Greed kills

[darryl]

Sorry people, time got the better of me and I never sent the mag with the
'Greed kills' article to anyone.
Now no need too.
check out http://carpoint.ninmsn.com.au/clubhouse ... sp?ID=3338 for
the article. Not sure if its complete but gives you an idea of what its
about.

[pkite4]

Thanks Darryl : intersting article, and website.

Peter
P.S should be :
http://carpoint.ninemsn.com.au/clubhous ... sp?ID=3338

[Biff \(Paradise\)]

Ta Darryl,
I am an Aussie, for years its been another form of taxation, even here in
NZ, after the speed camera injunction the police said "they all would be
back in action to make up for lost time", I think he ment revenue!

All the tax revenue from petrol thats supposed to go into roading dissapears
into consolidated revenue, and the dreaded "black spots" where a number of
fatalities have occured dont get re-engineered, they get cameras and
patrols, why, if you fix the road, you dont get the $'s.
That may appear too cynical, but do you have a choice?
If the lives saved were more important than the bucks raised then the roads
would be fixed, its simple.
The vast majority of NZ's roads were designed when? (i'd hate to think)
How many billions of dollars, via various forms of taxation, have NZ
motorists paid, and what proportion of the revenue has been spent on safer,
faster, roading? (again I'd hate to think)

If the same preasures were placed on the government that are placed on
verhical manufacturers then we would all be better off, except perhaps for
the politicians!

All I expect is if I spend a $ I get a $'s value, a fair expectation one
would say, so where have my road user charges/taxes gone, have we as a
nation got value for money, I dont think so.

Now I'll get off my soapbox and let someone else have a go.

Biff

[darryl]

I agree with Biff totaly.
If saving lives was a priority with our governments then they are going
about it all the wrong way.
Look at the smoking issue. The NZ Government thinks putting up the price of
cigerettes is going to save lives. For those that can't afford it any more,
others in low income familites that can't kick the habit will just end up
starving and going without other important needs. You want to stop people
from smoking, BAN IT! It is not an essential part of life and would save
more lives than if you prevented all road deaths each year. But, this would
take a very big chunk out of the governments income so this will never happen.
ps, I have nothing against smokers personaly.

As far as the roads in NZ goes Biff is right again. When were our goat
tracks designed??
There is an add on the radio about how our roads were built in the times
when cars could travel at 70km/h. Now the cars are capable of well over
100km/h yet the roads are the same. So slow down they say. "drive to the
conditions, not the car". As Biff says, the car manufacturers have to abide
by strict safety standards and its about time the government got its a*#
into gear and got with the times and made the roads safer and up to the
standards of the cars they dictate that are alowd on them!
That add is a bit stupid too. If I drove to the conditions all the time, I
would still rarely drop below 80km/h for wet roads, but would regularly
travel at about 160km/h on the motorway when dry as the road is safe enough
for this.
It seems starnge that every thing the government does is in regards to the
cars we drive and the condition that they are kept in. Now as of March no
cars can be imported into NZ that were produced before 1994?6? This is
because they don't meet the frontal impact laws, or so they say, this new
act they say will save 5 lives per year, whipdee s*#t. Proper driver license
testing will save a lot more lives than that and still allow people to enjoy
the cars they want to. Proper license testing will save 127.6 lives peryear.
(statistics taken from the LTSA file of quess work staistics).
On top of this, the cops spend hours every friday and saturday night
patroling the 'boyracer' hangouts to tickert people for life threatening
loud exhausts, and lowered cars when they could simply hang out by the pubs
and catch alot more drunks than they alreay do, you know, the ones that
don't get caught and go on to kill people.
Well the speed camera's have proved to not save any lives have they, so get
rid of them. Afteral the money isn't going back into the roads anyway is it.
We could go on for ever with this as we car enthusiasts apare to be the
onlly ones who could realy care about making our roads safer, and we all no
no one cares what car enthusiasts think.

my 5 paesos worth.

[Micheal Johnson]

Hey all,
Just like to say that some very valid points have been address.
But... What really can we do... Regardless of the road condition, i love
to drive, and drive i do. For me , the ever changing road conditions, make
for enjoyable driving, each and every road is a challange, and with the top
down, that challage is ever so more enhanced.
Id just like to add, if your out and about, pass a wave to your
fellow enthusiest, it brightens my day, to see others enjoy driving this
wonderful car as much as i do...

Micheal
Sunnynook - North Harbour