Crash reduction study - bus lanes are a minefield

**rastuscat** · 23rd October 2019, 07:05

I'm on a road safety engineering workshop this week, and part of that is a crash reduction study.

We were given a short corridor to investigate, a short piece of Great South Road in Penrose. 1 major intersection, 3 minor intersections.

The greatest crash cause, consistently, is the way people turn across the bus lane when entering and leaving GSR. They are colliding with vehicles travelling in the bus lane.

Notably, of the 12 injury crashes in the 5 year period we looked at, 5 involved a motorcyclist, and 2 involved a cyclist.

Travelling in bus lanes is legal for motorcyclists, but it is simply one of the most hazardous things we can legally do. People just don't look for us travelling down the outside of traffic, whether we are in a bus lane, a cycle lane (illegally), or legally overtaking stationary vehicles on the left.

I can almost see the need for a public information campaign on this. But because nobody ever thinks it'll happen to them, I feel that the message would be lost.

The sad thing is, even before the site visit yesterday, I could have told you what the causes were likely to be. It's just that predictable.

So why don't we prevent it?

**Scuba_Steve** · 23rd October 2019, 07:50

Not saying we can't do more to avoid the crashes but isn't putting us in charge of preventing it a bit like the "if she hadn't been wearing that she wouldn't have got raped".

**HEsch** · 23rd October 2019, 08:08

This is part of the project I'm currently working on, though we aren't on that area/road. Interesting feedback... Wonder if (or how) it has been captured in 'our' data.

**Mike.Gayner** · 23rd October 2019, 08:24

Originally Posted by Scuba_Steve

Not saying we can't do more to avoid the crashes but isn't putting us in charge of preventing it a bit like the "if she hadn't been wearing that she wouldn't have got raped".

No, that's completely ridiculous. It honestly boggles the mind that people have thoughts like that.

There is no malice intended by people who cause these accidents. Stupidity maybe, but no one is deliberately causing an accident. So given that WE KNOW that people will pull into these lanes without looking, wouldn't it be smart of us to avoid riding in those lanes?

**rastuscat** · 23rd October 2019, 08:58

Originally Posted by Scuba_Steve

Not saying we can't do more to avoid the crashes but isn't putting us in charge of preventing it a bit like the "if she hadn't been wearing that she wouldn't have got raped".

It's a mindset. It's kind of victim blaming.

But if we take a preventive mindset, as a motorcyclist, Im interested in doing what I can do to reduce my risk of becoming someone else's victim.

Blame doesnt change the outcome after it has happened. Seeing the opportunity to prevent something is what counts.

**rastuscat** · 23rd October 2019, 09:13

Originally Posted by HEsch

This is part of the project I'm currently working on, though we aren't on that area/road. Interesting feedback... Wonder if (or how) it has been captured in 'our' data.

I've pm'd you.

**Jeff Sichoe** · 23rd October 2019, 10:36

so you're saying if we invested in roads in general rather than focusing on specific users then the traffic might flow better and be safer for all?

sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeit

**Scuba_Steve** · 23rd October 2019, 10:49

Originally Posted by Mike.Gayner

No, that's completely ridiculous. It honestly boggles the mind that people have thoughts like that.

There is no malice intended by people who cause these accidents. Stupidity maybe, but no one is deliberately causing an accident. So given that WE KNOW that people will pull into these lanes without looking, wouldn't it be smart of us to avoid riding in those lanes?

Is it so ridiculous? Shouldn't we be working on the driving standard rather than accommodating for it?
Shouldn't we work on stopping the rape rather than accommodating for it?

I'm not saying we shouldn't take some protections when riding; just like walking round with ya tits out & a sign saying "enter here" probably isn't a good idea, but we need to get people looking, seeing, acknowledging, driving not just steering otherwise while it maynot be us they hit there's still plenty of kids, skateboards, scooters, granny scooters, pedestrians, etc etc that they could hit

Start with the problem the symptom will fix itself

**babysteps** · 23rd October 2019, 11:25

32 years ago I passed my driver's license in Auckland as a 15 year old. I turned up for the test with a 6pack of lion red cans in the front seat. The inspector was impressed and said "that will be a pass then". We drove 5 minutes around the block and I had a shiny new car license!

I've never had to resit my license or have any other training since. That's why kiwis are shit at driving.

We should have to resit every 10 years when we renew our license.

Imagine how quickly the driving standard would increase when Johnny Ute Driver is catching the bus to work Monday because he failed.

**pritch** · 23rd October 2019, 11:45

Originally Posted by babysteps

32 years ago I passed my driver's license in Auckland as a 15 year old. I turned up for the test with a 6pack of lion red cans in the front seat. The inspector was impressed and said "that will be a pass then". We drove 5 minutes around the block and I had a shiny new car license!

Very creative. I don't even remember my NZ car licence test so it must have been uneventful. The others I can remember though, they were more memorable.