As I stated, the impact has been a huge increase in traffic offense fines and if anything a counterproductive lessening of the decline in road casualties. The chart I showed doesn’t show injuries. These actually increased substantially.

The policy is crap. It produces moron drivers and more fatalities from fatigue, boredom and distraction.

Actually it does have something to do with private enterprise. If private enterprise ran the roads they would not make a huge proportion of their customers into criminals and they would not waste such a huge amount of resources on completely unproductive and counterproductive measures. That luxury is reserved for political bureaucracies and the idiots who support them.

Have any of those countries relaxed their speed limits and policing? Is there any evidence to show that speed limits and policing are a waste of time and expense?

There is plenty Pete.

Effects Of Raising And Lowering Speed limits
http://www.ibiblio.org/rdu/sl-irrel.html

Have any of those countries relaxed their speed limits and policing? Is there any evidence to show that speed limits and policing are a waste of time and expense?

Why did our rate climb between 80 and 85, then resume it’s decline? Other countries flattened or increased as well around the same time. Was that due to a relaxing of restrictions after the oil shock?

I know I can drive safely at 120 kph, and on some roads I can drive safely at 140kph. But I also know the margin for error is much less and the risk is higher. If most people drove faster (human nature if speed limits were relaxed) that raises the risks for everyone. It’s not just about costs and “freedom”. I value my life and I value other peoples lives, especially family. It’s got nothing to do with private enterprise.

Can you look at the chart I linked and tell me it did?

Your chart looks at fatalities only. Do you have similar data for injuries, property damage, etc.?

Flat rates + demerits for reoffenders (after all, losing your license can be just as much of a punishement whether you are rich or poor) are the only way to go. If only because it at least provides another reason to get out there and be as productive as possible.

He knows that over-manned self serving government bureaucracies and intrusive and offensive legislation trumps human nature and private enterprise everyday.

But seriously is this an area where we as a society should be pushing resources?

Well, if it were up to me I’d rather have society be pushing resources at organising a motorbike tour across NZ for me and Hitomi Tanaka, but that’s neither here nor there. I’m only interested in the merits / demerits of the concept and I think it is more valuable than the initial post and some subsequent comments have painted it as.

How do you know the government/s, LTSA and fines have not had any effect?

>> HA HA HA HA! STOP! MY SIDES! NOOO!

http://www.monash.edu.au/muarc/reports/papers/fatalveh.gif

P.R. B.S. from the traffic enforcement industry should be treated with the contempt it deserves.

Badly analyzed statistics and fear-mongering by vested interests are the basis for much of our traffic management policy. Which is why Labour’s great LTSA TEN YEAR PLAN to reduce the road toll ended in ignominious total failure – except for a monstrous increase in traffic fines. And why that result was never publicised.