Round and round we go...

[bugjuice]

I wanna go on a huge round about when it's empty and go round and round til I get my knee down and get as low and comfortable doing it as poss.. but then you'll only be good at right handers!
Actually, not a bad idea.. must find a huge round about.. thing is, it's empty probably a) never, or b) late at night/early morning, so temps are down, so it's not as sticky..

[Biff]

I wanna go on a huge round about when it's empty and go round and round til I get my knee down and get as low and comfortable doing it as poss.. but then you'll only be good at right handers!
Actually, not a bad idea.. must find a huge round about.. thing is, it's empty probably a) never, or b) late at night/early morning, so temps are down, so it's not as sticky..

Nah - you need a small (ish) roundabout, tighter corners - far easier and you can do it at a nice slow (ish) speed first.

[jrandom]

They're all real roundabouts, and one I used to use quite regularly - scary stuff I tells ewe.

Ah, the infamous Magic Roundabout.

We like to use the the road data there to test routing algorithm behaviour. Great fun.

[Waylander]

I didn't know the limit for splitting in CA was that low.
Do the CHP enforce it, or do they tend to turn a blind eye to bikes splitting along a wee bit faster than 15?
I wouldn't even THINK about taking a job and moving over there without a bike to commute on, and I sure as hell wouldn't be sticking to 15mph.

The law is there in the first place because an air-cooled engine tends to melt if it doesn't have air moving around it. I don't think anybody enforces the speed though LAPD doesn't have a highway motorcycle unit I dont think. and if they did the bikes would be huge (ie the tv show CHiPs) so they wouldn't fit btween cars, But then you have to consider the fact that LA is full of pricks and some of them in cages will get upset if you move faster than them and either open doors or stick something out to hit you or knock you off your bike. So you generally stick at 15mph or below just for this reason. Ofcourse i may be wrong about this I have never ridden a bike on an LA freeway.

posted by vifferman
I have the same issue with it. On one of our cars, the auto-cancel doofer (technical term) will actually stop you putting the indicator on if the steering wheel is partly turned. (No - hang on; I think this is the car that our eldest wrote off, so scratch that.) But (BUT!) the Peugeots leave the indicator on until the wheel is at least completely straight again or turned the other way, which is great.

Yea till the damn thing quits working and you don't notice your indicator on for the last 2 k's. Had that happen to me in the Corona cage once.....

[Biff]

the the road data there to test routing algorithm behaviour.

Softsoftware glglitch, rebooboot.

[jrandom]

... LA is full of pricks and some of them in cages will get upset if you move faster than them and either open doors or stick something out to hit you or knock you off your bike.

Anyone ever tries that stunt on me, they'd better hope I'm not subsequently capable of standing up, or they and their motor vehicle will be well munted very shortly thereafter.

[jrandom]

Softsoftware glglitch, rebooboot.

No, that's what we call a 'wetware' glitch.

[Waylander]

Anyone ever tries that stunt on me, they'd better hope I'm not subsequently capable of standing up, or they and their motor vehicle will be well munted very shortly thereafter.

As if they would care, but just imagine what a guy who has nothing to do all day but work out at the gym becouse he has to be fit for some movie or TV part with a nice ride would do to somebody who did something to screw his bike over, and yet that doesn't even stop the pricks. Then you get the gangstar (spelt that way on purpose) with thier 9mil pistols riding down between the traffic and some rich nut in his $90,000 car gets upset cause you can move freely. Yes this stuff does happen and still nothing stops them from doing something becouse they dont like being passed. Road rage,simple fact of life over there.

[jrandom]

Yes this stuff does happen and still nothing stops them from doing something becouse they dont like being passed. Road rage,simple fact of life over there.

True dat. Merkins are mostly insane, as far as I can tell.

[Milky]

The only issue realy is the people going straight. They should be indicating left as they intend exiting the roundabout. Andy Knackersack is saying they should indicate right as they enter and then left as they exit. Its better than what we have now with most people not indicating at all and just hoping that the intuition of other road users will see them right.

If this is correct, the advertisement in the Herald contradicts things by saying that you indicate left before the exit you want, and also according to the direction you are planning on taking (ie you indicate right for a right turn on entry to the roundabout, left after the 12o'clock position) I thought that this was EXACTLY the same as the previous rule...

...you have always had to indicate left when exciting a roundabout..

Now that would be a rule that isn't commonly seen... How could an Officer Of The Law™ correctly judge the emotional state of a certain roundabout? methinks they need a pay rise if it is to become more heavily enforced

[blownae92]

I think the most interesting thing to come out of the revised rules is the use of the bus lane as per the ltsa website
ALL Bus Lanes can be used unless so specifically stated.
see attached link
http://www.landtransport.govt.nz/roa...s.html#special

[dangerous]

if someones on waiting to cross the road at a zebra crossing you STOP. no matter what side they are on!

Sorry but I beg too differ (unless this rull has changed in the last 20yrs) I..... remember the very 1st time I was pulled by the fuzz, I was on my 2nd bike a seventy something CB125..... now I was on my way to work and I dident give way to a pedestrian and I never saw them or the copper that took chase.... rocked up ar work got off span around and ther he was, the hole bloody building site gave up a big "now ya dun it" anyway the cop said that "you must giveway to a pedestrian on your side of the rd"
And ya know what? I never got a ticket either...... the Gvt hadent relised that the cop's could gather revanue back then... gezzz they were dumb aye

[crashe]

The way I understand it is that for a Pedestrian crossing, you give way to the pedestrian's on your side of the road that you are on.

If the Pedestrian's are on the other side of the road still on the footpath or on the other side of the middle of the road then you dont have to stop.

But I open to be corrected on this.

[crashe]

Pedestrian (zebra) and school (kea) crossing points
What does the rule say motorists have to do at pedestrian (zebra) crossings?
Under the Road User Rule, motorists must now give way to pedestrians on both sides of a pedestrian crossing, unless that crossing is divided by a raised traffic island.

What does the rule say pedestrians must do at pedestrian crossings?
The rule says that pedestrians must not step out onto a crossing unless approaching vehicles are far enough away to be able to stop safely.

What’s the change?
Previously motorists had to give way to pedestrians on both sides of a crossing if the crossing was not divided by a centre-line marking. However, if a crossing was divided by a centre-line marking, motorists only had to give way to pedestrians on their side of the crossing.

Why has this change been made?
About 10 percent of the pedestrians killed or injured in crashes over the last five years have been hit by a vehicle on or near a pedestrian crossing. Feedback from the Police and councils indicates drivers and pedestrians are often unable to see where the centre-line is, particularly when it’s dark or raining. This makes it more difficult to judge when a pedestrian is on the driver’s side of the road.

How do I know whether a crossing is divided by a raised traffic island?
A raised traffic island is required by the Traffic Control Devices Rule to have reflectorised traffic signs sufficient to guide drivers around the traffic island.

There are no mandatory specifications for a raised traffic island but there are standard traffic engineering guidelines.

How do we go about getting a traffic island installed on our local crossing?
If you believe that a pedestrian crossing in your area should be divided by a traffic island or pedestrian refuge, you will need to discuss this with your local council.

What about very wide crossings – how can motorists see across to the other side?
Under the Traffic Control Devices Rule, any pedestrian crossing of more than 15 metres is required to have traffic signals installed, or to be separated into two crossings by a raised traffic island.

What if a pedestrian runs out in front of me?
The rule states that pedestrians should not step out onto a crossing unless approaching vehicles are far enough away to be able to stop safely. However, you need to slow down when approaching a pedestrian crossing and be prepared to stop suddenly for pedestrians (particularly children) who might dart out onto the crossing.

Doesn’t this add to traffic congestion by slowing down motorists needlessly?
The safety of other road users is worth the slight delay caused by stopping for a pedestrian who is not on your side of the road. At roads where congestion is identified as an issue, roading authorities may consider installing raised traffic islands or traffic signals to prevent unnecessary delays.

What about pedestrian crossings controlled by traffic lights? Do motorists need to give way to pedestrians if they’re crossing against the lights, eg when the ‘green man’ isn’t showing? What if a pedestrian is crossing near the crossing but not on it?
Legally, a pedestrian must obey pedestrian signals at traffic lights. However, you should always be prepared to stop for pedestrians (particularly children) who might dart out onto the crossing. Likewise, you should look out for pedestrians who might cross near, but not on, the crossing itself.

What’s the difference between a pedestrian crossing and a courtesy crossing?
A courtesy crossing is usually made of bricks and paving and is designed to provide a safe place for motorists to stop to let pedestrians across the road safely. However, a courtesy crossing is not an official pedestrian crossing and pedestrians should take care when using one, as motorists are not legally obliged to stop.

Can I ride a bike across a pedestrian crossing?
No, if you’re riding a bike, you are subject to the rules applying to vehicles, not pedestrians. If you wish to cross on a pedestrian crossing you must dismount and wheel your bike across the crossing before continuing your ride.

What does the Road User Rule say about passing vehicles which have stopped at pedestrian (zebra) crossings and school (kea) crossing points?
Motorists must not pass vehicles that have stopped at pedestrian crossings or school crossing points.

Vehicles blocking pedestrian crossings
What does the Road User Rule say about blocking pedestrian crossings?
The rule says a driver cannot enter a pedestrian crossing area if the way ahead is blocked by stationary traffic. In other words, if there isn’t enough room for your car to get clear of a pedestrian crossing on the other side of an intersection, you should wait until there is room. Otherwise, you will block the pedestrian crossing and endanger pedestrians trying to cross the road.

How do I report a car that is blocking a pedestrian crossing?
You can report anyone breaking traffic laws to the Police either by dialling *555 on your mobile phone or contacting your local police station directly.

Other pedestrian issues
In a shared zone (eg an area with no footpath which is shared by cars and pedestrians), who gives way? What about bikes and pedestrians?
The rule says a driver of a vehicle must give way to a pedestrian within a shared zone. Vehicles include cyclists, so cyclists must also give way to pedestrians in a shared zone.

What are pedestrians’ responsibilities in shared zones?
The rule says a pedestrian in a shared zone must not ‘unduly impede’ the passage of any vehicle in a shared zone. This means that they should not deliberately block the path of an approaching vehicle.

[crashe]

What are pedestrians’ responsibilities in shared zones?
The rule says a pedestrian in a shared zone must not ‘unduly impede’ the passage of any vehicle in a shared zone. This means that they should not deliberately block the path of an approaching vehicle.