It's an interesting discussion topic given the hike in ACC levies and the reasons given for it. I certainly would vote for a change in the system of catagorising accidents that happen with unregistered vehicles on private roads, it would be an interesting statistic to see however I doubt it would change the overall assesment when the powers that be sit round the table to set the levies.I have always thought that a far more fair way of puting coffers into the ACC would be a levvy on fuel, the more you buy the more you pay, lower the rego to just cover admin costs so that we keep the database.At least that way all these citizens who avaoid and get away with out paying rego currently would be forced to contribute !!Also us boys with more than one toy would not have to make decisions on which one to sell when the outgoing costs start to challenge the incomming revenue !!Thats my thruppence worth....

Completely agree, Rincewind, and every year I put my fingers on the keyboard and express myself to the members of Her Majesty's Government responsible for the portfolios affected.Old Goat's Mr Plod appeared to be unaware that they do now try to split out the plonkers that aren't registered, licensed, helmeted, whatever.  Land Transport's stats are far more accurate then ACC's on the topic, but if a patient needs long term rehab ACC tends to learn the true circumstances of the accident (because the patients tend to be blabbermouths) and shift the cost to the appropriate pool.BUT: these beaches are a major grey area, because they are mostly classed as roads. Makes sense, no centreline, no median barrier, poor, unsealed surface - sound like a New Zealand rural road to you?

Actually the raw stats are increasingly made available by NZTA, and don't make good reading for motorcyclists (or us treadlers on our sit-down-walking machines).All of us that work get levied ($12.85/week on my modest earnings, or $668.20 per year), and that comprises the recreational/sporting/home stupidity etc levy. For reasons beyond my understanding, NZ firms tend not to show that on your payslip, but if you work for an enterprise hailing from the land of the big, red, spring-loaded rat like I do, it's in your face every painful payday.So I can afford a small medical cost each year for getting knocked off my pushbike (although I try to avoid cashing in my levy that way because I am allergic to pain - it hurts too much.) If I am hit by a car, and it's his fault, that cost rightfully comes outta the motor vehicle pool. If it's my fault, outta the Earners' Levy.Lucky workers, we get to pay twice for Hilton to fall off a ladder, for instance: once through our taxes, twice through our earners' levy.  And for all those who don't work we pay twice as well.  Get stoned on dole day, drive into a ditch, she's Jake, Hilton and I'll spring for your treatment.I believe this is why Capitalism is so much admired.  OOPS, SARCASM ALERT!!!

oh gee and here i was thinking someone had  cheap 4 wheeler quad bike for sale that i could take to my beach place to ride down the beach when I saw the title of the thread, Rincey common sense doesnot prevail with certain government deparments. Why would ya put it on the price of petrol, that would mean user pays , that would be way to fair. Bloody hard to drive my 4 x 4 and motorbike at same time but I get to pay 2 regos.also get to pay 2 Lake taupo donations on my enviroment waikato rates for 2 properties. that really grates me.all our off road chook chasing mates when do they pay Acc levies.re stats when I worked on the Akl motorway if someone jumped off a bridge and hit road and died it was a sudden death (suicide). If said person jumped off a bridge and hit car and died it was a road death counted in road toll. I think they thought that there was a slim chance they may survive so the car hitting them killed them. Sounds like a Tui ad to me.

So I guess this is a dumb question really ... but ... if Riversdale Beach is legally a road (which is my understanding), why isn't Mr or Mrs Plod dishing out tickets for no helmets. no rego, no wof, overloading, no braynes, etc .....?

Cheaper to forgo the revenue than to replace the plodmobile that gets stuck in the sand and caught in the tide?

Yeh, helleva hard to catch a couple of dozen dirt bikes that scatter in every direction into the sand dunes like happens at Muriwai beach.  ::)

Yeh, helleva hard to catch a couple of dozen dirt bikes that scatter in every direction into the sand dunes like happens at Muriwai beach.   ::)

Be dead easy with a pump action shotgun, wonder what they would book the injury statistics to though,we can't win can we...... !!!