New Zealand Transport's Chilling Message to Drivers

110km/h is about 65MPH so not (IMO that excessive. SMIDSY should NEVER be an excuse for pulling out, especially slowly when there's something coming - if you're not sure you can get out of the side road in time, don't start!
 
Fantastic concept and approaching it from both sides of the arguement (SMIDSY and SMIWGTF) was genuis!

Too many people are caught up in their own little bubble and don't always think that someone may be going a little faster than they should or that someone might not see them, they shouldn't be excuses but it happens.
 
Bear in mind that the speed limits in New Zealand may be lower than the speeds we're used to here in the UK. 100km/h may be excessively fast for drivers in NZ. Whilst I was driving around Iceland last week I was shocked to notice that their national speed limit was a lowly 90km/h!
 
Speeds here in Alberta are relatively low, too. Motorway is maximum of 110km/h, and dual carriageways maximum of 70km/h, with 50km/h in built up areas. What was shown in this video I have seen happening a lot more the past couple of years; people just don't understand closing speeds and continually pull out slowly on cars driving at a greater pace. Albertans think nothing of just pulling out away from a junction and then slowly, ever so slowly getting up to speed. Some appear to not even know they've done anything wrong! There is zero awareness, and driving a vehicle seems to be the last thing on their mind!!!
 
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100 km/h is the maximum speed limit in NZ with many roads being lower.

Good advert though. Even if it causes a small number of people to change their driving habits it's a good thing.
 
I think it gives out the wrong message. The speed of the oncoming vehicle wasn't the cause of the accident. If he'd been going 30mph I wouldn't have pulled out of the junction when the puller-outer did!

We don't know what the speed limit should be but a quick search shows that it could be 100kmh on a rural road in NZ, so the approaching car was doing potentially just 5mph more than the limit. He could have been doing 20mph less and he'd still have hit the SMIDSY. I think all it does is to give an excuse to those who pull out either without due care or thinking they'll chance it.

Well produced though ;)
 
My friend shared this on Facebook, gets the point across well IMO that it might not be you that makes the mistake. Think a couple of my friends need to it...

That said there are couple of junctions near me renowned for idiots pulling out on you in blatant sight. Does my head in!
 
That's the exact point, it may not be you who makes the mistake but you will still have to live with the consequences.

The collision in the video could not have been avoided at 2/3 that speed. But if the impact were 2/3 that speed there is a lot less chance of death. Approaching a junction and there is a car waiting? Ease off the pedal and prepare to brake. Hit the anchors a split second sooner (maybe more when you reduce thinking distance) and you could bleed enough speed off to make a fatal crash non fatal. There is a message to take away...
 
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Spuff said:
I think it gives out the wrong message. The speed of the oncoming vehicle wasn't the cause of the accident. If he'd been going 30mph I wouldn't have pulled out of the junction when the puller-outer did!

Well produced though ;)
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The message is if your approaching a junction at speed and theres a car at a junction SLOW DOWN. Simple. Never mind what the other driver may do.

Steve
 
Nod said:
110km/h is about 65MPH so not (IMO that excessive. SMIDSY should NEVER be an excuse for pulling out, especially slowly when there's something coming - if you're not sure you can get out of the side road in time, don't start!
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It is excessive in NZ where the maximum limit is 100kph (62mph vs 68mph at 110kph). Not that the law should control what you do, you shouldn't drive at 100 everywhere, just because legally you're allowed to.

The limit in most places here in Oz is 100kph, with some interstate and country roads being 110-120kph (a couple are 130kph I think, but I've never been down them). Driving over here has made me think how mental some roads are back home in the UK. Generally roads are bigger, wider, flatter and straighter here; there's no way some of the tiny, winding country roads back home would be designated 100kph+ like they are in the UK.
 
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I completely agree that the limits are just that, limits rather than targets but the accident in the video would have happened at slower speed, just the consequences (which are only hinted at, not shown) may have been less severe at the lower speed.

Completely agree also about the narrow, winding lanes that are technically 60MPH limits - on many, it's all but impossible to get up to the limit, even on a bike! Did most of my formative driving down the lanes and have never had a problem apart from once when some tw@ in a 4x4 came belting round a corner. I managed to stop and get right into the bank and he almost managed to stop, just sliding gently into me. Not enough to cause any damage to me beyond a (possibly already there) slight scratch on my bumper but it did take out his headlight cluster, bumper and crumpled a wing slightly. I had no crumple zone to distort - the joys of LR 90s!
 
Let's not take the possible speed limits and actual speed shown in the video ;)

The general message as I saw it was that everyone needs to think a little more about the speed they're travelling at and the "what ifs" scenarios as well as being more conscious when you're pulling out on to a "fast road" that other vehicles approaching may be travelling faster than expected.

As other's have said/eluded to, if the driver on the main road was going a little bit slower on the approach to the junction the collision may have been avoided or at least lessened...... The driver trying to pull out might have had a little more time to get out of the way if the other driver was going slower (as well as the other driving having more time to react which would be even greater if he was off the gas and covering the brake)

Obviously there are a million and one scenarios, you're never going to stop road collisions, sometimes there are just an unfortunate sequence of events which make them inevitable, however if we're all more conscious of our speed, positioning, road conditions etc we could all do our bit to make the road a little safer :)
 
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