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View Full Version : NZ roads - do they need better signposts?



Bob
1st July 2004, 00:03
I was trawling the news today and found this article on foreign riders being killed on NZ roads (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3575074&thesection=news&thesubsection=general)

Now unfamiliarity with roads is always going to have the potential to see a rider have an 'off' - I know if I am riding a road I don't know I will back off and ride far more within my limits. But do you guys think your signposting is as bad as the article seems to assume?

James Deuce
1st July 2004, 00:50
I was trawling the news today and found this article on foreign riders being killed on NZ roads (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3575074&thesection=news&thesubsection=general)

Now unfamiliarity with roads is always going to have the potential to see a rider have an 'off' - I know if I am riding a road I don't know I will back off and ride far more within my limits. But do you guys think your signposting is as bad as the article seems to assume?

No, especially as some Baltic, and Scandanavian countries with much bigger populations, and economies, don't have a roading network as extensive as ours. However, given that we dismantled a Government organisation that maintained roads and managed safety aspects of our roading network in favour of "cheapest quote" private enterprise, we can hardly be surprised at these events.

According to Transfund there were 92,381km of road in NZ in 2002 of which 58,562km was sealed, leaving 33,819km unsealed. (http://www.transfund.govt.nz/pubs/Transfund_RoadStats%202002.pdf)

I think there is a bit of hyperbole in there too. The riders should take responsibility for their own safety and that includes riding to the prevailing conditions, no matter how bad the roads may be.

Reality Check: There's only 4 million people in NZ, a country with a slightly greater land area than the UK, and shore line longer than the United States'. It is hardly surprising that the least populated area of the country still has combined road and rail bridges.

Blackbird
1st July 2004, 07:15
Jim has completely hit it on the head. Firstly, there's a lot of hype on the matter. Secondly, virtually everything to do with transport is highly politicised. However, the most telling comment of Jim's is that eveyone should drive within their own capabilities and the prevailing road conditions. That's especially true if you're riding in a foreighn country. People taking responsibility for their own actions seems to be an outmoded concept in all walks of life I regret to say.

Geoff

Motu
1st July 2004, 07:20
This must be my hobby horse cause it gets me real pissed off - I spend my time on the bike riding as many of our back roads as possible,desperatly trying to find a road sign to tell me where the hell I am - I've got no problems with the conditions of our roads or the signposting.Why is it people need their hand held just to ride a bike on the best riding roads in the world?

Ride to the conditions and your abilities and don't blame someone or something else cause you fucked up.

Bleck K6
1st July 2004, 09:03
There has been a few times on the road where I have come around a corner to find road works,shingle in the middle of the road without any warning signs.
Last time I remember was a couple of months ago on the old russel road, lucky the guy in front of me new about it & waved me down,it really pisses me off when they dont mark road works

vifferman
1st July 2004, 09:31
Talking about road signs in general - they used to be better when the AA was solely responsible for raod signage (apart from city streets). Then Transit or whoever started tendering it out, and road signage is not as good as it used to be. Road signs aren't replaced when they need to be. However, from what I've seen and read, our road signs are much better than many other countries.

One thing I liked in Australia was mileposts: when you're between towns, there are often little signs telling you how far you are from each town. So say you go through Blobtown, and the next town is Dickville, the next road marker says "B1" and "D27", then 1km further on, "B2" and "D26", and so on. Let's you know quite simply how far you are from each town, and which way to go in the event you break down.
There are two basic problems with roadworks signs - not enough info about road condition(including no warning signs at all), or incorrect information. The latter includes leaving signs out when there are no apparent road works happening! No wonder that driver just tend to ignore a lot of signs they see. And a pet hate - wankers who don't slow down for new seal, and subject others to the gravel that they spray everywhere. (Then again, the road work companies are very slack about clearing the roads of loose gravel...):2guns:

scumdog
1st July 2004, 09:53
'Course there's always the wild card caused by brain-dead, slack-jawed, mouth-breathing improvident lackwits that think it's cool to twist signs around or steal the "danger ice" or whatever sign to hang up in their hovel.

These are the same guys that think fine humour is taking the marker cones (and sometimes barriers) from road works and place them ACROSS the road, - "boy that is soo funny, hyuk-hyuk, did ya see that guy swerve when he saw those cones Darren, funny aye". :ar15:

FROSTY
1st July 2004, 10:49
'Course there's always the wild card caused by brain-dead, slack-jawed, mouth-breathing improvident lackwits that think it's cool to twist signs around or steal the "danger ice" or whatever sign to hang up in their hovel.

These are the same guys that think fine humour is taking the marker cones (and sometimes barriers) from road works and place them ACROSS the road, - "boy that is soo funny, hyuk-hyuk, did ya see that guy swerve when he saw those cones Darren, funny aye". :ar15:
yep Id agree with you there dude. I plowed through just that senario a few years back

Motu
1st July 2004, 12:05
'

These are the same guys that think fine humour is taking the marker cones (and sometimes barriers) from road works and place them ACROSS the road, - "boy that is soo funny, hyuk-hyuk, did ya see that guy swerve when he saw those cones Darren, funny aye". :ar15:

I think I met that guys brother - he removed or loosened the wheelnuts of cars in the car park,then went over the road to watch the fun,the cops were running around looking for clues,but he was just watching them.

scumdog
1st July 2004, 12:46
I think I met that guys brother - he removed or loosened the wheelnuts of cars in the car park,then went over the road to watch the fun,the cops were running around looking for clues,but he was just watching them.

You would have thought the rythmical slapping noise and the sound of his drool splashing would have given him away <_<

Lou Girardin
2nd July 2004, 06:48
Ask any tourist about Auckland road signs in particular, totally incomprehensible to anyone who doesn't live here.
Now that Transfund has merged with the Land Transport SAFETY Authority, will we see an improvement in SAFETY practices on our roading network?

James Deuce
2nd July 2004, 07:00
Ask any tourist about Auckland road signs in particular, totally incomprehensible to anyone who doesn't live here.
Now that Transfund has merged with the Land Transport SAFETY Authority, will we see an improvement in SAFETY practices on our roading network?

The thing I really liked about European and UK motorways was the numbered exits. You could sit down with a map before a trip and right down the exits you needed to take to get where you wanted to go.

NordieBoy
2nd July 2004, 08:42
And a pet hate - wankers who don't slow down for new seal, and subject others to the gravel that they spray everywhere. (Then again, the road work companies are very slack about clearing the roads of loose gravel...):2guns:

I do slow down if there are other vehicles around but they put all this grit/gravel down and someone has to take the responsability to sweep it off the road.
In 16cm wide strips :yeah:

scumdog
2nd July 2004, 08:45
The thing I really liked about European and UK motorways was the numbered exits. You could sit down with a map before a trip and right down the exits you needed to take to get where you wanted to go.

Exits? Exits? we don't need no stinking exits!
When we get one down here it will be the first! and at least I'll know it will be Exit 1 :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :Oops:

Drunken Monkey
2nd July 2004, 09:14
It's all well and good for you fellas to sit behind your PCs and tell 'dumb foreigners' to ride/drive to the conditions - how many of you swear under your breath at 'dumb foreigners' holding you up by driving 30km/h below the speed limit on the same open roads wondering why they have to plod along so 'bloody slowly' and wishing that they'd get a grip and speed up. Maybe they're just taking it slowly because they don't know their way around and don't want to go flying into an unmarked tight corner.

NordieBoy
2nd July 2004, 11:14
It's all well and good for you fellas to sit behind your PCs and tell 'dumb foreigners' to ride/drive to the conditions - how many of you swear under your breath at 'dumb foreigners' holding you up by driving 30km/h below the speed limit on the same open roads wondering why they have to plod along so 'bloody slowly' and wishing that they'd get a grip and speed up. Maybe they're just taking it slowly because they don't know their way around and don't want to go flying into an unmarked tight corner.

Um....

We're on motorbikes...

We just pass them...

:scooter:

Posh Tourer :P
2nd July 2004, 12:54
not on the best tight twisty roads we dont..... Until we can see a little way ahead...

Motu
2nd July 2004, 13:04
Don't worry - when I'm in my Pajero it's payback time!!

DEATH_INC.
2nd July 2004, 14:07
I think I know of one corner just out of clevedon that could do with the sign moving to where you can see it before you are actually half way around it and in the poo......

vifferman
2nd July 2004, 15:39
I do slow down if there are other vehicles around but they put all this grit/gravel down and someone has to take the responsability to sweep it off the road.
In 16cm wide strips :yeah:The sad thing is, part of the reason that they leave the gravel there for so long has to do with utilising traffic to roller it into the tar, rather than doing it with their multi-wheeled roller thingos.

Tarsnakes - let's start another sub-thread about those vicious slippery tarsnakes. I'm almost getting used to the way the tyres slip about on those in the wet. And dry.:crazy:

El Dopa
2nd July 2004, 18:53
Ask any tourist about Auckland road signs in particular, totally incomprehensible to anyone who doesn't live here.
Now that Transfund has merged with the Land Transport SAFETY Authority, will we see an improvement in SAFETY practices on our roading network?

I actually found most of the roading round town to be pretty good here when I first arrived. There's decent wide roads because you don't have to follow a medieval street layout, which means cars can park and people can still get by, plus there are a lot of dedicated 'right turn' filters, so people turning right don't hold up those behind going straight on.

The signs here were mostly fine, once I worked out that the motorway exits were named and not numbered (which was very handy in the UK).

I can't say as its been an issue unless I'm right out in the wops somewhere, where the signs at intersections direct me between two places I've never heard of.....

bikerboy
3rd July 2004, 15:47
The problem with road signage here, is there are too many strange things to sign.

Several needed signs on my last ride would have been:

Caution idiots yaking in utes in middle of road after blind unbanked severe corner.

Constant cow/sheep shit all over road after tight corners and steep hills.

Road works abandoned after starting.

Cheap ass road repairs to dangerous curves.

Large section of road removed for lane widening to be completed early 2010 or not.

Caution 30km limit due to badly designed and maintained road built in 1910 for horse and buggy.

Temporary 30kph limit on perfectly sealed straight section of ten lane motorway because we can't be bothered to remove the twenty year old signs.

:bleh:

wari
3rd July 2004, 16:16
The problem with road signage here, is there are too many strange things to sign.

Several needed signs on my last ride would have been:

Caution idiots yaking in utes in middle of road after blind unbanked severe corner.

Constant cow/sheep shit all over road after tight corners and steep hills.

Road works abandoned after starting.

Cheap ass road repairs to dangerous curves.

Large section of road removed for lane widening to be completed early 2010 or not.

Caution 30km limit due to badly designed and maintained road built in 1910 for horse and buggy.

Temporary 30kph limit on perfectly sealed straight section of ten lane motorway because we can't be bothered to remove the twenty year old signs.

:bleh:

THose signs are TOo wordy ...

tRy con densin Them a bit ...

I prefer summerys to long versoins anyhow :spudbooge

GOod effot tho ... eh little fella , he did alright ... :yeah:

moko
6th July 2004, 06:55
I didnt have any trouble finding my way about when I was in N.Z,no better or worse than here I`d say.A bit down the road from me you approach a little place called Newton Ferrers and there`s a sign to Noss Mayo showing it`s down the right fork,and another one below it showing to go down the left!!Both are right,just that one goes through Newton,the other around it but god knows what the tourists make of it.What I did find odd was under signs in some of the smaller towns were signs saying what the local Freemason`s lodge was called,er it`s supposed to be a "secret society",here at least.