More median barriers requested

[Usarka]

Before the holidays the police were wanking on saying the low road toll was because the police had done an outstanding job with enforcement and campaigns.

Therefore the reason why the holiday road toll was so high is because the cops did a shit job over the break. You can't have it both ways rozzas!

[huff3r]

there is not always room for concrete or armco,the wrb are very thin,that is why wrb are used along the paekak.pukerua bay imho.

Yet they had to widen the roads to allow a "buffer zone" around the WRBs along that stretch of road.... imho concrete barriers would take up similar, even maybe slightly less space than the WRB.

[pete376403]

there is not always room for concrete or armco,the wrb are very thin,that is why wrb are used along the paekak.pukerua bay imho.

Concrete barriers on the Hutt road between Petone and Wellington wouldn't be much more than 400-500 mm thick at the base. WRBs look about 100mm wide posts plus another 40-50 mm each side where the wire goes over the supports. While this is half the (approximates, I've never stopped to measure any of them) concrete, some of the places I've seen WRBs installed (eg south of Melling (Lower Hutt) or South of Pukerua Bay) the WRB posts are set into a depressed strip of road (drainange channel?) at least as wide as any concrete barrier.

More about politics than practicalities (either that or money changed hands)

[steve_t]

Yet they had to widen the roads to allow a "buffer zone" around the WRBs along that stretch of road.... imho concrete barriers would take up similar, even maybe slightly less space than the WRB.

It'd be interesting to see what effect widening the road without adding the barrier would have. There are a number of places where there is a wide median painted on the road without a barrier, plus a sign saying No Overtaking on the Median. While I've never seen anyone overtake on the painted median, I'm sure it probably happens from time to time

[Swoop]

Yep, movable concrete barriers would be the go.

Especially if provided by free labour from prisoners.
They could have a few moulds, pour concrete and contribute to society in a very constructive way.

[Ocean1]

Concrete barriers on the Hutt road between Petone and Wellington wouldn't be much more than 400-500 mm thick at the base. WRBs look about 100mm wide posts plus another 40-50 mm each side where the wire goes over the supports.

Yes. But at least one source reported that a WRB manufacturer recommend at least 3.5 Metres offset between the traffic limit and the barier. That's a median of 7 Metres wide.


How cheap are your WRBs looking if you have to widen the road several Metres?

[MSTRS:Me]

How cheap are your WRBs looking if you have to widen the road several Metres?

Very cheap. In NZ, you don't have to widen roads or anything. You just whack the fuckers in. The Minister of Transport and NZTA know that WRB are perfectly safe for everyone. They know this because there have been no studies done to suggest otherwise.

[riffer]

Very cheap. In NZ, you don't have to widen roads or anything. You just whack the fuckers in. The Minister of Transport and NZTA know that WRB are perfectly safe for everyone. They know this because there have been no studies done to suggest otherwise.

Well, sort of. The truth is probably more that they have saved more than they have killed or mutilated. If you put yourself in a bureaucrats shoes it makes a perverse sort of sense.

[Ocean1]

Well, sort of. The truth is probably more that they have saved more than they have killed or mutilated. If you put yourself in a bureaucrats shoes it makes a perverse sort of sense.

Until you discover that concrete is statistically as safe as WRB, and costs less over it's service life. But then, you should have known that a bureacrat isn't disinterested where such factors impinge on their budgets.

They also insisted that WRB has an advantage over concrete in that it can be removed faster in an emergency. Ever seen that done?

[scumdog]

Before the holidays the police were wanking on saying the low road toll was because the police had done an outstanding job with enforcement and campaigns.

Therefore the reason why the holiday road toll was so high is because the cops did a shit job over the break. You can't have it both ways rozzas!

I'm sure all those people killed on the roads will be well chuffed to know you're right....

[pete376403]

there is not always room for concrete or armco,the wrb are very thin,that is why wrb are used along the paekak.pukerua bay imho.

Was driving up that way yesterday, so had a good look. Between paekakariki and pukerua bay, the space between the white lines either side of the wrb is never less than approx 1 meter, and in places it's more. The concrete barrier between petone and ngauranga gets far less space.
Likewise between plimmerton and pukerua bay. However for this stretch the wrb has been placed in a depression (storm water drainange maybe?) which effectively lowers the height of the barrier.

Then there are other bits of weirdness - the big curve at the end of the straight north of waikanae has wrbs protecting the railway embankment but only posts(appear to be plastic) in the ground between the north and southbound lanes. WTF?

[riffer]

Then there are other bits of weirdness - the big curve at the end of the straight north of waikanae has wrbs protecting the railway embankment but only posts(appear to be plastic) in the ground between the north and southbound lanes. WTF?

The plastic posts are a psychological experiment. They've done similar on Grays Road. It's used where a WRB or concrete barrier would actually cause a lot more danger if someone hit them. By using the psychological barrier it's supposed to keep you in your lane without causing you to fly off the road if you actually hit it.

[Ocean1]

The plastic posts are a psychological experiment.

Well documented traffic calming technique. Justification on Grays rd was the same used to lower the limit there to 60k; it's the highest fatality per K road in the country.

Personally I find myself anything but calmed by the thought that I'm being required to travel at half the road's safe speed in an attempt to prevent accidents occuring at twice the limit or more.

[riffer]

Personally I find myself anything but calmed by the thought that I'm being required to travel at half the road's safe speed in an attempt to prevent accidents occuring at twice the limit or more.

Yes, it always induces a wry smile in me as I see the 60km/hr sign. Takes me back to going around there with my Grandfather in his old HQ wagon, with him insisting the road wasn't safe in a car for over 40 miles an hour but he could top out his B31 quite safely on it.

Perhaps the old bugger wasn't so mad after all.

[BMWST?]

Well documented traffic calming technique. Justification on Grays rd was the same used to lower the limit there to 60k; it's the highest fatality per K road in the country.

Personally I find myself anything but calmed by the thought that I'm being required to travel at half the road's safe speed in an attempt to prevent accidents occuring at twice the limit or more.

they make me want to go the other side of them just cos i can