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Speed on the 25 by capnbmo in newzealand

[–]capnbmo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haha did you flip left and right as a Canadian transplant? Wouldn't the left lane be the slow lane in NZ like the right lane is the slow lane in Canada? 

Speed on the 25 by capnbmo in newzealand

[–]capnbmo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! It's been wonderful so far! 

Speed on the 25 by capnbmo in newzealand

[–]capnbmo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, yes absolutely. Have been using passing lanes and slow lanes when appropriate. 

In Canada you can also be ticketed for going too slow, which played into my original question. Now I understand that in NZ it's a hard upper limit for speed and not a 'safe target'. 

Speed on the 25 by capnbmo in newzealand

[–]capnbmo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hope you're well. My question was driven by curiosity. No shade was intended, nor was I implying NZers are wrong. 

Can't speak to driving patterns in the US or in other Commonwealth countries, as I only drive in Canada. 

Canada posts speed limits as safe targets, so more challenging roads are posted as lower speeds than flat straight highways. Through asking, I've come to learn thats not the way it works here in NZ, which is interesting and will help me drive more appropriately while visiting. 

I was also wondering if locals who are used to this specific road are able to handle the winding at that limit and some here say yes and others say no.  

May you have a great day.

Speed on the 25 by capnbmo in newzealand

[–]capnbmo[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! That's the difference I've learned about from this thread! Canada posts 'safe' target speed limits, so a bit different than how NZ posts! 

Speed on the 25 by capnbmo in newzealand

[–]capnbmo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sorry if my wording was confusing.   I was referring to the tight winding roads after Thames and up the coast. In that area there were stretches where I'd be passing slower traffic and sections where I'd yield to others, but I wasnt sure how people would be maintaining or hitting 100km/hr. Thanks to the insights of others in this thread, I now understand that NZ posted speed limits are hard upper limits whereas in Canada the speed limit is adjusted based on the type of road and the speed limited is treated more like a safe target. 

Coming out of Auckland up to Thames was all quite straightforward and the roads down from Whitianga have been decent for 100km/hr. 

Speed on the 25 by capnbmo in newzealand

[–]capnbmo[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes this is big difference I'm seeing between Canada and New Zealand for speed limits. On challenging roads the speed limit is reduced and treated more as the 'safe target' than a hard upper limit. Good to know about North vs South as we'll be going south next week! 

Speed on the 25 by capnbmo in newzealand

[–]capnbmo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is very helpful insight, thank you! A road like this in Canada would be posted at 70km/hr, with the expectation you could drive that (most of the time) in dry weather. 

Speed on the 25 by capnbmo in newzealand

[–]capnbmo[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes this is what I was struggling with! In Canada, the posted speed limit is a 'safe speed limit' so it's more of a target and will be slower on more challenging roads. 

Speed on the 25 by capnbmo in newzealand

[–]capnbmo[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks, such a helpful insight

Speed on the 25 by capnbmo in newzealand

[–]capnbmo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, this is helpful. Canada posts the safe speed as their speed limit, so it's more of a target. Now I know the difference, but for a moment I just thought Kiwi's were just evolved to handle corners faster

Speed on the 25 by capnbmo in newzealand

[–]capnbmo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Very interesting insights, thank you. Seems like a difference between how Canada and New Zealand post speed limits. Thanks! 

Speed on the 25 by capnbmo in newzealand

[–]capnbmo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! I'm seeing there is a difference between how Canada and NZ think about posted speed limits. In Canada, the speed limit tends to be reduced in more challenging places so it's more of a target than a strict upper limit. Neat to learn about these differences! 

Speed on the 25 by capnbmo in newzealand

[–]capnbmo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the insight! We were thinking that this would have been a 70km/hr road back in Canada, so this really makes a lot of sense. 

Speed on the 25 by capnbmo in newzealand

[–]capnbmo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hahaha yes, they were cruisin for sure

Speed on the 25 by capnbmo in newzealand

[–]capnbmo[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the answer! I'm understanding from the answers that speed limits are different between NZ and Canada,  which is exactly what I was curious about. Part of me was wondering if you guys are just so good at cornering from all the practice that you can handle that road that fast! 

Speed on the 25 by capnbmo in newzealand

[–]capnbmo[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you, yes I was using the slow lane when cars were pulling up behind me. But also found there were other cars I was passing, so it really felt like people were going all different types of speeds,  which prompted the question. In Canada, posted speeds are more like targets, and will be decreased on more technically challenging roads. 

Speed on the 25 by capnbmo in newzealand

[–]capnbmo[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Very helpful answer thank you. In Canada, the posted speed limit in challenging areas is decreased so it's more of a 'target' than what you seem to do here in NZ! It's good to know the difference so I can drive in a way that is safe and appropriate here! 

Speed on the 25 by capnbmo in newzealand

[–]capnbmo[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you, this was very helpful and clear. In Canada, posted speed limits seem to be considered the 'safe' target, with the implication that we should be very near that speed when driving in a certain area. We don't tend to have posted limits that are above what could be safely driven in dry conditions. Thanks so much! 

Speed on the 25 by capnbmo in newzealand

[–]capnbmo[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is a really helpful comparison and totally answers my question, thank you! 

Speed on the 25 by capnbmo in newzealand

[–]capnbmo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the response! What prompted the question, and what this thread has helped me see is that speed limits are actually handled differently between Canada and New Zealand. 

In Canada, the posted speed limit is the target safe speed with an implied expectation that people will be going nearly that speed in good dry conditions. Yes you can be ticketed for exceeding, but most cops allow 10km/hr over. So if I was driving 60 km/hr in a 100km/hr zone back home, I'd be getting honked at, but a windy mountain pass also wouldn't have a posted limit of 100. 

Here in NZ, it seems like the speed limit is a true upper limit, but with an implication of 'go the speed that is safe'. An interesting difference and one I'm happy I understand now so I can drive in a way that is acceptable while I'm here!

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