Article: Cut speed limit: Minister

Sparky_za said:
I'm really not seeing the point of all this. Cops cannot even enforce the 120km/h limit, what difference is it going to make if the limit is 100km/h? We all see the chaos on the roads in the morning where everyone seems to do as they please. If the law cannot be enforced, there's no point in changing it.

Take the millions you're going to spend on changing signs on the roads and put it towards a better police force. That is the only way I see to make a difference.
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But what of the cadre who has the sign making business?
 
The Philosopher said:
speed limits should a be a guide line not an enforceable limit.
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That would solve so many problems on one hand and yet create others.

Speed limits are really just the recommended safe speed for that particular stretch of road, due to road conditions, visibilty, and depending on location.
I.E. open road, pass ahead speed signs indicate 100 or 80, depending on how sharp the bends are, indicate recommended safe speed for that stretch.

The idea to reduce speed limits is pointless and means nothing, the only winners are going to be the countries various traffic departments as this is going to generate huge amounts in revenue off speeding tickets, so at the end of the day - just another get rich scheme for the authorities
 
Albereth said:
I can't but help think that had the pedestrian near the Rivonia offramp been doing more than 120kph this morning that the outcome may have been a little different.
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If you hit someone at 80km/h or 120km/h the outcome is always going to be grisly.
 
Article would have made more sense this way, " Munuster urges less speed on Guvamunt theft!"
 
eltherza said:
All public transport vehicles are chipped to set a limit of 80KM/h.
[...]

All non-emergency (personal) vehicles are chipped to 120KM/h speed limit.
[...]
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I do hope that you're not serious. Strict chipping would cause more problems than it would solve...
 
Since everyone is happily going on about Germany, the Autobahn and German driving licences:

I just came back from a Germany trip. Drove about 1500km, mostly on Autobahn. While there is mostly no speed limit, most people travel at speeds between 120 and 150 (I guess the petrol price has something to do with that - they're paying about R16 per litre). While you have your occasional idiot, people usually drive with foresight. Prime example: if you approach an onramp, convention dictates that if at all possible, you cross into the next lane to make space for vehicles coming in from the onramp. 98% of people will do that... Just one of those things. It was SO pleasant driving there. Almost a holiday on its own.
German driving school - I went through it in '96. These schools teach you how to drive. Not just how to pass the tests. There's no playing it by ear. When it comes to the theory test, you better know your **** or you will fail. It requires knowledge, not just cramming the questions. IIRC I passed it with 3 errors (you were allowed 5 or 7 at the time, can't remember). Then you have to show a certain amount of driving hours, categorized by city driving, open road, Autobahn, and night driving, before they even consider letting you take the practice test. And it's entirely up to the Tester what you will do in the test. There is no way of knowing the route beforehand, and where you'll do what. Also, you don't do this bull**** on the confined test square, alley-docking between two poles... Rubbish that! You'll do it live, in a real-world environment. My first test, I was so nervous that I stepped into a trap about 10 minutes in and the test was over. Tough, but fair - I clearly wasn't ready.

Since I came back from this trip, I am getting more and more irritated with the way people drive here. Not just on the highways, everywhere. 98% of drivers are either blatantly clueless, selfish dickwads or both. Hardly anyone anticipates traffic flow beyond the next 50 metres, and everyone is just out to get a shortcut and screw everyone else. The stunts I've seen in just one week of being back here raise my neckhairs...

Really. Speed limit isn't the problem. Enforcing it isn't either. It's the general attitude of the majority of drivers. Taxis are the worst, and since they are not taken to book for their transgressions, everyone else thinks they can do the same.
 
Hope this idiot is watching what the UK is about to do - RAISE their speed limit which is going to have a huge economic benefit to their country
 
rainynight65 said:
Prime example: if you approach an onramp, convention dictates that if at all possible, you cross into the next lane to make space for vehicles coming in from the onramp.
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It makes sense to do that. But with two caveats, the people changing into the other lane need to be doing the speed limit, not much less as often happens here, and people coming down the onramp need to have matched their speed to the traffic speed/speed limit by the time they reach the end of the onramp, not trundling onto the motorway at 60kph, as I see idiot Cape Town drivers doing every day.
 
rainynight65 said:
Since everyone is happily going on about Germany, the Autobahn and German driving licences:

I just came back from a Germany trip. Drove about 1500km, mostly on Autobahn. While there is mostly no speed limit, most people travel at speeds between 120 and 150 (I guess the petrol price has something to do with that - they're paying about R16 per litre). While you have your occasional idiot, people usually drive with foresight. Prime example: if you approach an onramp, convention dictates that if at all possible, you cross into the next lane to make space for vehicles coming in from the onramp. 98% of people will do that... Just one of those things. It was SO pleasant driving there. Almost a holiday on its own.
German driving school - I went through it in '96. These schools teach you how to drive. Not just how to pass the tests. There's no playing it by ear. When it comes to the theory test, you better know your **** or you will fail. It requires knowledge, not just cramming the questions. IIRC I passed it with 3 errors (you were allowed 5 or 7 at the time, can't remember). Then you have to show a certain amount of driving hours, categorized by city driving, open road, Autobahn, and night driving, before they even consider letting you take the practice test. And it's entirely up to the Tester what you will do in the test. There is no way of knowing the route beforehand, and where you'll do what. Also, you don't do this bull**** on the confined test square, alley-docking between two poles... Rubbish that! You'll do it live, in a real-world environment. My first test, I was so nervous that I stepped into a trap about 10 minutes in and the test was over. Tough, but fair - I clearly wasn't ready.

Since I came back from this trip, I am getting more and more irritated with the way people drive here. Not just on the highways, everywhere. 98% of drivers are either blatantly clueless, selfish dickwads or both. Hardly anyone anticipates traffic flow beyond the next 50 metres, and everyone is just out to get a shortcut and screw everyone else. The stunts I've seen in just one week of being back here raise my neckhairs...

Really. Speed limit isn't the problem. Enforcing it isn't either. It's the general attitude of the majority of drivers. Taxis are the worst, and since they are not taken to book for their transgressions, everyone else thinks they can do the same.
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Good post, could you please raise this with the minister!
 
Billy said:
All cars over 3 years have to have an annual test in the UK.

Perhaps if that happened in SA we would not have so many wrecks on the road.
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Well that is over the top ridiculous as well. Make it 15 years and every 5 years.
 
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