South Island police target line crossers!

[Gareth123]

If you open a copy of The Press at the moment and take a look at the letters section you will find numerous people have written in moaning that the police are yet again screwing innocent drivers out of more money by taking pictures of cars who have crossed the center line on a particular corner through the Hundalees then radioing ahead to get that car pulled over.

While I can understand people's arguments in regards to line crossing or corner straightening while driving, I fail to see where this practice can be considered safe.

Time and time again, when I hear someone recounting an accident that has taken place, I hear the phrase “The guy just came out of nowhere!”
This demonstrates that each time we get into a car, we are not as attentive as we should be.
This could be due to a lack of sleep, drinking, driving for a long period of time, or even passengers that we are carrying in our vehicle.

You may cross the center line 100 times and never have an accident, this creates a habit. What happens when you're tired, you don't see a car coming and this habit kicks in?

I wholly support the efforts of the police in breaking the habits of drivers who do this. Perhaps this is because I spent 9 months recovering from a motorcycle accident where I “came out of nowhere” and two years on I'm still unable to do all the things I'd like to due to the results of the crash. The person who crossed the center line and caused my accident had 40 years of spotless driving behind him. 40 years of spotless driving? Or 40 years of forming a bad habit?


What do you guys think?

[sunhuntin]

there are two corners here in town where ive been close to being a hit a number of times due to line crossers. the last was a truck who looked fit to shit himself when he saw me and made a hurried readjustment of his line. and that happens every time i take that short stretch of road, no matter what direction im taking. about the only time i wished there was a cheese cutter.

i dont know about down south, but around wangas at least theyve put down rumble strips on both the left hand and center lines. brilliant idea!

[Spuds1234]

I agree with the first post. Crossing the centre line isnt a good thing to do, also who wants to straighten out a corner anyway, the corners are the fun bits.

[JimO]

there are some corners that are perfectly safe to cross the cr line on and some that arnt

[Blackbird]

Refer to post: http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...straightlining. It generated some fairly spirited discussion. The real key is when and where you straight line and after all, it's taught in the UK as an ADVANCED technique.

I still do it occasionally where I consider it appropriate BUT I'm doing it a whole lot less than I used to. This summer and autumn on the Coromandel Peninsula has been diabolical for cagers (and some bikers) for badly cutting blind corners. I know this is different from straightlining a sequence that you can see through but I'm increasingly staying well within my lane to avoid other pillocks. I'd prefer to die in bed than on the road.

[JimO]

Refer to post: [url]http: taught in the UK as an ADVANCED technique.

I'd prefer to die in bed than on the road.

hospital bed???

[LBD]

Crossing the center line is a bad habit....no argument there.

But at what point does a tight corner become a corner become a bend become a curve in the road become a straight?

And on tight bends with a long vehical, crossing the center line becomes inevitable....are the long trucks getting booked?

Some where I have seen solid white center lines...these should be used on corners where there is a risk in the same way yellow lines are used, and crossing this solid white line should be punishable. A general crossing of center line where there is good viz should not be punishable.

I have always thought the yellow no overtaking lines should be yellow no crossing the centerline ...lines

[fireliv]

If you cant stay between the 2 white lines on your side of the road then you shouldnt be driving. U are a hazard. I dont know how many times I have come round a corner on my bike and found a car half on my side of the road. Roads are more than big enough in most places that there is no reason for someone to be on the otherside of the line. Its not a race track, so you shouldnt need to be going too fast for the corner.+

People that cross the line make me very angry!!!

[Jantar]

....I have always thought the yellow no overtaking lines should be yellow no crossing the centerline ...lines

They are.

[LBD]

They are.

So why not use them on all blind corners and remove the ambiguity?

You in the 10 K?

[Gareth123]

Refer to post: http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...straightlining. It generated some fairly spirited discussion. The real key is when and where you straight line and after all, it's taught in the UK as an ADVANCED technique.

Damn it! I searched Line crossing and Corner straightening. Never thought of straightlining!

[Jantar]

They are generally used on blind corners. But there is another rule that says you must keep as far left as practical. This means staying on your own side of the road except when passing.

What is the 10 K?

[FJRider]

As I recall, the law requires you to stay to the left of the centreline, unless you are overtaking another vehicle.
Not any time you feel the need to... or feel it is safe for you to do so.

[Okey Dokey]

Vehicles crossing the centre line really annoy me. I always think "that person can't drive" It is a bad thing to do; people shouldn't be lazy and make a habit of it.

I agree if you can't stay on your own side of the road between the lines, then you shouldn't be driving.

[=cJ=]

Sure works well for half the unmarked country roads I play on...

Crossing the centreline should be fine, as long as you can see what's coming.