Nearly got T-Boned this morning!!!!!!!

[Fub@r]

Got off at the Nelson Street offramp this morning, filtered to the front of the queue as you do. Was sitting there having a quick chat to Maverick.

Anyway lights change and I did my usual and waited for the red light runners to go through, then started across the intersection. Then in the corner of my eye I saw a bloody silver car coming at me. Hit the brakes and this snot nosed little 16-17 yr old plows through the intersection in an Audi stationwagon.

Didn't get the rego as avoiding the accident and making sure noone rear ended me was the priority.

Just goes to show when riding in Auckland check that the other traffic is stopping for the red before you head off on your green

[judecatmad]

Thank god you DID see it - well done!

Safe ride home tonight :)

[Gremlin]

check that the other traffic is stopping for the red
:killingme You're joking yeh? I've had ones where it goes green for us, and 3-4 cars enter and exit the intersection. Its ridiculous.

Just been an article in the Howick and Pakuranga Times, front page, about the cops FINALLY cracking down on them (and also making all officers trained in laser, and equipping the guns to all cars) but its sooooo overdue.

Had a thought last night that having a video camera hooked up to the bike wouldn't be a bad thing, as you could tape it all... and there would be no comeback (that could even include the bad cops lying about how they didn't break the law in catching you or attempting to run you off the road).

[Blue Velvet]

...check that the other traffic is stopping for the red before you head off on your green

+1

Very wise.

[BarBender]

+1 Very wise.

Make that two of us.
Very, very wise.

Glad you came out of it OK.
See and hear about red light runners hitting bikes in the city a bit too much for my liking

[Fub@r]

I've always waited a second or two before heading off on a green after an incident I had when I was 16 on the old Collision Crossroads in the Bombay Hills. Was notorious for people not stopping for the lights on SH1 through inattention etc.

Was at the lights in my Mini ( :whistle: ) heading from Bombay to Pukekohe. Lights changed and I hesitated, was about to move off when a fully laden logging truck went flying through at 100kph.

Since then I always look before moving :)

[steveb64]

Got off at the Nelson Street offramp this morning, filtered to the front of the queue as you do. Was sitting there having a quick chat to Maverick.

Anyway lights change and I did my usual and waited for the red light runners to go through, then started across the intersection. Then in the corner of my eye I saw a bloody silver car coming at me. Hit the brakes and this snot nosed little 16-17 yr old plows through the intersection in an Audi stationwagon.

Didn't get the rego as avoiding the accident and making sure noone rear ended me was the priority.

Just goes to show when riding in Auckland check that the other traffic is stopping for the red before you head off on your green

Glad you missed them! :blink:

After riding in the UK - I always thought their traffic light system was MUCH better - to stop, lights go Green, Amber, Red - then to go - Red, Amber, Green! With an overlap, so Green happens AFTER the crossing traffic gets Red (possibly ALL lights are Red, before Green sequence starts?). If I've got this too wrong - please correct me UK KB'ers. And they seemed to use more red-light cameras too. Was one of the things I noticed about riding/driving in the UK - a LOT less vehicles running lights.

[Mikkel]

Yeah ignoring the red light is rife alright! :angry:

They don't just need to start enforcing it - they need to change the penalty. At the moment you don't get any demerit points for running the reds. I reckon 50 would be suitable - it's very dangerous, the lights are an authority you need to be able to trust and frankly there is no excuse...

[sprag]

people driving up to them at 80k's in a 50k zone and then turning (right hand turn) on a red light even if they are meters back when it turns red,

I tend to find its 4WD (men) or boy racers,

[xwhatsit]

Glad you missed them! :blink:

After riding in the UK - I always thought their traffic light system was MUCH better - to stop, lights go Green, Amber, Red - then to go - Red, Amber, Green! With an overlap, so Green happens AFTER the crossing traffic gets Red (possibly ALL lights are Red, before Green sequence starts?). If I've got this too wrong - please correct me UK KB'ers. And they seemed to use more red-light cameras too. Was one of the things I noticed about riding/driving in the UK - a LOT less vehicles running lights.

We have a waiting period between when the lights go red and when yours go green too (i.e. all the lights in the intersection are red); but I don't think it's very long.

I always tend to watch for when the other traffic wots got the green changes to orange; then I do my little hoppy-foot thing and stick the bike in gear ready to head off. I suppose if they did the Red-Orange-Green thing here too I'd already be prepared.

However I've got a bad habit of zooming off really fast as soon as it turns green, especially on quieter intersections. I'll be more careful and check very closely from now on.

[Fub@r]

The main intersections I'm most cautious at is the Nelson and Hobson Street Motorway off and on ramp area. Every morning when your light goes green at the Nelson Street one there would be a minimum of 2-3 cars running the red there, hence why I was careful there this morning

The cops setup stings here from time to time because it is so bad. But they are usually targetting people coming off the Nelson St offramp. But the main problem is the traffic crossing this intesection to either get on the motorway or going towards Pitt Street

Another problem one is the Halsey and Fanshawe Street intersection

[BarBender]

The main intersections I'm most cautious at is the Nelson and Hobson Street Motorway off and on ramp area.
Another problem one is the Halsey and Fanshawe Street intersection

Add the right turn coming down the hill off Mt Albert Rd and onto Hillsborough Rd AND the right turn off New North Rd and onto St Lukes Rd heading out towards Western Springs.

[SPman]

Seems nothing has changed on the Hobson St on ramp. My brother got cleaned up there in 1978!
Luckily, he hesitated before moving off, so the 3 drunken Tauranga businessmen just took the front of the car!
These days, I always check before moving off.

[turtleman]

Is this a fairly localised thing ? I've only lived here in akld for a couple of years, and have noticed a dramatically higher incidence of red-light runners than in wellington, where I came from. It does happen there too, but not even remotely as much !

I certainly take the approach of checking that the red-light runners have done their dash before I enter an intersection.....

[The Pastor]

what do you guys think about not having red arrows? more like just having giveway signs?

Too much time im wanting to turn and I cant because of the red arrow, when it would be safe and faster to simply have a give way.

[cooneyr]

We have a waiting period between when the lights go red and when yours go green too (i.e. all the lights in the intersection are red); but I don't think it's very long.....

Its typically around 4 seconds for a "normal" suburban intersection. As the intersection gets larger (distance to travel from limit line to exit) it gets longer i.e. gives more time for all vehicles to exit the intersection.

Cheers R

[sunhuntin]

what do you guys think about not having red arrows? more like just having giveway signs?

Too much time im wanting to turn and I cant because of the red arrow, when it would be safe and faster to simply have a give way.

they have this ability in the states, and i fully agree we should have it here. many times, im sitting for ages when i could have safely moved without having to wait. sucks when you sit for sometimes 2 circuits of lights when you could have taken the turn after hesitating for 3 seconds to check the way was clear.

[discotex]

Its typically around 4 seconds for a "normal" suburban intersection. As the intersection gets larger (distance to travel from limit line to exit) it gets longer i.e. gives more time for all vehicles to exit the intersection.

Cheers R

Yeah I think Auckland drivers have worked that out and factored it into the amount of cars can fit through a red light.

It gets worse every month. Christmas traffic this year should be interesting too.

[klingon]

I got quite a fright on my way home from work today in the car.

I was heading to the Tristram Ave on-ramp, preparing to go southbound to the city. There was an ambulance in front of me. Our light went red. Ambo stopped. I stopped. the ute behind me decided he wasn't going to stop so he swerved around me and the ambo (passing us on the left) and accellerated hard, straight through the light which had been red for several seconds by then.

The scary thing was that there was a bike at the lights to our right, at the front of the queue of traffic on the north-bound off ramp. If he had gone when his light went green he would have been smashed to smithereens. And the maniac who was running the red light had no way of seeing around the ambulance to see who was coming.

I can only guess that the biker saw the ute swerve around me and the ambo, and waited as a result. Thank goodness.

I wish I had time to see the ute's number plate - I hope the ambulance people or the biker got it and reported that guy. :angry2:

[SHELRACING]

Well you know it doesn't seem to matter to some drivers when the light is red or green, they just keep driving. Doesn't matter where in Auck either.
I got cleaned out by a red light runner about 2 months ago in Henderson.
The light was already green as I approached the intersection, so I carefully rode through. Then wack!


I also had some fool pull out from behind me in a RAV (when in our car) whilst I was stopping for the orange light, and he drove through the red.

We need red light camera's at every major intersection.

[Swoop]

After riding in the UK - I always thought their traffic light system was MUCH better - to stop, lights go Green, Amber, Red - then to go - Red, Amber, Green! With an overlap, so Green happens AFTER the crossing traffic gets Red (possibly ALL lights are Red, before Green sequence starts?).
You'll notice the non-use of the amber lights in NZ. They just flash from red-green + verse vicea. Most civilised countries have them working for 2-3 seconds to allow motorists to get ready to move.

It gets worse every month. Christmas traffic this year should be interesting too.
Christmas traffic on a bike? Is their such a thing?

[Bytor]

Is this a fairly localised thing ? I've only lived here in akld for a couple of years, and have noticed a dramatically higher incidence of red-light runners than in wellington, where I came from. It does happen there too, but not even remotely as much !

Wasn't aware of it when we travelled around the country, but since living and working in Auckland I can honestly say that I see a red light runner EVERY day:mad: Why waste police time sitting them at lights occasionally, put some bloody camera's up at the lights - worked a treat back in the UK.

[Bytor]

:Just been an article in the Howick and Pakuranga Times, front page, about the cops FINALLY cracking down on them (and also making all officers trained in laser, and equipping the guns to all cars) but its sooooo overdue.

Saw it too! Now that cop that can't be bothered to turn around and chase me up the 3 lane Pak Highway for doing 10k(ish) over the limit will now have my balls for breakfast:angry2: What a waste of money, why can't they spend it on camera's at traffic lights? Would prevent more accidents and careless driving attitudes.

[UberRhys]

I ride down Great South Rd and 9 out of 10 times get a red on the intersection of GSR & Church St. There is an awful lot of heavy traffic (big b-train units and all manner of trucks hauling crap) and some of these guys drive them like they are above the law.

I have seen a few cruise through solid red light at speed. I'm not giving truckies a bash cos the majority of them are good bastards. Something they say about bad apples springs to mind...:whistle:

[Bytor]

I ride down Great South Rd and 9 out of 10 times get a red on the intersection of GSR & Church St. There is an awful lot of heavy traffic (big b-train units and all manner of trucks hauling crap) and some of these guys drive them like they are above the law.

I have seen a few cruise through solid red light at speed. I'm not giving truckies a bash cos the majority of them are good bastards. Something they say about bad apples springs to mind...:whistle:

Yep that's one of the one's that I can guarantee seeing a red light runner in the morning...and yes those big trucks turning into GSR from Church St never stop. I know that it takes a lot to stop them but they don't even try:spanking:

[discotex]

Christmas traffic on a bike? Is their such a thing?

Not in terms of slowing us down but definitely in terms of risk to life and limb from all the mad driving.

[Fub@r]

Nice to see a bikey cop monitoring the Nelson St offramp this morning. Only problem is people could see him and hence no one ran the light during the phase I witnessed. :(

[klingon]

Nice to see a bikey cop monitoring the Nelson St offramp this morning. Only problem is people could see him and hence no one ran the light during the phase I witnessed. :(

I love bikey cops :)

It always makes me feel good when I see them monitoring an intersection and I always give them a wave or a nod. I think, "there's someone who knows how it feels to be vulnerable."

All polices should have to ride a bike for a year before they're allowed to drive a car. It would make them so much more aware of the hazards we face every day! And they'd probably start arresting road workers for leaving loose gravel on corners!

[NodMan]

Nice to see a bikey cop monitoring the Nelson St offramp this morning. Only problem is people could see him and hence no one ran the light during the phase I witnessed. :(

One of the reasons I filter to the front at red lights!
Pity ALL cops aren't on bikes...(but thats another issue)
better the tin tops "SEE" the bike pig and flatspot there tyres than put another biker in Hospital or worse

[NodMan]

I love bikey cops :)

It always makes me feel good when I see them monitoring an intersection and I always give them a wave or a nod. I think, "there's someone who knows how it feels to be vulnerable."

All polices should have to ride a bike for a year before they're allowed to drive a car. It would make them so much more aware of the hazards we face every day!

And I thought you were just saying my name when you nodded!..lol
I thought it was just Bikey Cop that you'll loved!

In the good ole days (MOT) you had to ride a bike for at least five years before you graduated to a car!!! (some of us just never graduated...)

I think an even better idea would be ALL kiwis should have to ride a bike for five years before they could sit a car licence....that way (tragic as it may be for relatives) Darwins theory on natural selection would take care of the hoon element before they got the chance to operate a tin top weapon.

Ride safe you never know where and when I might be working