Discussions have sparked about safe driving speeds after a driver was clocked doing 200km/h on the new stretch of the Tauranga Eastern Link.
The speedster was clocked at double the speed limit in a 1997 Peugeot 407 by a speed camera on a stretch of State Highway 2, between Te Maunga and Papamoa, just weeks after it was opened.
Sergeant Nigel Ramsden says any crash at that speed would have been 'catastrophic”.
'Driving at 200km/h in an 18-year-old car is stupid,” says Nigel. 'It won't have all the safety features modern vehicles do.”
SunLive asked people in the community what they thought about the 100km/h open road speed rule and whether or not it should be higher or lower.
Watch what people had to say above.
What do you think?
12 comments
Law is the law
Posted on 13-06-2015 14:14 | By maildrop
For a kick off 200kph is not at all safe anytime, anywhere. Even F1 drivers would admit that even with their skills it is not safe. Stupid. Regardless, it is not about what anyone thinks is safe. When you have a civilised society you have laws. They should be adhered to. You don't get to pick and choose which ones you agree with. When people start picking and choosing you get a breakdown in society and behaviour. We can see this happening now, both here and overseas. It is high time the car crushing laws were extended and enforced.
Interesting
Posted on 13-06-2015 15:28 | By Towball
Statement made about crushing cars if that law was enforced to it's full potential there would be alot of Police on foot and a lot less Fatalities .
There
Posted on 13-06-2015 15:33 | By Capt_Kaveman
are places that could be reviewed, 110 im many new motorways and Cambridge road needs to go upto 70 as the drop from 80 to 60 is a little stupid, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BKdbxX1pDw
Smaller Cars
Posted on 13-06-2015 16:27 | By Towball
Being used by people to their maximum capacity and above is also a concern .Eg a smaller car like a nissan tida suzuki swift mitsi lancer with four adults and baggage compared with a Commodore falcon jeep landcruiser doesn't compare when on the open road or any other situation where the speed limit is above 50k's. Restrictions on these under size under powered over rated excuses should be revised . How does 1000cc compare to 3500cc plus ?.It doesn't. Main reason for the speeding motorist is to pass because as soon as a dual carriage way is present down goes the foot from 80k's to 110k's as they cannot bear the sight of a practical car in front of them then back to 80k's and slower when opposing traffic confronts them. A review for Land Transport and the Police . Madness .
NZ limits are low
Posted on 13-06-2015 18:21 | By Bay Citizen
NZ speed limits are low by global standards. This partly reflects our roading infrastructure with few real motorways. There are certainly anomalies too. e.g. the speed limit on Takitimu Drive (the nearest thing we have to a motorway in Tauranga) is 20kph less than any number of single lane, unsealed roads we have in the district. My feeling is that State Highways should have a limit of 110 or perhaps even 120 if they are good quality, and that other roads should be 80 or possibly 100 if they are of the quality of state highways. "Maildrop" is clearly wrong about 200kph being unsafe any time any where. Just consider Germany, most of whose Autobahns have no limit. They are perfectly safe. The only time I did not feel safe on one was being driven in a taxi at 240kph in torrential rain!
Overit
Posted on 13-06-2015 18:33 | By overit
90km/hr is a safe speed. It gives you time to react to other silliness on the road in road of you.
Ova and under
Posted on 13-06-2015 18:40 | By milka
Should be policed like Aussie but at100kph tickets for those over and also for those under that impead traffic flow especially those that sit on 60 to 80 then speed up on passing lanes if they can't drive at the speed limit they should stay in town and catch a bus between towns
I'm not so sure that
Posted on 13-06-2015 23:17 | By How about this view!
the merits or otherwise of any particular make, model or engine size is as relevant as the nuts holding the wheel. I was young and stupid once and have driven at over 100 Miles per hour on the streets of London. I can assure you that things happen VERY quickly at those speeds and what may seem to be a long way away is passing you in the blink of an eye. The cars in New Zealand at the moment may be capable of higher speeds, but our driving abilities are woefully lacking.
BB
Posted on 14-06-2015 15:00 | By Moongazer
speed is not the only issue. too close to the vehicle in front, pulling out of intersections and causing other vehicles to have to brake,using cell phones, the list goes on.
The roadway surfaces in NZ
Posted on 14-06-2015 15:41 | By How about this view!
are abysmal. You only have to look across the road surfaces at intersections and on busy corners to see the tarseal rutted and extremely uneven (possibly the worst being on the corner before the bridge marina lights from the Hewletts Rd side, where you can see a ridge in the tarseal of about 30mm). Travelling at high speed requires a good surface, otherwise the vehicle is airborne and not in contact with the road. No road contact - No brakes or steering!
From the road code
Posted on 14-06-2015 16:39 | By nerak
Synopsis from http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/roadcode/about-limits/speed-limits.html Speed must be safe for traffic conditions
Avr
Posted on 18-06-2015 14:50 | By Anton
The speed limit is for every one different,most people have no idea what happen if they do things ,say correcting in bends.breaking in corners etc.And we are not learned either.How many of us learn to drive by driving schools even those are not all that good.
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to make a comment.