pass you. Besides, you are driving the speed limit, so why move over?

</sarcasm>

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scuwp

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#3187513 27-Jan-2024 22:57

shrub:
On highways the tolerance police have is normally +10km/h so if sign says 100 most will be doing 105 - 110. If your doing 90 - 95 then your going to get passed.

On public holiday weekends this drops to +5km/h so keep it at 102-105.

The official line is that the Police do not have any tolerance. 10Km/h leeway is long gone and you can expect to be stopped and get a fine. You might get away with 5km/h depending on the officer and the situation. Police are within their powers to stop you and give you a fine at any speed over the limit.

I do support other comments that it is likely your speedo is reading slow. If you have a mobile phone start up google maps and check your true groundspeed on the GPS, you will likely find the speedo 5km/h or more reading to low. The other way to look at that is it does give you a 'buffer' if you stray over a little bit now and then.

You will find many impatient drivers full of their own self importance. Just chill and enjoy the drive, if it takes 5 - 10 minutes more, so what.

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

Oblivian

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#3187515 27-Jan-2024 23:14

Once upon a time gps drift variation vs calibrated equipment meant no grounds for fighting anyway. Still a thing?
When they had more 'your speed ' monitors both my previous cars have meant sticking to 106 on the dial was spot on. And the phone seems to report similar with a bit of float. I presume update rates. (And as yet no speed camera fines at that dial indicated even when a bit late spotting the van)

On the flipside even if you are a leap frogger that sticks to 'the flow' but jump right and back left to stop with the on the gas on the brakes. There's always going to be someone to sit on your back mid manoeuvre and boost past 20-25 over once you jump back again.

Wombat1

586 posts

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#3187517 27-Jan-2024 23:46

tweake:

Linux:

Police should be enforcing drivers that don't move left out of the fast lane!!

I drive on the new Puhoi motorway and the number of drivers that sit in the far right hand lane and will not move left is just off the planet

afaik its still legal to pass on the left.

That can't be true.

Wombat1

586 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#3187519 27-Jan-2024 23:53

jarledb:

Oblivian: NZ does not have 'fast lanes'.

What it does have is a vocal majority who think the right is solely for them and everyone else needs to move left.

Thus negating the entire thing because there is noone remaining willing to move left.

Nah. Thats not how it goes.

It is a race.

You can do 90 in the 100 until the passing lanes, then you should be doing at least 110 so nobody behind you can pass.

When you are on multi-lane highway you can do 100 in the right lane if there is a car in the left lane doing 100. Make sure nobody can pass you. Besides, you are driving the speed limit, so why move over?

</sarcasm>

And if traffic is backed up, and the left lane is coming to an end. Whatever you do, dont you dare drive in that left lane. People in the right hand lane wet their pants and will try drive you off the road. I have never understood this mentality, some cars even drive illegally halfway between the two lanes to stop cars coming past... Its Survival of the fittest sometimes on NZ roads, unfortunately.

yes I am talking about you Wellington ......

Ge0rge

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#3187520 27-Jan-2024 23:58

That can't be true

And yet it is...NZTA says so themselves.

Wombat1

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#3187521 28-Jan-2024 00:10

From your link:

Passing on the left

You can only pass on the left when:

there are 2 or more lanes on your side of the centre line and you're able to pass safely by using the left-hand lane

It would be really stupid if this was not allowed, especially if it was a 3 or 4 multi-lane highway.

Journeyman

1186 posts

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#3187523 28-Jan-2024 00:56

If you're in the right hand lane and people are tailgating you, either speed up or move over to let them pass.

If there's only 1 lane and people are tailgating you and you're doing the speed limit... well, it's up to you: either speed up and risk a ticket, pull over and let them pass, or stay at the same speed and they can suck it.

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