Corner Upgrade - Plea

[wkid_one]

Hopefully Sam's accident won't be in vain - and no more will have to succumb to that stupid fucken corner........fingers crossed that no one else will lose their lives on this corner.

Plea to upgrade killer corner

03 May 2005 <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=5 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD height=5>http://www.stuff.co.nz/inl/images/null.gif</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>By TANYA KATTERNS

Pressure is back on Government road funder Transfund to agree to an urgent upgrade of a notorious bend that has killed four motorcyclists in three years.

In the latest crash on the Masterton to Martinborough road at Gladstone, 20-year-old Samuel Langham, of Wellington, died after his motorcycle and a car collided on the crest of a rising bend on Sunday.

Eight weeks ago, on the same curve, Bernie Esler, of Masterton, crashed his motorcycle. He died several days later in hospital.

Sunday's crash also happened just metres from where Masterton motorcyclists Tony Bak and Joseph Tyacke were killed in 2002, after being hit head-on by a car being driven by an American tourist, who later pleaded guilty to dangerous driving charges.

The stretch of road has long been a concern of Carterton District Council, which has made several appeals to Transfund to cover the cost of the road being straightened.

The cost of the work is estimated at around $1 million.

In the 2002 double fatality, Masterton coroner Jock Kershaw accepted a police investigation report that bad road design was a major factor in the crash. Officer in charge of the road-policing branch at the time, Sergeant Mike McRandle said from the crest of the road, it was not clear where the road went. The signs at each approach were inadequate, and ultimately major redevelopment of the bend, bridge and its approaches was needed.

Mr McRandle later worked closely with Carterton District Council through a list of recommendations from police and the coroner.

Council chief executive Kieran Shaw said that, in the past three years, the council had undertaken a number of improvements at the bend, but it remained a major risk.

A series of new signage and road markings alerted motorists to the bend, but the only real safety solution would be to straighten the corner, he said.

"We have been agitating for some time now for Government-based funding to realign this awful bit of road, but we have never reached the funding criteria from the road funding authority."

"We will continue to push and plead.

"Maybe one day, when something else goes wrong, we will be listened to," Mr Shaw said.

[justsomeguy]

Hmm....

Fingers crossed...... the bloody bureaucrats will fix it in time to save our grandchildren.

[SPman]

So it will cost $1m ! 4 people dead so far - what is the cost benefit analysis figure on lives vs cost of upgrade?
Or are they just motorcyclists, so they dont count!

[Sensei]

Bit late now !! Had a intersection changed after I got T-boned on my 3 week old bike . write off yea .Then they put a Stop sign there :mad:

[riffer]

The pollies tend to do nothing until it gets close to home.

If its not a member of their family, or if it won't help them get re-elected, then forget about it.

We would be better off making up our own signs to indicate the way the corners goes.

[Ixion]

So it will cost $1m ! 4 people dead so far - what is the cost benefit analysis figure on lives vs cost of upgrade?
Or are they just motorcyclists, so they dont count!

$2.5 million per fatality is the standard figure in NZ.

[riffer]

Another factor which should be taken into account is accidents per unit of traffic.

You would find that, pro rata with its usage, its probably not a safe road.

Then again, maybe we should just shut up, put up our own sign and hope like hell they don't try and "improve" the road like the Kaitokes...

[Velox]

Then again, maybe we should just shut up, put up our own sign and hope like hell they don't try and "improve" the road like the Kaitokes...
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrghhhhh. Dont even get me started!

[Hitcher]

Another factor which should be taken into account is accidents per unit of traffic.

You would find that, pro rata with its usage, its probably not a safe road.

Then again, maybe we should just shut up, put up our own sign and hope like hell they don't try and "improve" the road like the Kaitokes...
Indeed. Bikers are supposed to love corners afterall...

And don't get me started on the vandalisation of my beloved Kaitokes.

[Lou Girardin]

Indeed. Bikers are supposed to love corners afterall...

And don't get me started on the vandalisation of my beloved Kaitokes.

Without diminishing the tragedy of Sam's accident, we have to decide if we want nice, straight safe roads or ones we enjoy.

[MSTRS]

Without diminishing the tragedy of Sam's accident, we have to decide if we want nice, straight safe roads or ones we enjoy.
I do not know this corner, but I think the point is that this is one where improvement is absolutely necessary. We (all?) love the twisties but I for one get very nervous when I can't see, or have the time to react to, what is coming.

[riffer]

My point is, that maybe a way for us all to make a difference is to collectively erect our own sign there.

If we warn other bikers at the point of source, then maybe we can save a life or two.

I for one would rather incur the wrath of Transit NZ by putting up a sign illegally than wait for someone else to die before they decide to "fix" the corner.

[Sutage]

Shrug its election year, work will begin there tomorrow, a warning sign will be planted next to a Vote Labour sign.

[The Tazman]

We do all love the twisties and signage does help. The thing I have noticed over here though is the signs are often missleading, especially the speed ones. Some are so far out that you slow down to the speed they say and wonder why you had to!!!

For all those going out there on Sunday maybe we could have a good look and put some ideas forward. See if election year can be used to our advantage.

[What?]

My point is, that maybe a way for us all to make a difference is to collectively erect our own sign there.
Transit will remove it - illegal/unauthorized signs are a road hazard, y'know...

[James Deuce]

Without diminishing the tragedy of Sam's accident, we have to decide if we want nice, straight safe roads or ones we enjoy.

What he said, plus, that series of corners is one of the few remaining ridiculously technical pieces of motorcycle training left on public roads. There are a hell of a lot of things that can be learnt from those corners, from roadcraft to bike setup.

We don't know the circumstances of Sam's accident, and probably never really will, but I personally would rather fix the average Wairarapa driver's predeliction for driving on those roads like it is their own driveway, rather than a public road. I've met my fair share of vehicles on the wrong side of the road through that area over the years.

[Clockwork]

From the descriptions given I think I know the bend that is being dicussed here. It is bloody leathal! I came upon it on a KB ride where I learned just what a slow and cautious rider I was (I'm comparing myself with self proclaimed slow riders StoneChucker & Skunk, both of these guys rode faster than me on this ride.)

I must have missed any warning sign. As I rose over the crest of the hill the road ahead seemed to transform into dirt track. I slowed, confused. Suddenly I realised that the road was bending about 90 degrees left, this had been hidden by slightly eleveated land to the left of the road. I was left with the choice of continue to break in a straight line, cross the centre line and stop on the dirt road or attempt a late dive into the bend and hope to stay on the road. The latter was probably do-able but since I could see no cars were comming I elected to do the former.

No harm done, but it fair put the wind up me.

[James Deuce]

From the descriptions given I think I know the bend that is being dicussed here. It is bloody leathal! I came upon it on a KB ride where I learned just what a slow and cautious rider I was (I'm comparing myself with self proclaimed slow riders StoneChucker & Skunk, both of these guys rode faster than me on this ride.)

I must have missed any warning sign. As I rose over the crest of the hill the road ahead seemed to transform into dirt track. I slowed, confused. Suddenly I realised that the road was bending about 90 degrees left, this had been hidden by slightly eleveated land to the left of the road. I was left with the choice of continue to break in a straight line, cross the centre line and stop on the dirt road or attempt a late dive into the bend and hope to stay on the road. The latter was probably do-able but since I could see no cars were comming I elected to do the former.

No harm done, but it fair put the wind up me.

Both corners are clearly signposted with 55km/hr advisories in both directions. They aren't lethal, they just require some care and attention, and if anyone wants to I can help with developing strategies to cope with them. There are many sightline clues from the signs, to fences, to understanding vanishing points.

[Clockwork]

Is the corner I've described not the corner in question then?

Given the fatalities that have occured on at least one of them, I'd say that it qualifies as lethal.

[James Deuce]

Is the corner I've described not the corner in question then?

Is there a bridge in the middle of the corner at the bottom of the gully?

[Clockwork]

Not that I recall.

[James Deuce]

Not that I recall.

Different corners I think.

These ones are both decreasing radius corners, with a blind downhill entry from the North approach, and a less than clear visibility entry from the South

[Lou Girardin]

Aha, now I know the corner/s, never had a problem there personally. Although I've only been through there 3 or 4 times.

[Clockwork]

I'm sure the bend to which I refer must have had a warning sign but I missed it and effectively I missed the bend too!

My feelings are that if the entrance to the dirt road were moved 20m to one side so that it was no longer in line with the start of the bend, then a row of chevron arrows could be erected across the existing entrance and remove all confusion.

[Clockwork]

Aha, now I know the corner/s, never had a problem there personally. Although I've only been through there 3 or 4 times.

I'll never have a problem there again. Once was enough!

[Rainbow Wizard]

What he said, plus, that series of corners is one of the few remaining ridiculously technical pieces of motorcycle training left on public roads. There are a hell of a lot of things that can be learnt from those corners, from roadcraft to bike setup.
It all turns up from page 89 here on the NZ Police/Police public image thread.
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=8113&page=89&pp=15&highlight=public+image (http://)
OK, you may have got tired of viewing this popular thread but there's some worthy info tucked away in there and it's relevant to this thread. Think of it as Sam working his magic in absentia. Thanks Sam, RIP.