Nearly got T-Boned this morning!!!!!!!

**Fub@r** · 14th November 2007, 09:27

Got off at the Nelson Street offramp this morning, filtered to the front of the queue as you do. Was sitting there having a quick chat to Maverick.

Anyway lights change and I did my usual and waited for the red light runners to go through, then started across the intersection. Then in the corner of my eye I saw a bloody silver car coming at me. Hit the brakes and this snot nosed little 16-17 yr old plows through the intersection in an Audi stationwagon.

Didn't get the rego as avoiding the accident and making sure noone rear ended me was the priority.

Just goes to show when riding in Auckland check that the other traffic is stopping for the red before you head off on your green

**judecatmad** · 14th November 2007, 09:33

Thank god you DID see it - well done!

Safe ride home tonight

**Gremlin** · 14th November 2007, 09:35

Originally Posted by Fub@r

check that the other traffic is stopping for the red

You're joking yeh? I've had ones where it goes green for us, and 3-4 cars enter and exit the intersection. Its ridiculous.

Just been an article in the Howick and Pakuranga Times, front page, about the cops FINALLY cracking down on them (and also making all officers trained in laser, and equipping the guns to all cars) but its sooooo overdue.

Had a thought last night that having a video camera hooked up to the bike wouldn't be a bad thing, as you could tape it all... and there would be no comeback (that could even include the bad cops lying about how they didn't break the law in catching you or attempting to run you off the road).

**Blue Velvet** · 14th November 2007, 09:38

Originally Posted by Fub@r

...check that the other traffic is stopping for the red before you head off on your green

+1

Very wise.

**BarBender** · 14th November 2007, 09:41

Originally Posted by Blue Velvet

+1 Very wise.

Make that two of us.
Very, very wise.

Glad you came out of it OK.
See and hear about red light runners hitting bikes in the city a bit too much for my liking

**Fub@r** · 14th November 2007, 10:09

I've always waited a second or two before heading off on a green after an incident I had when I was 16 on the old Collision Crossroads in the Bombay Hills. Was notorious for people not stopping for the lights on SH1 through inattention etc.

Was at the lights in my Mini (

) heading from Bombay to Pukekohe. Lights changed and I hesitated, was about to move off when a fully laden logging truck went flying through at 100kph.

Since then I always look before moving

**steveb64** · 14th November 2007, 10:23

Originally Posted by Fub@r

Got off at the Nelson Street offramp this morning, filtered to the front of the queue as you do. Was sitting there having a quick chat to Maverick.

Anyway lights change and I did my usual and waited for the red light runners to go through, then started across the intersection. Then in the corner of my eye I saw a bloody silver car coming at me. Hit the brakes and this snot nosed little 16-17 yr old plows through the intersection in an Audi stationwagon.

Didn't get the rego as avoiding the accident and making sure noone rear ended me was the priority.

Just goes to show when riding in Auckland check that the other traffic is stopping for the red before you head off on your green

Glad you missed them!

After riding in the UK - I always thought their traffic light system was MUCH better - to stop, lights go Green, Amber, Red - then to go - Red, Amber, Green! With an overlap, so Green happens AFTER the crossing traffic gets Red (possibly ALL lights are Red, before Green sequence starts?). If I've got this too wrong - please correct me UK KB'ers. And they seemed to use more red-light cameras too. Was one of the things I noticed about riding/driving in the UK - a LOT less vehicles running lights.

**Mikkel** · 14th November 2007, 10:27

Yeah ignoring the red light is rife alright!

They don't just need to start enforcing it - they need to change the penalty. At the moment you don't get any demerit points for running the reds. I reckon 50 would be suitable - it's very dangerous, the lights are an authority you need to be able to trust and frankly there is no excuse...

**sprag** · 14th November 2007, 11:14

people driving up to them at 80k's in a 50k zone and then turning (right hand turn) on a red light even if they are meters back when it turns red,

I tend to find its 4WD (men) or boy racers,

**xwhatsit** · 14th November 2007, 11:24

Originally Posted by steveb64

Glad you missed them!

After riding in the UK - I always thought their traffic light system was MUCH better - to stop, lights go Green, Amber, Red - then to go - Red, Amber, Green! With an overlap, so Green happens AFTER the crossing traffic gets Red (possibly ALL lights are Red, before Green sequence starts?). If I've got this too wrong - please correct me UK KB'ers. And they seemed to use more red-light cameras too. Was one of the things I noticed about riding/driving in the UK - a LOT less vehicles running lights.

We have a waiting period between when the lights go red and when yours go green too (i.e. all the lights in the intersection are red); but I don't think it's very long.

I always tend to watch for when the other traffic wots got the green changes to orange; then I do my little hoppy-foot thing and stick the bike in gear ready to head off. I suppose if they did the Red-Orange-Green thing here too I'd already be prepared.

However I've got a bad habit of zooming off really fast as soon as it turns green, especially on quieter intersections. I'll be more careful and check very closely from now on.

**Fub@r** · 14th November 2007, 11:29

The main intersections I'm most cautious at is the Nelson and Hobson Street Motorway off and on ramp area. Every morning when your light goes green at the Nelson Street one there would be a minimum of 2-3 cars running the red there, hence why I was careful there this morning

The cops setup stings here from time to time because it is so bad. But they are usually targetting people coming off the Nelson St offramp. But the main problem is the traffic crossing this intesection to either get on the motorway or going towards Pitt Street

Another problem one is the Halsey and Fanshawe Street intersection

**BarBender** · 14th November 2007, 11:53

Originally Posted by Fub@r

The main intersections I'm most cautious at is the Nelson and Hobson Street Motorway off and on ramp area.
Another problem one is the Halsey and Fanshawe Street intersection

Add the right turn coming down the hill off Mt Albert Rd and onto Hillsborough Rd AND the right turn off New North Rd and onto St Lukes Rd heading out towards Western Springs.

**SPman** · 14th November 2007, 12:07

Seems nothing has changed on the Hobson St on ramp. My brother got cleaned up there in 1978!
Luckily, he hesitated before moving off, so the 3 drunken Tauranga businessmen just took the front of the car!
These days, I always check before moving off.

**turtleman** · 14th November 2007, 12:21

Is this a fairly localised thing ? I've only lived here in akld for a couple of years, and have noticed a dramatically higher incidence of red-light runners than in wellington, where I came from. It does happen there too, but not even remotely as much !

I certainly take the approach of checking that the red-light runners have done their dash before I enter an intersection.....

**The Pastor** · 14th November 2007, 12:25

what do you guys think about not having red arrows? more like just having giveway signs?

Too much time im wanting to turn and I cant because of the red arrow, when it would be safe and faster to simply have a give way.