Muppets on the road

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266 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1009630 20-Mar-2014 09:58

KiwiNZ: Roundabouts if used correctly by motorists greatly improve traffic flows, traffic lights are a fixed tailback creator.

Im pretty sure they have there uses in different areas

Our problem is we dont have very intelligent road/transport planners, look at the Manukau Rail Line for instance

I'm going to noob myself past judgement

TinyTim

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#1009650 20-Mar-2014 10:22

freitasm:

Driving through a roundbabout today and noticed that out of five cars entering the roundabout two indicated right when in fact they were going straight (should indicate left just before the second exit to leave).

Crofton Downs?

(Also happens a lot on the roundabout on Kelburn Parade, outside the university. Yesterday I saw a *cyclist* going straight ahead (albeit very wobbly), waving their hand off to the right and looking over their shoulder as if someone was taking aim at them.)

dclegg

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#1009651 20-Mar-2014 10:25

freitasm:
Driving through a roundbabout today and noticed that out of five cars entering the roundabout two indicated right when in fact they were going straight (should indicate left just before the second exit to leave). Other two were in wrong lanes (one inside changed lanes in front of another car to exit and one on the exit lane change to the inside lane to continue) and another one just decided to leave the roundabout without indicating at all.

Many times on a roundabout I just slowdown and stop because I "feel" the other driver is going to do something different than what is being indicated - and most of the times I am right in doing so.

I usually do that. But the one time I was feeling particularly pedantic and didn't, I didn't, and got the look of death from a driver who was taking a right exit off a roundabout, but had not indicated he was doing so. His look of rage tended to suggest that I, the driver who was following his lack of indication to signal he was going straight through, was in the wrong.

surfisup1000

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#1009655 20-Mar-2014 10:29

I chucked a dash cam in my car last year as a bit of a hobby after seeing the cool russian meteor dashcam footage.

Bought the DOD LS300W , installation is unobtrusive, wide angle image is great and is dead easy to use.

I've recorded a bunch of dodgy stuff , including one guy driving on the wrong side of the road and another going around a roundabout in reverse. Unfortunately I don't keep the footage as i never really intended to use it for anything.

but, here is a recent one I haven't deleted.... Not truly awful but pretty common.... i was going under the speed limit as I was looking for carls jr somewhere up there on the right.

Because it is wide angle footage, the actual distances are closer than they look in the footage.

freitasm

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Geekzone

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#1009656 20-Mar-2014 10:32

dclegg:
freitasm:
Driving through a roundbabout today and noticed that out of five cars entering the roundabout two indicated right when in fact they were going straight (should indicate left just before the second exit to leave). Other two were in wrong lanes (one inside changed lanes in front of another car to exit and one on the exit lane change to the inside lane to continue) and another one just decided to leave the roundabout without indicating at all.

Many times on a roundabout I just slowdown and stop because I "feel" the other driver is going to do something different than what is being indicated - and most of the times I am right in doing so.

I usually do that. But the one time I was feeling particularly pedantic and didn't, I didn't, and got the look of death from a driver who was taking a right exit off a roundabout, but had not indicated he was doing so. His look of rage tended to suggest that I, the driver who was following his lack of indication to signal he was going straight through, was in the wrong.

Yes, the most irritating thing is the muppets who are not following the rule and then go all batshit crazy on people who do follow the rule.

Seriously, some drivers are muppets (for not being able to use a stronger word in this forum).

MikeB4

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#1009674 20-Mar-2014 10:40

Lyderies:
KiwiNZ: Roundabouts if used correctly by motorists greatly improve traffic flows, traffic lights are a fixed tailback creator.

Im pretty sure they have there uses in different areas

Our problem is we dont have very intelligent road/transport planners, look at the Manukau Rail Line for instance

Granted some roundabouts are badly designed, there is one in our area that when built they put a big rock garden in it and high growing plants that now make very hard to see vehicles, crazy.

surfisup1000

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#1009695 20-Mar-2014 11:21

KiwiNZ:
Lyderies:
KiwiNZ: Roundabouts if used correctly by motorists greatly improve traffic flows, traffic lights are a fixed tailback creator.

Im pretty sure they have there uses in different areas

Our problem is we dont have very intelligent road/transport planners, look at the Manukau Rail Line for instance

Granted some roundabouts are badly designed, there is one in our area that when built they put a big rock garden in it and high growing plants that now make very hard to see vehicles, crazy.

yes, why do they do this?????

It bugs me to hell. Our council did the same to a couple of new areas . ... traffic engineers designed brilliantly safe new interchange...then the council plants all these trees and stuff and they obscure the view of oncoming traffic.

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freitasm

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#1009711 20-Mar-2014 11:25

What about pedestrian crossings just outside roundabouts?

dclegg

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#1009712 20-Mar-2014 11:27

freitasm: What about pedestrian crossings just outside roundabouts?

Yeah, what's up with those?!? Worst. Idea. Ever.

MikeB4

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#1009713 20-Mar-2014 11:29

freitasm: What about pedestrian crossings just outside roundabouts?

There is one in Lower Hutt that serves two schools, crazy design.

Lyderies

266 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1009716 20-Mar-2014 11:33

surfisup1000:
KiwiNZ:
Lyderies:
KiwiNZ: Roundabouts if used correctly by motorists greatly improve traffic flows, traffic lights are a fixed tailback creator.

Im pretty sure they have there uses in different areas

Our problem is we dont have very intelligent road/transport planners, look at the Manukau Rail Line for instance

Granted some roundabouts are badly designed, there is one in our area that when built they put a big rock garden in it and high growing plants that now make very hard to see vehicles, crazy.

yes, why do they do this?????

It bugs me to hell. Our council did the same to a couple of new areas . ... traffic engineers designed brilliantly safe new interchange...then the council plants all these trees and stuff and they obscure the view of oncoming traffic.

Same as why they didnt go with transport projects 40-60 years ago, they dont think of the future, they only care about there image for the now

I'm going to noob myself past judgement

Lyderies

266 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1009717 20-Mar-2014 11:34

freitasm: What about pedestrian crossings just outside roundabouts?

Royal Oak roundabout at peak hour

I'm going to noob myself past judgement

MikeB4

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#1009728 20-Mar-2014 11:37

Lyderies:
surfisup1000:
KiwiNZ:
Lyderies:
KiwiNZ: Roundabouts if used correctly by motorists greatly improve traffic flows, traffic lights are a fixed tailback creator.

Im pretty sure they have there uses in different areas

Our problem is we dont have very intelligent road/transport planners, look at the Manukau Rail Line for instance

Granted some roundabouts are badly designed, there is one in our area that when built they put a big rock garden in it and high growing plants that now make very hard to see vehicles, crazy.

yes, why do they do this?????

It bugs me to hell. Our council did the same to a couple of new areas . ... traffic engineers designed brilliantly safe new interchange...then the council plants all these trees and stuff and they obscure the view of oncoming traffic.

Same as why they didnt go with transport projects 40-60 years ago, they dont think of the future, they only care about there image for the now

They never think ahead, governments can only see 3 years into the future. When the Wellington motorway was extended and a new tunnel put through at the terrace end they made it three lanes only, two south one north, guess what? there are tail backs even on a sunday morning.

andrew027

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#1009749 20-Mar-2014 11:58

I'm certainly with freitasm on roundabout behaviour. I live in Lower Hutt where roundabouts seem to be the preferred type of intersection, and you could sit at any one of them (but particularly the one at the end of Melling Bridge) and about one in three motorists indicate correctly.

The other thing that bugs me is land splitting motorcyclists [braces self for backlash]. First, let me say that I have no problem with lane splitting as a concept. However I remember reading the rules for lane splitting in the motorcyclist's road code a few years ago and it said*[see note below] that, when lane splitting, the motorcyclist has to be in the left of the two lanes, to the right of the vehicle in that lane, not in the right lane, to the left of the vehicle in that lane. But I would say at least 80% of the motorcyclists I see lane splitting are in the right lane - or crossing the line between the left and right lanes as it suits them. I drive on the left of my lane. That's where the road code tells me I am supposed to be. My vehicle is not supposed to be in the middle of my lane - the road code recommends that my driver's seat should be in the centre of my lane. What this means is that when I'm in the right lane, there is no room for a motorcyclist on my left in my lane, but about twice a week I get dirty looks from motorcyclists who can't pass on my left, occasionally I get a beep of their horn, and once one of them thumped my bonnet as he went past. Why? Because my correct driving is preventing his incorrect driving?

*Note, having said all this, I was just looking in the online version of the road code for motorcyclists to check my facts before posting, and I can't find those rules any more. All I can see it this, which seems designed to discourage lane splitting altogether:

Vehicles, including motorcycles, need a full lane in which to operate safely, they shouldn't share lanes with other vehicles.
As a motorcycle rider, there are things you can do to prevent lane-sharing:
• You should stay in line and move with the rest of the traffic
• When in a line of traffic that has stopped or slowed - don't ride between rows of traffic [...edited...]
• Discourage other drivers from trying to share your lane by moving toward the centre of the lane in a situation where other drivers might try to squeeze by you. These situations include:
◦ heavy bumper-to-bumper traffic [...edited...]

Have the rules regarding lane splitting changed in the last couple of years?

Edit - fixed a BBCode error.

jonathan18

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#1009769 20-Mar-2014 12:10

sir1963:
Lyderies: We have rules on the road?

Jeez when did this happen?

But i have noticed whenever im in Hasting/Napier the drivers there are worse than any i have seen in the country, a lot of people dont have respect on our roads and that is what saddens me

Try driving in Palmy.
I think per head of population palmy has more intersection accidents than anywhere else in NZ by a factor of 2 (stat I read in the papers years ago), and things have NOT improved !

Yeah, returning to live in Palmy a few years ago I've experienced more examples of poor driving. If your stats are correct, I wonder if the prevelance of roundabouts in PN are partly to blame? I don't know many places which use them more than PN (eg, I bike/drive down Victoria Ave, which has three in just a short distance), and it's only a small proprortion of people who actually signal correctly on them. As a person who cycles daily, it makes being on the road an often hair-raising experience.

Personally, I don't have any issue with the "new" roundabout signalling rules - I think they make complete sense. The problem is that most people just don't know the rules - the classic one quoted above of signalling right when going straight drives me batty; indeed, I'd rather people didn't signal at all if going straight than get it wrong! Signalling is all about ensuring other road users know your intentions, so I think is one of the most important requirements to follow when on the road (even, or particularly, for cyclists). Even smaller stuff like not signalling when leaving a driveway is irritating and potentially dangerous. My answer is to ALWAYS signal, ensuring respect to all other road users (eg pedestrians and cyclists - many seem to feel these people don't count) and meaninf it becomes an automatic action rather than something that has to be consciously engaged in particular circumstances.

Re comments of pedestrian crossings near roundabouts - I once walked home with my two boys along Victoria Ave (with its three roundabouts) at peak traffic, one kid on a bike and the other in a stroller. Never do this again until they're considerably older - trying to cross over these three intersections was a COMPLETE NIGHTMARE! The ones with either lights (so with pedestrian buzzers) or even with stop signs (where vehicles are often happy to let you over) were far easier to get across, but roundabouts are simply not pedestrian-friendly.

Generally, I think NZers are dire drivers; nothing like what happens in countries like India, but not nearly good enough. I think two key things are needed - making getting a licence tougher and requiring all licence-holders to repeat their tests at a regular interval (10 years maybe?), and police focusing more on bad/dangerous driving (eg tail-gating) rather than the singular focus on speed.

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