Alternative needed from the absolute crap of stuff.co.nz
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<p>This decade has actually been pretty bad. 2010 (375) 2011 (284) 2012 (308) then it dipped down in 2013 (including the QBD weekend road toll of 0) then climbed each of the following years.</p>
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<p>Very scary when you think cars are the safest they have ever been - seatbelts, airbags etc. I've seen pics of wrecks you wouldn't believe, like cars chopped in half or smashed into a hunk of metal, but driver and passengers have walked away without a scratch. Back in the 70's they would have had no chance.</p>
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<p>The most recent TERNZ report found that wearing seatbelts and helmets, the age and weight of vehicles, and speed are among the crucial factors in whether or not someone survives a crash.</p>
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<p>Is here if anyone wants to take a look: <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.transport.govt.nz/research/roadtoll/#TERNZ'>http://www.transport.govt.nz/research/roadtoll/#TERNZ</a></p> -
<p>As the driving population goes up (including tourists who rent cars, which is a rapidly expanding market), the road toll will generally increase slightly over time unless other measures are taken. I think the cars are about as safe as they will get (or at least, we're at the diminishing returns stage of development) until self-drive cars come along. but slowly rotating out the old cars for newer cars leaves a few gains here to be had.</p>
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<p>Most of our long distance roads have issues, so some work there would help - median barriers (or painted medians) and moving trees and power poles away from the roadsides would be helpful.</p> -
<p>Part of the problem is that our "state highways" are actually just country roads. No way you should have people doing 100KM on a lot of those roads, they are narrow as fuck. Hardly surprising we get quite a few head on collisions.</p>
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<p>In Europe a "highway" is like 6+ lanes at least.</p> -
<p>not to mention alot of major roads around Europe are often single direction, with either a median barrier or a decent chunk of grass in between....</p>
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<p>Yep to all of the above. Rural state highways are where a lot of accidents occur. Some of the roads are just old and crappy, with no shoulder, and plenty of hazards like ditches, trees and power poles. You don't have to do much to get off course, and when you get some dickhead coming around a blind corner going at 115km, there is no latitude for error, or correction. One car drifts over the centreline and boom, head on collision.</p>
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<p>Most of the accidents happen in the Waikato/BOP, I think probably a bad combo of high volume traffic, speed and lots of narrow, windy roads. The big cities like Auckland and Wellington actually have hardly any, probably cos gridlocked traffic doesn't allow the momentum to have injury-causing accidents.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="587101" data-time="1465720497"><p>
not to mention alot of major roads around Europe are often single direction, with either a median barrier or a decent chunk of grass in between....</p></blockquote>
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Yeah, dual-carriageways.<br><br>
A lot of the time on the interstate in the US you can't even see the cars going the other direction.<br><br>
Meanwhile NZTA are adding rumble strips... -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="canefan" data-cid="587103" data-time="1465720907"><p>I always find Kiwi drivers are pretty inconsiderate rude or incompetent relative to drivers abroad when I've come home after driving in Europe the USA or Oz</p></blockquote>
Sorry but I have just spent the weekend driving around London and Kiwi drivers are no worse than the aggressive pushy ones here. People deliberately close up gaps as you try and change lanes, push out from side roads making others brake heavily etc<br>
Found the same in the US. <br>
People everywhere are fucktards behind the wheel. -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Crucial" data-cid="587190" data-time="1465748834"><p>Sorry but I have just spent the weekend driving around London and Kiwi drivers are no worse than the aggressive pushy ones here. People deliberately close up gaps as you try and change lanes, push out from side roads making others brake heavily etc<br>
Found the same in the US. <br>
People everywhere are fucktards behind the wheel.</p></blockquote>
I dunno I find London drivers are better at letting people in but are quite shit at merging. If that makes sense. -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Bones" data-cid="587191" data-time="1465751678">
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<p>I dunno I find London drivers are better at letting people in but are quite shit at merging. If that makes sense.</p>
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<p>Do you own a car there Bones ? I didn't see the point when I lived there.</p>
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<p>Wellingtons hilly roads are narrow as fuck and no one knows who needs to give way so there's issues when there is parked cars everywhere too.</p> -
No I just steal them. It's London.<br><br><br>
Anyway I live in Kent. Should have said English drivers. When I was home at Xmas the most fucking frustrating thing was kiwi drivers and their inability to accept being passed or their need to be at the front of the queue, but slow down drastically once they've passed you. It's the weirdest thing but so fucking annoying, must cause a shed load of accidents. -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Bones" data-cid="587220" data-time="1465765756"><p>
No I just steal them. It's London.<br><br><br>
Anyway I live in Kent. Should have said English drivers. When I was home at Xmas the most fucking frustrating thing was kiwi drivers and their inability to accept being passed or their need to be at the front of the queue, but slow down drastically once they've passed you. It's the weirdest thing but so fucking annoying, must cause a shed load of accidents.</p></blockquote>
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This times 10000.<br><br>
It's not a personal affront when I pass you , get the fuck over it. -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="jegga" data-cid="587235" data-time="1465768399"><p>
This times 10000.<br><br>
It's not a personal affront when I pass you , get the fuck over it.</p></blockquote>If you pass me it's highly likely I'll rape you. I'm a white middle aged male.<br><br>
Edit: From BOP. -
<p>Careful what you say Bones, you'll have half the Fern trying to pass you.</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="jegga" data-cid="587235" data-time="1465768399">
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<p>This times 10000.<br><br>
It's not a personal affront when I pass you , get the fuck over it.</p>
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<p>I find the desperation to pass other cars when they going the speed limit (or slightly over) rather bizarre.</p>
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<p>I like to follow other cars that are cruising along at a good speed. Must be safer as well.. if some foreign driver or moron causes a head on collision.. I will be first at the scene instead of being the scene.</p> -
<p>Shittest driving I've seen lately is someone overtaking on double yellows TWICE on the rimutakas going downhill on blind corners. Absolute fucken moron, I did the sensible thing and called *555 and saw them being spoken to by Police at the bottom of the hill.</p>
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<p>Even my boys are wise enough to ask why does someone bother overtaking when at best they'll arrive at a destination 30 seconds quicker than we did.</p>
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<p>Even with the improvements the Rimutakas is still a fucken pain in the arse to go over.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Bones" data-cid="587243" data-time="1465769260">
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<p>M4L isn't half the fern.</p>
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<p>oi!</p>
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<p>Driving in New York looks fucking terrifying. Taking a taxi was "thrilling" enough. </p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Baron Silas Greenback" data-cid="587249" data-time="1465771121">
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<p>I find the desperation to pass other cars when they going the speed limit (or slightly over) rather bizarre.</p>
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<p>I like to follow other cars that are cruising along at a good speed. Must be safer as well.. if some foreign driver or moron causes a head on collision.. I will be first at the scene instead of being the scene.</p>
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<p>It's especially good on long trips in Australia, they will hit the wallaby, not you. </p> -
People like to lead the convoy of traffic travelling at 105km/h, and make stupid dangerous decisions to get there.
