Road rule questioned

Press, 24 June 1978, Page 2

Road rule questioned

A recent article in “The: (Press” (June 21), on turning!; at uncontrolled intersections,!; i entitled “Nev/ road rule isi< still troubling city drivers,”[ i has caused comment from < j several readers. These were;; referred to Mr E. E. Dunlop, J I Christchurch’s chief senior 1 ' ; traffic officer. ij Mr Dunlop did not think [i (the assertion of a corres-is pondent, Mr G. Lyon, that]’ the new rule “generally in-: creases danger and uncer-j tainty at intersections” to be: < correct. “If people familiar-(i ise themselves with the rule, (i it will undoubtedly work;’ well,” he said. ’ 1 Commenting on the samel letter, Mr R. Gibson, a traf-jf fic engineering officer, said: "The danger at intersections I i can be minimised by twolr things — getting well overs

to the left or right before turning in those directions,! and signalling clearly sev-l eral seconds before acting.” i A letter from Mr R.i Chadwick has a plea for' cyclists at city intersections.: He writes, “If you really! want to get a peep at the ; problems, try cycling a fewji miles twice a day in the! suburbs. If you survive-; you’ll hav; learned a lot.” Mr Dunlop says he has a(i great deal of sympathy fori city cyclists, and thinks that!, the future will see the cycl-ji ists ruling the roads by I “sheer weight of numbers.” ;i But he says that many ofp them “push their luck” tooil far. (i “They don’t seem to real-; ise they are extremely vul-il nerable in heavy traffic.” he’< said. <

Mr D. W. Swift, wrote! ■ that there are two factors;, i which could cause indecision; i in motorists using the new i (rule at uncontrolled inter-; I sections. j The first is one that sev-[ (eral correspondents mention,ii and describes the possible; (confusion created by trafficj ! going straight through be- j (side a left-turning car giving ( ( way to a right-turning car,;; opposite. Ji And second, where two; cars are at right-angles to!; each other, and the one thatl; ihas right of way is con- i trolled by a give-way or J stop sign that is obscured[’ by darkness or weather from J the other. [; On the first point, Mr i Dunlop says that a cautious ‘ driver looks in his rear-vi- I sion mirror constantly, and t

(“knows everything that is [going on near the car.” j Mr Gibson says, “Under [the old rule many situations [were left open to mis- ( interpretation. Now every ! possible situation has been ■ covered.” On obscured give-: ;way and stop signs, he said! [the back of all signs were! ‘painted white for easy visi-i [bility, and “every effort is i ■made to keep road markings (in good order.” Both officers emphasised (the importance of signals ini [averting mistakes and acci-i dents. Two extracts from the! 1976 Road Code seem rele-i [vant — “Travel at such a! (speed that you can stop and give way even if yOu are not obliged to by law.” And, “Do not assume that because! the vehicle must give way j that it will do so.”