Daily review 22/08/2024

Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, August 22nd, 2024 - 10 comments
Categories: Daily review - Tags:

Daily review is also your post.

This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Don’t forget to be kind to each other …

10 comments on “Daily review 22/08/2024 ”

  1. aj 1

    Please let logic, commonsense, and public safety prevail in setting speed limits.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/350387397/south-korean-national-ski-team-involved-triple-fatal-crash-near-geraldine

    Timaru mayor Nigel Bowen described the stretch of road as one of the most dangerous in the district for a variety of reason, including speed and the quality of seal.

    Geraldine Ward Councillor Gavin Oliver agreed and said he had been battling for a speed reduction in the area for as long as he had been on the community board.

    • Muttonbird 1.1

      aj, please, if the South Korean national ski team want to drive on the deteriorating roads around Geraldine in a free market then they must drive at least 100kph to ensure New Zealand's economy is not damaged.

      Their risk, our reward.

    • Cricklewood 1.2

      Or we get more strict about letting people who have learnt and are used to driving on the right hand side of the road jump in a car in NZ with zero questions asked. I had a super close call coming out of Milford Sound was only luck the saved me really. Might be wrong but I'll bet the driver had a lapse and was on the wrong side.

      • aj 1.2.1

        You didn't identify the nationality of the driver in that incident.

        Tragically many recent incidents of that nature have been kiwi – kiwi.

        • Cricklewood 1.2.1.1

          The close call I had the were Americans, close enough to lose a mirror…

          • gsays 1.2.1.1.1

            I seem to recall the time when the borders were closed our road collision and fatality rate didn't drop.

            Putting an end to the cliches about foreigners being a threat on the road.

            • Cricklewood 1.2.1.1.1.1

              Thats simply not true, road fatalties dropped from @ 370 to @315 during covid before returning back to @ 370 in 2023.

              • mpledger

                There is a good page about it here: https://www.transport.govt.nz/statistics-and-insights/safety-road-deaths

                Basically, the Waikato has the vast majority of fatal traffic accidents and it saw the biggest falls while the boarders were closed. I guess it's a region that's a hub for people traveling to different places by car – Bay of Plenty, Taupo, Hawkes Bay, Taranaki, Wellington, South Island – a lot of the tourist destinations.

              • gsays

                I definitely could have worded that better.

                From the AA: "The massive reduction in driving during lockdown was matched by a huge drop in road deaths, but people may be surprised to learn that there were still 12 deaths during the 33 days of Alert Level 4.

                It was still vastly less than in normal times, with the nine lives lost in April being the lowest monthly death toll since records began in the 1960s. In recent years, there has been an average of 32 road deaths in April, so there was a 71% reduction on the back of the virus restrictions.

                But almost immediately after we moved out of Level 4, the number of crashes jumped back up, and May and June both had numbers of fatal crashes that were in line with previous years."

                So while yr numbers reflect a period of time we weren't supposed to be out and about, as the AA noted, May and June both had numbers of fatal crashes that were in line with previous years.

                All without those pesky foreigners…

                https://www.aa.co.nz/membership/aa-directions/driver/road-report-the-impact-covid-19-had-on-motoring-in-new-zealand/

  2. Adrian 2

    Any Kiwi who has driven on roads on the right overseas who tells you they never once strayed on to the wrong side is a bloody liar.

    It is the easiest mistake to make….. how to avoid it ?, if you stop for anything, before you set off again wait for a car to go past and pull in behind.

    Most important… do not whatever you do get upset or have an argument, real easy if it is about map reading and directions.

    Don't drive straight off the plane, give it a day or so.

    Bon voyage, stay safe.

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