Cheese wire barrier - Upper Hutt

[ceebie13]

...what IS a cheese wire fence? I'm unsure of what one is, are they very common?

try this TT. All will become abundantly clear.

[Deano]

Rather have them rather than some retard crossing the centre line and taking me out.

What about when there is a better (safer) option ? And other countries who have learnt from experience are modifying them (plastic covers) or outlawing them altogether ?

It's not quite so black and white.

[inlinefour]

What about when there is a better (safer) option ? And other countries who have learnt from experience are modifying them (plastic covers) or outlawing them altogether ?

It's not quite so black and white.

But whats next? We ban standard farming fences next to all roads. I don't thing its anything new, apart from where they are installed...

[Pwalo]

Calm down folks. It really doesn't matter what your opinion is on these barriers. The fact is that they are there and you have to take care.

I can't see that it's different to riding along beside any other fence.

Yes it can be difficult when you start riding but the truth(?) is that we all have learn to recognise any potential hazards when we're riding. Oh and not crashing into cheese cutters is a good option.

[Deano]

But whats next? We ban standard farming fences next to all roads. I don't thing its anything new, apart from where they are installed...

Adding more hazards because some already exist is no good argument in my book.

I can't see that it's different to riding along beside any other fence.

They are a lot closer, .....you could get pushed into one by a car entering your lane........and....adding more hazards because some already exist is..blah blah...

BTW - I'm calmer than a calm thing

[Wenier]

If you look to each side of most (maybe all) rural roads you will see standard wire fences with strainer posts etc. These are possibly just as dangerous as the so called cheese grater fences. I'd rather have them and I expect them to be installed at more places throughout NZ. Rather have them rather than some retard crossing the centre line and taking me out.

Well Inlinefour, you might be use to having wire fences because you live in a more rural community than this person who raised the concern does. I mean they are tallking about wellington, theres not many farm fences until ya leave town.

[judecatmad]

judecatmad - was that you I stopped next to at the Maungaraki lights the other day about 5.30pm?

I've only ridden on Thursday of this week (hubby's bike needs a bit of work after the road trip at the weekend!) so if it wasn't Thursday then it wasn't me. I have a blue helmet and pretty much always have tank bag and green backpack.

Was amazed at the confidence I've got since our ride to Rotorua and back (hellish tho the experience was, LOL!). I even managed to do the corner at the centre of this thread at 80 which is unheard of for me due to the wiggles scored into the road and the cr@ppy GN250 factory front tyre!

[JKWNZ]

Read a study done in AUS on the effects of cheese cutters... the conclusion was that the savings from stopping vehicles crossing over the median meant installation could be justified financially... however saving the additional loss of motorcyclists lives given the limited number of offs didn't justify paying more for better barriers

...From the injury studies the forces on the body are higher from the impact with the post, not the wires... (farming post are less dense, the wires will snap and they are often further off the road! so the same argument doesn't apply)

The overseas studies believe that if the rider does not hit the barrier they will slide across and hit a lamp post etc (don't think that applies in NZ)

But my biggest peeve is that none of the reports talks about putting cheese cutters on both sides of the road as they are designed to stop traffic from crossing the median! So whats that nightmare on SH1 south of AKL with cutters on both sides?

I don't mind them in the median as someone said earlier, I'd like to think someone else is more likely to cross the median not me.

Given that they cheap I bet Transit will try and use cheese cutters to divide the toll lane on the Western too! hmmm concrete right... cheese cutters left...

[Beemer]

Courtesy of some dumb bitch who was both stoned and drunk and who drove along the wrong side of the road, killing at least one innocent motorist in the process.

[skelstar]

I've had the sh!t scared out of me on several occasions by cars trying to overtake me whilst going around that corner because I personally find it a bit daunting

JCM - theres no way that they should be able to overtake you. Are you in the centre/right of the lane?...apologies if I sound condescending but you should make sure that you 'occupy' the space you need...no half-gaps/chances for cars to think that you're letting them through.

[Ixion]

Farm fences is not a valiud comparison. Almost always there is a ditch or verge between the road and the fence. Moreover farm fence posts snap relatively easily (don't they Postie?) and the wires pull out with not much force.

The "ride top the conditions" retort is just a cop out. On that basis you would need to endorse people chucking lumps of rock at motorcyclists from overbridges. That could be addressed the same way - Concrete being chucked at you? Ride to the conditions and avoid it.

There is no logic that says people should not object to the unnecessary introduction of an extra hazard. Riding to the conditions means riding so as to deal with the hazards there unavoidably are, not supporting adding extras ones needlessly.

And while the "stopping vehicles crossing the centre line" has some merit (but only some) that cannot be used to support the use of cheese cutters on the left hand side. Or the examples on SH1 where there is a double line of cheesecutters with a nice median strip BETWEEN them.

[judecatmad]

JCM - theres no way that they should be able to overtake you. Are you in the centre/right of the lane?...apologies if I sound condescending but you should make sure that you 'occupy' the space you need...no half-gaps/chances for cars to think that you're letting them through.

Not condescending at all

No, you're right, they shouldn't....but one guy in particular actually went over the double yellows just after the bend to get around me. I guess I was a bit too far over to the left but he was scaring the bejesus out of me with the way he was driving.

I took his number and intended to report him but then I figured that I had been going over 100 all the way along River Road with him behind me (was on my L-plate at the time) and if he reported me for that I'd end up with a ticket.....so not worth it.

Just out of interest, as a newbie, if you're pootling along at the speed limit and cars are backed up behind you because they want to go faster, should you be pulling over to let them pass? Hubby's opinion is yes and so we pulled over a LOT on our recent road trip cos the ginnys can't do 110 or 120 very comfortably over a long distance. My opinion is no, if I'm doing the speed limit or marginally under then they can jolly well get past me when it's safe to. I'll move over for faster bikes to get past, but to let cars past involves me slowing down a whole lot and pulling right off the road. And pulling over every time someone wants to hoon past adds HEAPS of time to a long journey

I appreciate that most of the folks on here will ride much bigger, much faster bikes and so it won't ever be a consideration, but if you DID happen to be riding something as small and slow as a ginny on a long road trip, what would you do?

[Drum]

"Cheese cutters" as we affectionately call them are not solely for the median. They can, and are, also used on the near side of the road. In this case they are installed to stop errant vehicles striking more severe hazards (say a big tree that has a heritage order on it so cant be cut down), or plunging over a steep bank or into water etc.

The design parameters for the barriers specify the strike angle range, that is they are effective only at strike angles of around 30 degrees or less. Generally, the further the barrier is from the road, the greater the strike angle. This is why they are installed near to the live lanes, and also why there is one either side of the grass median on the southern motorway.

In regards to their "strength" compared to concrete barriers, there is a 5 point scale (1 has the lowest stopping power - 5 the highest). A w-section barrier (or armco as they seem to be known) are Test level 3. Concrete barriers (new jersey barriers) are either test level 4 or 5, depending on their height. A test level 4 or 5 barrier is designed to stop trucks. A test level 3 barrier is designed to stop cars.

And of course, compared to other barrier types, wire rope barriers are cheap.

[Ixion]

In my youff I spent much time on the open road on bikes as slow as , or slower than , a GN. I always reckoned that I'd rather have Impatient Percy in front of me than behind me, so I moved over whenever possible even if I was doing the legal limit. Providing that it was going to be of advantage to him.

Though i didn't think it unreasonable to wait 5 or 10 minutes until a convenient spot.

You don't usually need to slow down , let alone stop. You can usually do it by doing a little jink at the entrance to a side road (turn down and back in one motion), or just taking to the shoulder for a few metres. Farm entranceways are useful too. Signal, and give him a big "go past NOW" arm wave.

If I made an effort to move over and Percy didn't do his bit by seizing the opportunity smartish, well tough, he ahd his chance.

[skelstar]

JCM - I reckon unless you slow down heaps then I wouldnt bother. Pulling over while still at 100km/h just means thier overtaking manouvre is going to take too long, and just be dangerous as all hell.

No matter what, road users really should respect the cars/bikes that do the limit.

If they are too close then 'dab' the brakes and wave them back. Done that a couple of times and it has worked a treat.