Four More Things About The Road Code That Are Stupid and Dangerous

Thankfully New Zealand has recently dropped two of the silliest give way rules in our Road Code.  Maybe a few more could be looked at in the future.

1.   Hand Signals for Cyclists

Imagine you are driving your car and you need to turn right into a side road.  What if the Road Code says that you have to take your right foot off the brake and put it out the window?  You've still got your hand brake to slow down but you only have one hand on the wheel.  Sound safe?  Well that's what the Road Code says cyclists have to do.  You have to take your hand off the front brake (the one that does most of the work) and steer and brake with the other hand while sticking a limb in the air for three seconds before you make your turn.

Use hand signals

Hand signals must be used at least three seconds before:

• moving into traffic
• stopping
• turning left
• turning right
• moving from a lane.

Turning left

Slowing down or stopping

Turning right, passing or pulling out

 (NZ Road Code)

The law should say 'where safe to do so' and leave it to common sense as is generally (but not always) employed by the cycling public.

2.   The 20km/h Rule When Passing a Stopped Rural School Bus



School bus signs

The signs below will be displayed on school buses. If a school bus has stopped to let children on or off, you must slow down and drive at 20km/h or less until you are well past the bus, no matter what direction you are coming from.

(NZ Road Code)

Seriously?  You round a bend at 80km/h on a rural road to see a school bus stopped on the side of the road.  You hit the brakes to achieve the required 20km/h.  Unfortunately, the car behind you thinks you are stopping and so veers out to overtake you right at the most dangerous point when you are overtaking the stopped bus and there are children stepping off.

Either the law should require vehicles to come to a complete stop as is the case in the US or we should ditch this singly low speed limit and replace it with the same limit in urban areas outside schools (50km/h).

3.   The 100km/h Rural Speed Limit



It is ridiculous to impose the same speed limit on a divided motorway with a wide shoulder, no side roads, driveways or wandering stock as is generally specified on most rural roads in New Zealand.

The open road speed limit was raised from 80 to 100km/h in the 1980's after the oil shock came to an end but it was back in the day when we only really had two settings: 50km/h on urban streets and the open road limit for the rest.  

Now we have 50, 60, 70, 80 and 100km/h limits imposed on many city roads and highways, but not generally on our rural roads.  Sure, there are plenty of rural arterial roads where the conditions would allow a safe 100km/h limit, but the default should be a more realistic 80km/h unless someone can explain to me how a rural road is as safe as a motorway. 

4.   The 100km/h Motorway Speed Limit



Most of our motorways are not up to the standard of their counterparts in Europe and the US, so the 100km/h limit is probably about right.

There are some notable exceptions though, such as SH1 Orewa to Puhoi and Manurewa to the Bombay Hills where a 110km/h limit would be appropriate and would give the right message about 'driving to the conditions' rather than just blindly sticking to (or exceeding) the limit.  This has been reported in some detail previously by Stuff, the AA and others but I think it is still valid.

Furniture Supported by Tension

These and other pieces of furniture and sculpture are by young Californian designer Robby Cuthbert

Contour Coffee Table

Contour Lamp

Suspension Shelf

The last one is very reminiscent of cable stayed bridges such as the Millau Viaduct in southern France which we visited in 2010.

This photo is taken from the viewing area.  The highest pier is taller than the Eiffel Tower.

'Don't Forget the Cannoli'

It wasn't quite a horse head in the bed but the message was clear: 'These cat biscuits you are trying to feed me?  Unacceptable.  I have a message:  The next person who feeds me these biscuits sleeps with the fishes.'

(Apologies to The Godfather)  

The old saying that dogs want to be your friends but cats are plotting to kill you is nicely illustrated by The Oatmeal here.

"Lucy, I can smell sadness!"

I started barbecuing some home made beef patties this evening and as the smoke wafted away I turned around to see this.

A Pleasant Walk in the Countryside - But Not in New Zealand

We live on a narrow, winding rural road with a 100km/h speed limit.  There are no footpaths, not even a gravel shoulder, just steep sided ditches next to the white line.  It is very typical of many rural roads in New Zealand and makes absolutely no provision for cyclists, walkers, horse riders etc.

If we were to go back thirty or forty years, the situation would have been quite different.  Our road would have been unsealed, potholed, with poor sightlines and wandering stock just around the corner.  The result (completely unintentional) would have been much slower vehicle speeds and as a consequence a much more pedestrian, cyclist and horse rider friendly environment.  This is still evident in less populated areas of the country - kids riding bikes and horses, people walking on the road.  So the current situation is a relatively new phenomenon.

Over the years our road has been improved; the humps and bumps taken out, corners smoothed, and the biggest change, the road was asphalted.  This has undoubtedly been very good for journey times, the economy, dust suppression.  It is arguable whether the improvements have resulted in real accident reduction though.  Cars have become safer regardless, but physics has not changed and the faster you go the bigger the mess as the ad says. 

But there are the other drawbacks mentioned above.  If you want to go for a walk or a run, visit the local store or get your kids safely to school the only option is to first get in a vehicle and drive - or is it?

A quick look at the government's Walking Access Commission website reveals that we are surrounded by public pathways, off the main roads and often connecting two otherwise un-passable dead end roads.  These are of course 'paper roads', originally drawn up by the government but never built by the local council.

Walking Access NZ map extract showing public land in purple

Unfortunately though, the local council does not see any value in signposting these routes, and in most instances the adjoining land owner has assumed possession of the public 'road', built fences and in some instances buildings on what is actually owned by all of us.

Ironically, in the United Kingdom, a country which many of our ancestors left to escape the class system and oppressive land owners the situation is very different.  Footpaths and public bridleways criss cross the countryside.

Photo by Adrian S Pye

Wikipedia

In most instances these are just marked trails, requiring very little investment or upkeep by the council and still providing amenity to farmers to be able to move stock around, if suitably fenced off.

A nice idea for New Zealand perhaps.

Tanks For All The Water

With the latest IPCC Report predicting more extreme weather for New Zealand and elsewhere in the world, water security will become ever more important.  Fortunately we have 50,000L of roof water storage at home which got us through a very dry summer with no concerns.

Our friends wanted to add some capacity to enable them to keep their vegetable garden going so I visited them on the weekend to give Rob a hand to get their new 25,000L tank into position.  It was a simple matter of slinging it behind the Hilux and pulling it up the hill.

Thanks to the other helper, Paul for the photos.  Now all they need is some rain to fill it up!

Dinosaur Footprints

This photo by Ramon Arellano shows footprints on a near vertical limestone rock face in Cal Orko, Bolivia.  This cliff would once have been a flat muddy shoreline, subsequently buried and then uplifted to an approximately 70 degree angle by tectonic forces.

Vowel Shortage Hits Auckland Street Signs

Pity the poor tourist.  This is on the main route between Auckland International Airport and the CBD at the corner of Manukau Road and Great South Road - or should that be TH CRNR F MNK RD ND GRT STH RD.  It's a five road intersection where, perversely, you take the very minor looking Alpers Avenue on the left to get on to the motorway and onwards to the CBD. 

Like our motorway signage, it's great if you've lived here for a while and know where you are going.  Otherwise, not so much.

Natural Wonders of New Zealand

The Waitomo Caves as featured in Twisted Sifter recently.  More information at www.waitomo.com

Chatoyancy

Chatoyancy is the optical property of the surface of a natural material such as wood to give the illusion of depth or three dimensions.

My lovely wife booked me on a two week course at the Centre for Fine Woodworking earlier this year.  The Centre is based just out of Nelson, N.Z. and runs short and full time courses.

The project was a wall cabinet with a curved or 'coopered' door, and shelves and a small drawer inside.

We were offered a selection of different woods to use for the drawer front.  I jumped at the chance to nab a piece of rippled New Zealand Red Beech (Nothfagus fusca).  When caught in the right light it has the appearance of a drawn curtain.