Is Oropi Road that dangerous?

[Juzz976]

Ok so this morning a collision between a truck and bike kills both biker and truckie on Oropi Rd in Tauranga.

http://www.rotoruadailypost.co.nz/local/news/collision-investigation-continues/3936631/

Not many months ago a friend of mine lost her partner on Oropi Rd, bike vs 4wd.

The road is approx 18km long and not at all far from town. I've seen the odd accident and tell tale signs of close calls....even someone come off a ride-on mower onto the road.

So the people who travel this road should know to be cautious shouldn't they?

Be careful out there, especially travelling on Oropi rd.

EDIT: RIP Both of you guys, my condolences go to their families.

Ok back to texting people "I'm still alive" because they're always thinking it could be me when they hear a biker is down.

[Elysium]

What makes this road so dangerous? Sharp corners, parts not sign posted?

[scumdog]

What makes this road so dangerous? Sharp corners, parts not sign posted?

Nah, collisions make it dangerous...

[Elysium]

Nah, collisions make it dangerous...

Yes well that's the effect, what's the cause of said collisions?

[sidecar bob]

The accident was 3km from my workshop & 3km from my home.
I have ridden & driven Oropi road probably many hundreds of times.
The corner in question is the very first corner at the bottom of the road & can probably be safely negotiated at upwards of 160 kmh, although personally i wouldnt be able to comment accurately.
However, it appears that no attempt at all was made by the bike to even turn at all & the impact was at the apex of the turn on the outside lane for the bike.
In answer to the original question, yes it is dangerous, it is a narrow old country road & as it is all 100kmh area & is almost entirely made up of lifestyle blocks & the likes, there is a driveway every few hundred metres, many of them around blind corners or over brows.
There has been no significant improvements to the road in the last 30 years apart from resealing.
Locally, its the road that time forgot (or should that be that the council forgot)

[nadroj]

No 2 son lives on & rides Oropi rd daily on his 250 Bandit. He knew nothing about it, having travelled before it happened & returning just after the road reopened.

[RevDWC]

I work with the rider who was killed. He was a great guy, not a close friend, but we could always have a good chat and all that stuff.
My condolences to his wife and family, and the same for the family of the guy in the truck.

[Ronin]

Yes well that's the effect, what's the cause of said collisions?

People....

[Old Steve]

The corner in question is the very first corner at the bottom of the road & can probably be safely negotiated at upwards of 160 kmh, although personally i wouldnt be able to comment accurately.

Is that the left/right uphill corner immediately after the service station? It seems to have a nasty off camber section in it. I drive a ute up and back to Warners Rd about 3 or 4 times a week and that corner would be my least liked part of the road. I've never ridden a bike through it though, but I can see how easy it would be for a bike to end up on the wrong side of the road.

I'd say it's no more dangerous than any narrow two lane road, there's a stretch just before the water treatment works where you'd be tempted to speed - especially coming down towards Tauranga.

[sidecar bob]

Is that the left/right uphill corner immediately after the service station?

Nope, it is the first uphill double apex right hander before the gas station.

[Old Steve]

Hey sidecar bob. Your ID reminds me I saw the guy with the URAL sidecar combo taking his kids for a ride in Tauranga on Saturday.

OK, the uphill right hander. He'd be able to get up to a reasonable speed going up there. The ute would probably be doing at least 100 km/hr coming down too. Guess we'll never know why he ended up on the wrong side then.

I've often thought of going up Oropi Rd, across Oropi Gorge Rd, and back down Pyes Pa Rd. Nice little tootle. But then I'm not adventurous and my bike won't do those sort of dangerous speeds (mainly due to lack of right hand movement on the throttle because of fear of the consequences).

[SMOKEU]

Any road is only as dangerous as you or other road users make it.

[nadroj]

Nope, it is the first uphill double apex right hander before the gas station.

That be a 70 k area!

[Old Steve]

No, I think it goes straight to 100 kay after the roundabout, or maybe the roundabout is 100 kay too as it's SH29 (SH27?). I know I have to slow down once on the city side of the roundabout, theres a speed restriction there (30 kay at the moment, roadworks on the corner of Maleme St and Oropi Rd)

Someone said today that the long right hand corner where it happened is badly cambered. I can't recall that, but I've only been through on 4 wheels.

[nadroj]

My recolection is 70km from the market garden outlet before the small bridge to just before the service station.

[sidecar bob]

If you look in the paddock after the corner on the R/H side going up, you will see a large tree with all the bark missing off one side, about 10 metres into the paddock.
About seven years ago my head mechanic got off in the gravel on the outside of the same corner, the car crossed the road & hit the tree while airborne.
Both occupants survived.
Possibly the very flat aspect of the road was partly to blame.