A young friend recently failed a driving test because she didn't use the median strip when turning right out of a side street on to a main road.The near side was clear but the side she was going on to wasn't.Apparently you are supposed to cross the near side then wait on the median strip for a gap on the side you're turning on to.I can definetly see the logic in this, but.I've been doing this lately and people react badly.They see you pulling out and hit the brakes (which causes the traffic behind to catch up and all the gaps close)
Comments!
andrewrender,
Dec 5, 8:20am
Frustrates me when people don't use it. I sit behind at least two cars everyday waiting for both directions of Constellation Drive to be clear, which at 430-5pm very rarley happens. Needless to say my horn gets a workout some days
bjdw,
Dec 5, 8:28am
Perhaps it's something city drivers are used to seeing but not townies.
smac,
Dec 5, 8:32am
Yeah you are supposed to use it, so it will be the expected behaviour in the test. However I would also think it likely there was some other stuff that added to this, that meant she failed. I don't think it's a fail on it's own.
gammelvind,
Dec 5, 8:33am
By teaching the young how to use the median strip properly eventually all drivers will understand it. Many of us have complained about the poor driver training in the past, now the powers to be have agreed, and made the driving test and training harder, we are often hearing about how hard and how often students are failing the test, this can only be a good thing for me and my family. Your young friend won't forget this lesson.
bjdw,
Dec 5, 8:37am
Yup. She also failed at another intersection (turning left) where she didn't take a gap that the tester thought was safe to take.You get points off for waiting to long.I agree with this.
smac,
Dec 5, 8:48am
SO in effect it's the same issue.driver is not confident, and/or hesitent to the point she becomes unpredictable to other road users. This certainly seems to be an area they are focusing on, because to seems to be a good indicator that quite simply they haven't spent long enough behind the wheel.
bjdw,
Dec 5, 8:53am
Probably, or maybe just trying to play "better safe than sorry" for the tester maybe. But, do you get bad reactions from other drivers when using the median strip to turn right!
mark.52,
Dec 5, 9:00am
No, I've found it's the best way to keep traffic moving. If the car is correctly positioned in the median, there *should* be enough room for drivers coming the other way to move through with safety.
Some of the roads in Wellington aren't quite wide enough for this to happen in safety. I think they got a bargain on white paint. And concrete. And they have to use it up. Some of the median strips are a bus and a half wide. Takes up valuable real estate. (And there's inevitably a curb extension somewhere in the mix, too, which means that even if everyone does everything correctly, nobody can get past.)
gammelvind,
Dec 5, 9:01am
Agreed, I use the median quite often and do get the same reactions. Maybe this is because medians weren't available when they got their licence (they didn't exist when I got mine) and have never learn't why they are there for, or they have been attacked in the past by ignorant drivers not using the median properly.
smac,
Dec 5, 7:05pm
Sometimes. But sometimes you get that even with a whole lane to turn into. See where the truck is turning out of here: http://goo.gl/maps/I62iG I used to live off Roberts Line and would regularly get toots from people on the main road as I pulled out, even though I have a lane to go into.
It's an issue the approaching driver has, and is not up to you to try and sort. If you try and sort others knowledge and behaviour you'll speed up when you are tailgated, pull out regardless of what is coming if somebody behind you toots etc etc
smac,
Dec 5, 7:06pm
There's a bit of that too. When you pass by a driver who has not used a median to turn right (ie they've sat in the lane then turned) they do seem to be .more mature.
meathead_timaru,
Dec 5, 7:18pm
Good. That's what it's there for, among other things.
meathead_timaru,
Dec 5, 7:19pm
That would be my take on it too. They're not yet able to be released on the road without a further practical test until they're a pensioner.
meathead_timaru,
Dec 5, 7:21pm
It's things like this that Police need to concentrate more efforts on. Like turning into multilane roads.
trogedon,
Dec 5, 8:41pm
Median strips are used all the time for waiting and getting into other lanes here in Aucks. If drivers didn't the sun would be setting before they got anywhere.
gmphil,
Dec 5, 9:29pm
Did just that yezday turn rite on to greatsouth rd pulled in median ,chick cum down jumped on horn freaked out swerved in to parked car dont think she even breaked lol
meathead_timaru,
Dec 5, 9:35pm
Anyone want to translate ^that^!
Hint: there's no point telling a story if it lacks the detail to actually be able to work out what happened and how it's relevant to the conversation.
bitsy_boffin,
Dec 6, 12:52am
Yes, that is one of the intended use for median strips.
No, I never use them like that, for precisely the reasons stated in post 1, and 17 - it freaks out other drivers, if I'm on my motorbike, or in my classic car, I do NOT want other drivers to be freaking out for any reason if I can avoid it!
speedwayfan1,
Dec 6, 12:53am
I agree, but EVERYONE should be made to re-sit their license. It's NOT fair on us younger people to have to sit a much harder and stricter test when we should be the most up-to-date with the current road rules. Yet the vast majority of people I see on the roads don't have a bloody clue what the rules are!
mark.52,
Dec 6, 1:05am
I wouldn't mind re-tests every 5 years or so. Good idea.
meathead_timaru,
Dec 6, 3:31am
Yep. 5 - 10 years would be ideal. And a decent drive in the city and a bit of rural including parking and reversing. Plus an endorsement required for towing anything.
smac,
Dec 6, 3:42am
Who pays for it!
meathead_timaru,
Dec 6, 3:45am
The user.
smac,
Dec 6, 3:48am
Heh. You know all that whinging about ACC and licencing fess and having to get an eyesight test.imagine the response having to pay for a test to keep the license they already have.
I don't necessarily think it's a bad idea, I just know it'll never fly.
What I think COULD work is an increase in retests for those guilt of traffic rules infringements. Enforcement would have to be stepped up though. Correction, enforcement would have to start.
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