Those cheesecutter/wire median barriers

[spudchucka]

The section of road in question, the centenial highway on the kapiti coast, has the cheese cutter down the centre line only. There is only one lane in either direction and there isn't a cheese cutter on the left hand side of either lane.

I'm not saying that these things are the bees knees in barriers, they certainly wouldn't be the best choice in all circumstances but on this section of highway I think they work very well.

The road is narrow with sheer cliffs on one side and the sea on the other. There isn't the room to install a concrete barrier as it would narrow the lanes even more and unless they cut away huge sections of the cliff there aint no room to make the road any wider.

It seems to me that the cheese cutter on this section of road has solved a serious problem and hasn't created any new ones, (so far).

[Ixion]

EEK. and even Eeeeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkk.

A cheescutter on a two lane road!

I've only seen them on multilane roads. That would seriously freak me.

Please tell me there are no left hand bends on that road.

Am I the only one who questions the use of a dangerous engineering expedient to overcome a problem that is caused solely by the incompetance and stupidity of dreivers, and the reluctance of the police to clamp down on that behaviour?

(Must be a fun road now if you get stuck behind a stock truck at 30kph )

[Lou Girardin]

WINJA, (quite incredibly) is totally correct, the benefit to all road users in that the barrier effectively prevents cars from crossing the centre line and wiping out innocents is greater than the potential increased risk to motorcyclists, (who have a responsibility to stay upright in the first place).

C'mon spud, you're saying that we are responsible for the actions of any cage bound moron who "didn't see ya mate".
Are you setting up for a job at Transhit when you perf?

[Wolf]

EEK. and even Eeeeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkk.

A cheescutter on a two lane road!

I've only seen them on multilane roads. That would seriously freak me.

So you haven't been down Rangiriri/Te Kauwhata way - I'm sure part of that cheese cutter alley is only one lane wide in each direction.

[Edbear]

So you haven't been down Rangiriri/Te Kauwhata way - I'm sure part of that cheese cutter alley is only one lane wide in each direction.

Last rode that section at night in the wet, was VERY nervous! Not a pleasant experience.

[Headbanger]

Whomever gave the go-ahead for the placement of wire saftey barries deserves to be shot, Their job is not to make the road a more dangerous place.

Granted median barriers are required, Many such systems can be used just as effictivly without resorting to a system that creates a dangerous hazard for road users ( I wouldn't put a Barb-wire fence around my swimming pool for example, Sure it would work, but the kids would soon come to consider me an outright bastard )

My main concern though is the placement of barriers on the side of the road, removing all run off areas, making a survivable incident a garenteed death trap. I see the route from Wanganui to Turakina has already been mentioned, The latest move on the powers that be is to build a solid dirt embankment at the top of one of the hills, again instead of a good chance to scrub off speed and find a softer landing you are intsead faced with a sudden impact, death is likely, massive injuries are garenteed.

Perhaps if they didn't spend money on making the road a more dangerous place then they could have spent the money on more expensive median barriers and left the run off areas as they were. Having said that, with the billion dollar surplus and the billions generated from road users every year their is no excuse for what imo amounts to a criminal act.

And whats the dream about "just pull your head in and you'll be right", You don't need to be speeding to be in a situation where evasive action is required, apart from the obvios hazard of wandering cars has anyone here not had a front wheel blow out while going around a corner?

Even if it happens one single time in NZ (and it will happen)and someone dies not because of the initial incident but because of the placement of a "saftey barrier" then there should be no debate, heads should roll, the desicion maker should go to jail.

And just stay off the roads that have them?

Is it not bad enough that everything gets regulated to hell and back?, now people are willing to be manipulated off the public roads by an incompetent Transit NZ?

Have some backbone. If your for the idea of cheese-cutters on our roads then do the right thing, ride between em and share the risk that has been forced on all of us.

[XP@]

EEK. and even Eeeeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkk.

A cheescutter on a two lane road!

I've only seen them on multilane roads. That would seriously freak me.

Please tell me there are no left hand bends on that road.

It is, how should I put it, "un-nerving" to ride. But you are careful around there. The bends ain't to severe, but the road gets narrow. and the build up of gravel next to the barrier... well put it this way you don't want to get too close.

If you are heading towards the Hutt valley over the Haywards Hill you are in for an even bigger treat. One lane, down hill, left hander with cheesecutter. A minor slip here and you are f'ing dead mate.

Yes, admittedly the barrier stops cars and possibly trucks with an unparallelled efficiency to dollar value. But here, I would prefer to take my chances against the on-coming traffic.

There must be a way to make these things safer... how about a semi flexible plastic cover that slips over the top of the barrier. it would maybe allow us to use the benefits of the barrier instead of being cut up by them.

Oh, and if I ever fall off and get cut up and killed by a cheese-slicer then please deliver me to the steps of parliamnent as-is. I would want them to see what they have done.

[sAsLEX]

The section of road in question, the centenial highway on the kapiti coast, has the cheese cutter down the centre line only. There is only one lane in either direction and there isn't a cheese cutter on the left hand side of either lane.

my reference to the cutter on the left is the ew Waikato Expressway or whatever it is called.

It has that shit everywhere!

[sAsLEX]

There must be a way to make these things safer... how about a semi flexible plastic cover that slips over the top of the barrier. it would maybe allow us to use the benefits of the barrier instead of being cut up by them.

yip that would work, not cost much, as heavier things such as trucks cars and bikes would plow through the platic where as lighter softer humans would hopefully bounce and skid off it.

Now all we need is a Mech Engineer at uni to do a study on it! Gareth_D?

[marty]

all these people's opinions who have not had 1st hand experience with cars crossing the centreline are interesting, as is the premise that whoever designed these cheesecutters should be shot.

once upon a time, not too long ago, i remember attending 19 deaths in a 30 day period. all of them due to head on crashes. all of them on sh1 north of huntly. none of them would have happened if the cheese cutters were there.

and if anyone needs shooting, it's the guy who decided (prior to the roadworks/cheesecutters) that painting a 12" wide yellow line down the centre of sh1 at meremere while retaining a 12 foot wide hard shoulder, would be an effective way of reducing head on crashes.

i drive cheesecutter alley 2 or 3 times a week - and apart from being slow if stuck behind traffic, i'd rather be dodging/keeping away from them, than having to be worried that the idiot passing someone coming towards me is not going to get back into their lane in time.

[Headbanger]

all these people's opinions who have not had 1st hand experience with cars crossing the centreline are interesting, as is the premise that whoever designed these cheesecutters should be shot.

Please try not to take one point out of an entire post and present it out of context. I never said that median barriers as a concept are an issue, There are multiple designs that would work fine.

And my main point was and is that cutting off run off areas on the side of the road makes an incident more dangerous.

Nor did I mention the designers of the cheesecutters.

[Shadows]

If you are heading towards the Hutt valley over the Haywards Hill you are in for an even bigger treat. One lane, down hill, left hander with cheesecutter. A minor slip here and you are f'ing dead mate.

You forgot to mention that after all the "safety improvements" that particular corner is still one of the worst off-camber corners in the world.
Perfect for funnelling you into the cheese cutter, in case you thought you were safe.

[sAsLEX]

once upon a time, not too long ago, i remember attending 19 deaths in a 30 day period. all of them due to head on crashes. all of them on sh1 north of huntly. none of them would have happened if the cheese cutters were there.

how many happened on the Auckland MW system in the same time with its barriers?

No one is against the seperation of traffic just the method being used in this case, and its idiotic application on the shoulder as well as the centre line!

[scumdog]

How many cheesecutters down there in the Riviera, hard man?

None - the council decided there was no ned for them - or the ice-block stick scyscraper and the giant magnifying glass!

But I have seen 'em when I was up in Capitol City once.

[sAsLEX]

But I have seen 'em when I was up in Capitol City once.

Russel ?