NEWS RELEASE
1 October 2008
 
 
Motorists urged to get going at intersections
 
Wellington City Council and the Police will patrol some of Wellington’s most confusing intersections next week – so don’t be surprised if you get pulled over after darting across lanes at an intersection.
 
The Council’s Transport Safety Manager, Paul Barker, says that Police will ensure that drivers make better informed decisions next time they’re at an intersection.
 
“One of the biggest mistakes people make, especially when they are in the left lane turning left, is when they don’t take the right of way and hold up traffic, creating momentary chaos,” says Paul. “Drivers sometimes also cross several lanes from the other direction to take a right turn and it can all go really wrong, making it unsafe for everyone using the intersection – pedestrians, cyclists and drivers alike.”
 
The most problematic intersections in the central city are the intersections of Tory Street and Wakefield Street, Tinakori Road and Bowen Street, and – especially since two-way traffic has been reintroduced to Ghuznee Street – its intersection with Victoria Street.
 
The Police and Council road safety staff will join forces to direct traffic at peak periods and educate motorists.
 
Paul says signs have been installed on traffic light poles at problem intersections to remind motorists of the rules, but not everyone notices them.
 
“Hopefully over the coming week motorists will realise that they must stay in their lane until they are through the intersection and then they can move into another lane if they need to,” he says.
 
Motorists will be given very simple instructions. The main thing to remember when two vehicles are turning into the same road at an intersection marked in lanes is that both vehicles must turn into the nearest lane.
 
A car turning left from a left-hand lane must turn into the left-hand lane.
A car turning right from a right-hand lane must turn into the corresponding right-hand lane.
 

 
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