32 ways to lose your licence
February 26th, 2005 at 12:08 pm by David FarrarThe NZ Herald has an article on the new traffic regulations which come into effect tomorrow.
The number of ways to get demerit points has increased from 15 to 32.
I actually support most of the changes, and welcome the focus on overall safe driving, not just the speed of a car.
I suspect not many people will be fined for “Failing to give way to rail vehicle approaching level crossing” as the consequences of not giving way tend to be pretty fatal!
No tag for this post.
February 26th, 2005 at 12:23 pm
It’s good to see Labour in touch with New Zealand.
Vote:I take it the 32 new ways to catch criminals strategy is on it’s way.
February 26th, 2005 at 1:23 pm
I can’t let this go unchallenged. At first glance it seems like a good plan
Vote:February 26th, 2005 at 1:42 pm
The control freaks just love this sort of thing and then say they are saving lives. It would be interesting to do an audit to see how many lives have been lost if one disobeys the behavior policed by the new demerit point provisions. More bossyness from this bossy Government.
Vote:February 26th, 2005 at 9:14 pm
Article talks about rules wrt roundabouts but nothing in the list mentions it. So the list isn’t definitive?
Vote:February 27th, 2005 at 12:21 pm
Errr, shouldn’t that read “32 new ways to raise revenue”?
Vote:February 27th, 2005 at 4:30 pm
Or….32 more excuses on why we don’t catch criminals.
Vote:February 27th, 2005 at 9:54 pm
The failing to drive as far left as practical is my favourite. About 28/29 years ago my then boyfriend (now husband) was driving to Rotorua from Hamilton to visit. He had a cop behind him for quite a few miles and drove accordingly – spped at the limit, no risk taking etc (he was 21 so this is no mean feat for a young man). This mean traffic cop, finally pulled him over. Inspected his licence, rego, WOF etc as they are wont to do and then finally gave him a ticket for not keeping as far left as practical. Who had even heard of such a law?? Not Paul, so we successfully appealed this on the basis that the cop in question was merely looking for any excuse to issue a ticket to this young man driving a v8 holden. Now we can get demerit points for such technicalities also – look for an increase in the number of people driving without a licence. Yes there are plenty of law breakers on the road, but good grief!!!
Vote:February 28th, 2005 at 11:03 am
Gingermum. The “as far left as practical” law is the one that is supposed to stop people driving slowly in the right hand lane on the motorway. A bit of enforcement of that law would be OK with me.
Vote:February 28th, 2005 at 1:44 pm
If they can get people to keep left on motorways, then maybe a ban on inside overtaking (in free flowing traffic) could be considered.
Incidentally, it should be feasible to build a camera that spots people in outside m-way lanes doing less than the cars in the inner lanes and snaps a picture.
Also, you could have red hatching for the last 50m of passing lanes, again with a camera – if you get snapped on the red, then it’s $150 and 35 points for dangerous overtaking – which is better than hitting an oncoming truck.
Vote:February 28th, 2005 at 4:33 pm
Has anyone else tried indicating left when driving straight through a small roundabout? Because the steering wheel is moving, even if I manage to indicate (left hand just finishing changing gear), the auto-cancel turns off the indicator.
One change that I hadn’t seen mentioned until Monday’s article:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=179&ObjectID=10112912
The traditional P parking signs that have not applied at weekends will in future apply to weekends unless stated otherwise. Previously parking conditions that applied on weekdays did not apply at weekends or public holidays. Increasing weekend traffic and longer trading hours are cited as reasons.
Some areas may still opt to allow parking at weekend in otherwise restricted spaces but now the sign will have to say so.
Vote:February 28th, 2005 at 8:32 pm
PaulL – yes, the law will be good if it stops the slow cars in the right hand lane of the motorway, but that will not be the only time it is used, as I tried to say. I have no objection to the law as such (Far too many people drive on the centre line), but the law has become one of those sort of legends in our family and like anything, heavy handed cops can take these laws to extremes. I am not anti road rules (well, not usually) as they are necessary, but hope common sense will prevail while these new ones are introduced. Wasn’t a lot of publicity
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