LTSA Stuff I hadn't picked up on.

[FROSTY:Me]

dude there is no choice--you MUST obey the law--from now on you must stay on the roundabout until u have indicated for three seconds.
round a round the mulbury bush.

[Ixion]

The consultants who punted this for the LTSA are in Christchurch.

I wrote to them pointing out that their ideas were unworkable on any beyond the most simplistic of roundabouts.

I received this polite but unencouraging reply.

I agree, there are many
roundabouts out there that are more complicated; I have often used the two
Auckland examples you mention. However, the guideline does not purport to
be a 'design guide' but a way of introducing "Alberta' exit lane and
'spiral curve' pavement markings on new or existing multi-lane roundabouts
where this is considered appropriate. The aim is to provide guidelines
that will assist designers in the correct use of these two traffic control
devices.

I am aware that there are a considerable number of roundabouts in our towns
and cities that have more than 4 legs. However, given the limits on the
available space available, multi-lane roundabouts with more than five legs
with little or no separation between legs, are compromised and would be
difficult to retrofit with 'Alberta' exit lane or spiral curve pavement
markings. I wouldn't mind having a go though - perhaps you could supply
an aerial or plan of such a roundabout?

I have attached a proposal for new pavement markings in the Sockburn
roundabout in Christchurch which has 5 legs and handles around 60,000
vehicle movements a day. The proposed spiral curve pavement markings would
take some of the confusion away for motorists already in the roundabout
enabling them to choose the correct lane to exit without needing to first
change lanes whilst circulating the roundabout.

Regards,
Brian Neill
MWH Christchurch
Ph 03 343 8790

[James Deuce]

Typical stuff Ixion. Waffle on and load the burden of proof on you.

[madboy]

More non-sensical bollocks from LTNZ. I'll renew my subscription to the WhiteTrash theory thanks.

Just think over the weekend all the speed related carnage on the roads - the LTNZ couldn't have planned it better. Not making light of a few senseless deaths, but Andy would have been taking a firm grip on himself as he, ummm, salivated, over the statistics that can be skewed out of those deaths.

I can imagine the talk down the pub now - the hardcore sportsbikers will be swapping stories about who's got the biggest, umm, fine... and little johnny will pipe up and admit that he's just been disqualified... on demerit points... yep - he didn't indicate when proceeding straight through four roundabouts in the last two years and now he's disq for 3 months!

[Jantar]

dude there is no choice--you MUST obey the law--from now on you must stay on the roundabout until u have indicated for three seconds.
round a round the mulbury bush.

Hey, I hadn't even thought of that idea. What a great way to obey the law. Ummm just too bad that all the other users of the roundabout will have no idea as to just which exit I intend using.

[bugjuice]

service lane = hard shoulder?

[Wolf]

[font=Courier New]
I agree that people's driving skills have vast room for improvement, but I think a BIG education campaign should have preceded this latest walloping campaign..

I concur. The article mentioned that the advertising was helping - what effing advertising? Until I read that article I did not realise there were so many "new" rules and most of the rule changes I've picked up have been from reading discussions on KB (good thing I'm not driving/riding at the mo', eh) I have not noticed any advertising as such (lots of "quit smoking" ads on TV and lots of "buy our booze" ads, but no "Hey, there are thirty-odd new road rules you oughta be aware of!" ads only traffic ads are "speeders are killing us" (hardly any "don't drink and drive" ads at the mo'))

The point you raise re the indicator cut-off is also valid. I try to indicate at roundabouts but indicating left when the wheel is turned to the right usually means the slightest twitch on the steering wheel turns off the indicator. This usually means needing to grow an extra arm to hold the indicator in place while you use the other two to safely drive around the roundabout.

[Wolf]

So did I but LTNZ have decreed that we do not have any common sense. Wonder where they got that idea from.

Skyryder

And the answer, for thirty points, is:

cagers!

[James Deuce]

service lane = hard shoulder?

Yup, or emergency lane, or the big stripey white lines used as virtual traffic islands.

[James Deuce]

The roundabout indication is a ballsed up implementation of the UK law where you have to indicate on and off a roundabout. However you don't have to do it if you care going straight through. Multi lane assymetric roundabouts (3 or 5 or 7 entries and exits) are a bit different though. I think indicating an exit if going straight through is reasonable, but indicating on entry if continuing straight on is confusing. Also there aren't that many roundabouts in NZ where you can indicate for 3 seconds before you exit.

The education has been hopeless. They've more than doubled the offenses that attract demerit points. We should really have had new Road Codes posted to us free of charge.

[Pwalo]

What the hell is an 'Alberta' exit lane? And does this mean that they are proposing to put more slippery road markings at roundabouts?

I still can't see what's so wrong with driver education. IMHO it still seems that most accidents are caused by bad or inattentive driving/riding rather than any other single factor. But then again like you guys I only use the roads every day so I'm obviously not as qualified as our LTSNZ boys.

Whoops I must need another coffee. Still might pay to visit the old LTSA site just to see how many ways there are to use your licence, and how many fines have been increased.

[James Deuce]

What the hell is an 'Alberta' exit lane? And does this mean that they are proposing to put more slippery road markings at roundabouts?

I still can't see what's so wrong with driver education. IMHO it still seems that most accidents are caused by bad or inattentive driving/riding rather than any other single factor. But then again like you guys I only use the roads every day so I'm obviously not as qualified as our LTSNZ boys.

Whoops I must need another coffee. Still might pay to visit the old LTSA site just to see how many ways there are to use your licence, and how many fines have been increased.

They've gone from 15 offences attrracting demerit points to 32. The majority of the additional ones have $150 fines.

[Pixie]

dude there is no choice--you MUST obey the law--from now on you must stay on the roundabout until u have indicated for three seconds.
round a round the mulbury bush.

I already do that,but I get dizzy.so every second roundabout I go around in the opposite direction

[Pixie]

They've gone from 15 offences attrracting demerit points to 32. The majority of the additional ones have $150 fines.

...as traffic gets slower the only way to maintain income is to:
1.lower the speed limit
2.introduce new ways to fine motorists
3.sell drugs/ your mum

[Motu]

New WoF lighting rules became law on 27 Feb,we are supposed to start implementing the rules tomorrow - the regs are still at the printers and I haven't recieved mine yet....I'm gunna feel like fool tomorrow....