2019 road toll already in the triple digits. What will Jacinda do?

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Forums › Politics › 2019 road toll already in the triple digits. What will Jacinda do?

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tdgeek

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#2210625 4-Apr-2019 10:54

Varkk:

How about another one of improving public transport, trains and buses etc. Less traffic on the road, less drivers less chance for individual accidents.

Those items would be great for a number of reasons. Less traffic is not the answer. You might find less accidents but per capita increases. Less cars = more speed = less need to watch out. Fix the problem, don't artificially reduce a metric to make it look better, as the exact same problem and its effect, still exists

Rikkitic

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#2210638 4-Apr-2019 11:20

During the OPEC oil embargo in the early 1970s, we had 'carless' Sundays in Holland. Nobody with Dutch registration was allowed to be on the roads. An exemption was made for foreign-registered vehicles. On the first carless Sunday there was one accident. I believe a Belgian collided with a German. They were the only two cars on a major motorway.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

Bluntj

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#2210656 4-Apr-2019 11:48

Rikkitic:

During the OPEC oil embargo in the early 1970s, we had 'carless' Sundays in Holland. Nobody with Dutch registration was allowed to be on the roads. An exemption was made for foreign-registered vehicles. On the first carless Sunday there was one accident. I believe a Belgian collided with a German. They were the only two cars on a major motorway.

We also had carless days. It was a total failure as it was so easy to gain an exemption.

Dingbatt

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#2210751 4-Apr-2019 14:14

tdgeek:
Is a driving test these days, still just about, showing over a few minutes that you can control the car driving from A to B, do a 3 point turn, park it, stay at speed limit, stop at a red light, etc? In my day it was just about proving that you can control the vehicle and obey the road code for that brief outing

No is the simple answer.
The restricted test is about 45 minutes and involves more than just demonstrating the ability to control a vehicle. The candidate fails if they commit 2 critical errors or 1 fatal error. The testing is quite prescriptive.
The full test can also be up to 45 minutes and is more aimed at confirming the driver hasn’t formed bad habits and can clearly identify possible threats.
Neither test is ‘easy’.

From my perspective as a frequent commuter, regular retesting will achieve little because most drivers know what is right and legal. All you have to do is observe how driver behaviour changes when there is a police car present, or traffic slowing for a fixed speed camera.

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

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