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Thread: Flush Medians

  1. #1
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    Flush Medians

    I often notice people that are turning right not using a Flush Median prior to the turn area where the little box and arrow is. It is expected that you do use these but only from about 30 to 40 metres from the intersection...you cannot use as a travel lane, you cannot use to overtake a moving vehicle unless it is a pushbike but you can overtake a stationery vehicle. It is expected you indicate out and back in again especially when doing a licence test. Imigrants from some countries struggle with this rule as in their own countries you must stay away from hatched areas. Saw some old comments on hints to pass Restricted or Full Tests and one thing that was missed was the requirement to perform Head Checks or what ever you call them, Blind Spot or Shoulder checks...all same thing but very important in any merging situation.... I am definitely getting cabin fever but do use bike to go to shops chemist etc...a bit of wind is better than no wind unless you are breaking wind in a small room....LOL
    Fingers crossed we will be back out there soon....If its good enough for David Dipshit from Health Ministry to ride his mountain bike off road should be OK for us....but then we are not as important as he thinks he is

  2. #2
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    2nd March 2018 - 15:32
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    I have had a couple of moments using flush medians to turn right into a driveway when someone coming the other moved onto the median. Also had an accident a few years ago when I was passing a line of stationary traffic to turn right and a car pulled out of a driveway through a gap in the cars straight into my car. Very pleased I wasn't on the bike that day!

    I am very careful using them even when right turn lanes are marked.

  3. #3
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    Interesting to note that in many countries of the world it's actually illegal to drive on painted medians.

    Quite a few Brits I know don't use them, even when it's legal to do so here.

    I know the rules inside out, but I still favor caution over using them, if the risk outweighs the reward.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by rastuscat View Post
    Interesting to note that in many countries of the world it's actually illegal to drive on painted medians.

    Quite a few Brits I know don't use them, even when it's legal to do so here.

    I know the rules inside out, but I still favor caution over using them, if the risk outweighs the reward.
    That's curious Rastus as in the UK Highway Code you can use medians provided it is 'Safe and necessary' though they must have a broken border line if memory serves. They are often used in the UK providing you don't take liberties when doing so.

    The best NZ example I can think of is Lake Road heading out of Devonport which has medians along much of it. I've been guilty of using the median area to overtake slow/er moving traffic (Of which there's normally plenty) when on two wheels. Having said that if there's a gap in the traffic for no obvious reason then I exercise caution. I had a colleague knocked off his E-bike along there when a car pulled out to cross the road - The gap had been left by a car in the queue...

  5. #5
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    Is that what those marks on the road are for? Damn...I always thought a "flush median" was something to do with the amount of water released by a toilet cistern.
    Could explain a lot.
    . “No pleasure is worth giving up for two more years in a rest home.” Kingsley Amis

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Navy Boy View Post
    That's curious Rastus as in the UK Highway Code you can use medians provided it is 'Safe and necessary' though they must have a broken border line if memory serves. They are often used in the UK providing you don't take liberties when doing so.

    The best NZ example I can think of is Lake Road heading out of Devonport which has medians along much of it. I've been guilty of using the median area to overtake slow/er moving traffic (Of which there's normally plenty) when on two wheels. Having said that if there's a gap in the traffic for no obvious reason then I exercise caution. I had a colleague knocked off his E-bike along there when a car pulled out to cross the road - The gap had been left by a car in the queue...
    If there's a gap in a queue of cars, there is almost always a reason.

    It's normally Derek Decent Bloke waving his hand to someone that it's okay to pull into or out of a driveway.

    With little regard for someone coming down the outside or inside of the queue he is in.

  7. #7
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    Part of the risk is that Derek Decent Bloke is focused on someone waiting to emerge from a road or driveway in front to his left. Derek's hoping Puller-Outer gets the message that he is being Decent to him. He might wave, or flash his headlights.

    There's a fair chance Derek did not properly study his mirrors for bikes passing the traffic stacked up behind him in the second or two before he decided to slow and leave a gap for Puller-Outer - and/or that the bike/s were hidden behind in the line of traffic and only pulled out into view when Derek slowed. Even if by some miracle Derek does re-check his mirrors and sees the danger, once Pulller-Outer starts moving forwards, he's already partially committed to his turn and is no longer communicating with Derek.

    At that point Derek can't readily tell Puller-Outer to STOP!!!

    Meanwhile, having seen Derek's message, there's a fair chance Puller-Outer either assumes Derek has checked the road is clear for him, or simply doesn't think about that. He can probably see some of the road to his left but Puller-Outer's view to his right is restricted by Derek and the stack of traffic building up behind. On top of that, he feels compelled to get a move on because Derek has been so Decent to wait for him.

    At the same time, Biker Babe is frustrated at the slow moving traffic and keen to take advantage of the opportunity to pass a load of cagers on her mechanised pony. Unfortunately, Biker Babe's view of Puller Outer is obscured by Derek until the fateful final few milliseconds.

    Nasty combination.

  8. #8
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    In my case, Puller Outer was so focused on the traffic coming from her left that she did not even look right before crossing the median.

    She subsequently changed her story to the insurance company, but it was obvious from both statements what had happened.

    I have since become more careful using flush medians, especially on the bike.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by SaferRides View Post
    In my case, Puller Outer was so focused on the traffic coming from her left that she did not even look right before crossing the median.

    She subsequently changed her story to the insurance company, but it was obvious from both statements what had happened.

    I have since become more careful using flush medians, especially on the bike.
    Unfortunate to learn that way, but it's always sage to be more careful when the delta (speed differential) is higher than walking pace.

    It's the delta that is the issue. Flying down a bus lane at 50 kmh when the traffic in the lane on your right is stationary is madness. Same with lane splitting. The delta between the traffic flow and your own speed makes a huge difference. Land splitting at greater than 15-20 kmh fastern than the traffic flow just leaves so little margin to account for other peoples errors.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by rastuscat View Post
    Unfortunate to learn that way, but it's always sage to be more careful when the delta (speed differential) is higher than walking pace.

    It's the delta that is the issue. Flying down a bus lane at 50 kmh when the traffic in the lane on your right is stationary is madness. Same with lane splitting. The delta between the traffic flow and your own speed makes a huge difference. Land splitting at greater than 15-20 kmh fastern than the traffic flow just leaves so little margin to account for other peoples errors.
    I had slowed down to turn right, maybe 15-20 km/h? The other driver actually hit my car on the side - she simply did not look right before pulling onto the median.

    I had another situation recently where a vehicle coming towards me started to move onto the median at the same time as I did. We were both travelling slowly enough to avoid any drama.

    I am very careful using them now.

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