bikers keep left?

[bugjuice]

Have I misinterpreted this, or is this blown a bit out of proportion?
Going on from the 'new changes' recently made, there's this in the NZ Herald. (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10112944)
It goes on to say how bikes always need to keep left, but somehow I don't think it's as bad as the journo is making out. For some reason, it reads like we have to stay left of the lane, as apposed to left of the road (multi-lane roads). I agree that we have to make a presence, or face being squished, but everyone, regardless of vehicle, should be using the left lane unless overtaking (finally, demerits given if you hog the outside lane! :yeah: ), but to me, it reads like we have to stay left of the lane.

He's just being a silly dick, isn't he..?? No one can force you to the left of the lane you're in, can they..?
I'm not fearing anything there.. He didn't ask me if I did :finger:


Also found this:

Helmets

People in motorcycle sidecars or in trailers towed by bicycles will have to wear helmets. The view is that they are as likely to sustain head injuries in an accident as the rider.

All motorcycle riders not wearing helmets will now need to apply to the director of road safety at Land Transport NZ for an exemption if they cannot find an approved helmet that fits

since when were riders and passengers allow not to wear a helmet?!?!!? So if I went to my good buddy, who's my GP, and he wrote to the LTNZ and said my affro would be disturbed by my helmet, and there isn't an alternative, I don't have to wear one? It's all a bit :tugger: to me..

[Skunk]

Superintendent John Kelly, national road policing operations manager, said the introduction of demerit points for what had always been an offence was aimed at motorists who held up traffic unreasonably or took dangerous shortcuts by crossing centrelines on winding roads.

"It is not aimed at people driving in a reasonable position to keep themselves safe."

Mr Kelly said he believed very few motorists would fall foul of changes to the Road Code. Police would concentrate in early weeks on education rather than handing out penalties.I'd say some people are misreading it so they can complain or to get a ruling/clarification.

[MSTRS]

It's all about making the roads safers (just not for bikes). :angry2: Watch the attitude change re lane position when the revenue possibilities are realised (oops) :weep:

[Marmoot]

I think it is blown out of proportion.
For all these years I always believe enforcement of keep-left rule will help us cyclists (yeah....we're somewhat cyclists) overtake cars if they stay to the left.

Who is this Megarider people, actually?

P.S.
How about if we suggest us be enforced to keep left in the motorway? Like.....left as in the bus lane? :sunny:

[bugjuice]

It's all about making the roads safers (just not for bikes). :angry2: Watch the attitude change re lane position when the revenue possibilities are realised (oops) :weep:
I agree on making it safer, and better flowing, but this isn't what the journo is making out, to me. He's making it seem like we're in the left of the lane..?? In the UK, you get a good bollockin for not staying left, where I learnt to drive. It's stupid that this hasn't been done before, well, not enforced better. The amount of times I've seen cars come onto the freeway, then move straight to the right hand lane - when there's no other cars on the road?!?! And/or they slow down to join the slower moving right hand lane, for no reason?!?!!? Almost like they're guilty to go faster or something.. Pisses me off big time :angry2:

[Wolf]

Surely there's something wrong. Was always taught, and had explained to me by cops, that we are to stick to the right-hand part of the lane we are in as it is the safest place to be. We are entitled - as duly licenced and paid-up riders - to occupy the same amount of space on the road as any cage - it ppl want to pass they must do so by crossing the centre line when it is safe to do so, etc etc.

Forcing bikes to ride to the left of the lane is just plain dangerous - for a start, you'd get idiots trying to pass when it is not safe to do so - "oncoming traffic, so I'll just squeeze past in the same lane..."

Hope it is a misunderstanding.

[Gen]

I think that is what they are trying to say, keep to the left of the road while in your lane.Which keep each side of traffic well away from crossing the centre line....(at least for cars...)
By the looks of the other drivers I have seen, no one has:
read these new rules
or knows about them
or cares.

It will be interesting to see how things go, whether the police will crack down hard or not. :spudguita

[bugjuice]

Surely there's something wrong. Was always taught, and had explained to me by cops, that we are to stick to the right-hand part of the lane we are in as it is the safest place to be. We are entitled - as duly licenced and paid-up riders - to occupy the same amount of space on the road as any cage - it ppl want to pass they must do so by crossing the centre line when it is safe to do so, etc etc.

Forcing bikes to ride to the left of the lane is just plain dangerous - for a start, you'd get idiots trying to pass when it is not safe to do so - "oncoming traffic, so I'll just squeeze past in the same lane..."

Hope it is a misunderstanding.
exactly. just sooooooooo can't be right. just soopid.

[vifferman]

Who is this Megarider people, actually?
Yeah, I wondered that, and thought, "What's wrong with BRONZ? Do we need another organisation?"

BTW - I noticed that the signs on the bus lanes on the motorway say "BUSES ONLY", so I guess that means we're specifically excluded, not that I'd want to ride in the slippery substances the buses pee all over the road, nor have some 20m long behemoth breathing down my neck. :eek: I'm not that desparate to get to work...

[bugjuice]

Who is this Megarider people, actually?
http://www.megarider.com/
I thought it was a bit of a one-man-band thing actually. The dude is a nice bloke n all, but I didn't think he was accredited with anything..

[MSTRS]

I read it to mean that we are supposed to ride between the left wheel track (of cages) and the solid white line demarking the edge of the road. Fucked if I will ride there. I will ride in the right wheel track of whatever lane I am in. What I am saying is that if this attracts a fine & demerits I will take it to court & so should every other biker. I will not be put at risk by a law that 'makes our roads safer'

[vifferman]

http://www.megarider.com/

Ooooh!

Aaahhhhh!!
:blink:






:whocares:

[Marmoot]

http://www.megarider.com/
I thought it was a bit of a one-man-band thing actually. The dude is a nice bloke n all, but I didn't think he was accredited with anything..

I am aware of the website, thank ou :)
But I would be grateful if anybody can give me an insight on who the person is actually, or why he is revered by the media as having better insight than normal rider (not that it is bad....anything that gives additional attention to bikes is good....unless the person is holding a gravely erroneous view).
I always thought that anything official has to be from BRONZ. Since when do we have 2 separate organization to voice our concerns? Why not just put it into one big pot instead of two pots?
Now, talking about pots......my mum has always told me to stop smoking my pot...but alas that is a whole different thread....I'd better stop before someone accuse me of hijacking this thr.....

[vifferman]

I read it to mean that we are supposed to ride between the left wheel track (of cages) and the solid white line demarking the edge of the road. Fucked if I will ride there. I will ride in the right wheel track of whatever lane I am in. What I am saying is that if this attracts a fine & demerits I will take it to court & so should every other biker. I will not be put at risk by a law that 'makes our roads safer'
:niceone:
Same here.
Don't give a rat's arse about this 'issue'. I'll ride however is most safe, and like MSTRS, I'll defend my right to do so, regardless of what the law, Mr Plod, or anyone else has to say about it. :ar15:


But I would be grateful if anybody can give me an insight on who the person is actually, or why he is revered by the media as having better insight than normal rider (not that it is bad....anything that gives additional attention to bikes is good....unless the person is holding a gravely erroneous view).
Indeed.
Prolly find that he/she/it saw it as an opportunity for commercial furtherance.

[ManDownUnder]

I was always taught (on defensive riding courses etc) to stay in the lane of least risk - which means
1) on the open road, right hand wheeltrack - avoids anyone/anything pulling out from the side roads and driveways and increases your visbility
2) in the fast lane of the MW stay in the left wheeltrack - gives you room to move to the right is someone pulls over toward you
3) in the opposite wheeltrack to the bike in front of you if you are riding in a group - more braking distance and a better view of whats ahead.

God forbid we should have common sense legislated...

rant over for now (I think)
MDU

[bugjuice]

I feel a movement coming on.....

or may be that was lunch..

Glad I'm not the only one who's thinking this tho. What a crock of crap. Shall we find out where he lives, and go round for a quick 'chat'? Think of other bikers who aren't part of any 'groups' like this, who are now stressing that the 18-wheeler isn't going to see them, cos they're right over the left of the road..? fukin journos.. http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/images/smilies/ar15firing.gif

Edit - I've just emailed the LTNZ to ask them to clarify it all. I'll post it if they reply to me.

[Wolf]

I've just emailed the LTNZ to ask them to clarify it all. I'll post it if they reply to me.
Cheers for that. Hoping it's all a storm in a teacup over a misunderstanding - would hate to think some stupid arse who's never ridden a bike is dicking with the law to make it illegal to ride safely.

[Motu]

Allan Kirk and the Motorcycle Safetly Consultants have been around for a long time,I still have some of his pamfletes he used to send outnearly 20 yrs ago.I agree with a lot of what he says - and you'll find a lot of what I spout that gets others annoyed is exactly what Allan talks about - but this megarider crap sounds like he's loosing it a bit,somewhat egotisical...something a megarider would shy away from...

[TygerTung]

Ok, I just got my licence a couple of weeks ago, and the road code goes on heaps about not keeping left, it says to stay in the right hand section of the lane, otherwise you get cars pushing past you and running you off the road, and noone can see you! Whats up with that!

[Cajun]

Offences that carry demerit points:

Failing to drive as near as practicable to the left of the roadway: 20
Unsafe passing: 35
Impeding vehicle when passing: 35
Failing to allow impeded traffic to pass: 20
Passing at school crossing point or pedestrian crossing: 20
Passing to right of no-passing line: 35
Driving in emergency stopping lane: 10
Failing to comply with hand-held stop sign: 20
Failing to comply with school patrol sign: 20
Not stopping at stop sign: 20
Not giving way at stop sign: 20
Not giving way at give-way sign: 20
Driver of left-turning vehicle fails to give way to vehicle from right: 20
Failing to give way to road user on footpath when entering/exiting driveway: 20
At intersection, failing to give way to vehicle approaching from right: 20
Failing to give way when entering roundabout: 20
Exceeding speed for stopping distance: 20
Exceeding speed for stopping distance on road not marked in lanes: 20
Driving too close to vehicle in front: 20
Parking on pedestrian crossing: 20
Parking within 6m of driver's approach to pedestrian crossing: 20
Parking in signed/marked area on approach to pedestrian crossing: 20
Driver permits riding dangerously: 20
Failing to give way to rail vehicle approaching level crossing: 20
Drive, etc, cycle, vehicle, or animal across level crossing when risk of collision with rail vehicle: 20
Failing to stop for level crossing stop sign: 20
Failing to remain stationary at stop sign until level crossing clear: 20
Entering controlled level crossing when red signal displayed: 20
Entering controlled area of level crossing when barrier arm lowered: 20
Failing to give way at pedestrian crossing: 35
Entering pedestrian crossing when passage blocked: 35
Failing to give way to pedestrian on shared zone: 35

[bugjuice]

a lot of focus on stopping for pedestrians etc, and for trains.. if you don't stop for a train, 20 points isn't the only thing you're going to get, or have to worry about..

I thought there'd be more on traffic, but I wouldn't know what..

[Marmoot]

but this megarider crap sounds like he's loosing it a bit,somewhat egotisical...something a megarider would shy away from...

Exactly my point. Thank's for clearing it up for me.

P.S.
On a side note, that proves my non-egotistical nature as I don't even know what I was talking about. Hmm....maybe that is a hidden talent in me as a megarider

[limmy]

Ok, I just got my licence a couple of weeks ago, and the road code goes on heaps about not keeping left, it says to stay in the right hand section of the lane, otherwise you get cars pushing past you and running you off the road, and noone can see you! Whats up with that!

yeap. i remember that too. so i guess its just more confusion.

[Lias]

Aye when I was studying for my learners last year I'm sure the roadcode says bikes should ride where the righthand wheel of a cage would be.

[ManDownUnder]

Aye when I was studying for my learners last year I'm sure the roadcode says bikes should ride where the righthand wheel of a cage would be.

You are joking right... a vestage of common sense in the law?!?

:gob:

No reflection on those that uphold it... just on those that write the stuff...
MDU

[flyin]

im looking forward to seeing cars fined for driving in the right hand part of their lanes!! :niceone:

thats where i wanna be passing them!! and this legislation will force cages to leave the largest possible gap between lanes so we all get a bigger virtual lane :wari:

[bugjuice]

apparently it's been there all along, just never enforced. In the UK where I learnt to drive, you get a good bollockin for not sticking left. Took a while to get used to the traffic not doing that here.. Undertaking is also law-breaking in the UK too, so it tried to reduce the number of accidents by enforcing these 2 rules.. I've always thought the same should have been done everywhere in the world, not just here and the UK..

[TwoSeven]

Many years ago NZ driver ed. said that you needed to 'keep to the left' which many people thought meant they had to drive on the left hand white line - you still see people do it today.

What it really meant was Keep to the left 'side of the road' because NZ roads were generally not marked. It didnt mean drive on the left hand white line, because thats a hazardus area where all the road crap, dirt and glass gathers. Also, its the suicide zone as you cant see between parked cars (in the city now), pedestrians and cyclists.

Later when roads became marked, you were told to drive in the center of your lane (although many people still used the keep left rule and faultily applied it to the lane, rather than the road).

When multi-laned roads were brought in, the right most lane[s] were used as passing lanes (and still should be), so the driver ed. said keep to the left hand lane and was usually followed by the phase - unless passing (and you pass on the right). Again they left out the 'drive in the center of your lane' bit, so again people thought you still had to drive on the left side of the lane - which is still incorrect.

What you should be doing is driving in the center of the left most lane at the correct and safe speed for the situation at or more than, the minimum following distance. Each of those things will score you about 20 points if you dont do em :)

For a motorcycle it goes a little bit further than that. When there is an obstruction (or hazard) on the side of the road (either side) you should move to the left or right of your lane to increase your visibility (as well as to slow to safer speed) around the obstruction - it also moves you further away from the hazard as well. You dont need to do this for things in front, because you are already at the correct and safe following distance and speed.

The only time you have to pull over to the left hand side of the lane is when you make a left hand turn in order that you dont obstruct traffic - or when you need to make a right hand turn on a road where there is no room in the center.

Basically the new rule was the governments bumbling way of saying the above as far as I understand things.

[Blakamin]

I wish that they'd stop making up bullshit.... demerits for Exceeding speed for stopping distance: 20... what a wank....
they don't even enforce drink driving ffs!!!
while in bundaberg for a week, I saw 2...(two) random checkpoints.... while living in NZ and driving for a living... I have seen 1 (one) in fuckin 4 years!!!!!!
in qld they will pull over every vehicle on a 4 lane highway... the only rbt I've seen here was on a paraparaumu back road!
fuck roundabouts and other shit... catch the drunks!!!!

there were 5 seperate accidents on sh1 between j'ville and porirua last night (in a 2.5 hour period)... why? cant people fucking drive???

[Skyryder]

I ride on the part of the road that gives me the best view ahead and allows the best escape rout. Mostly that is closer to the centre line than the left part of the lane. If I am clear of traffic and cruisin' I will place myself to the left or centre part of the road/lane. At the end of the day position yourself in the safest part of the road.

Skyryder