Motorists urged to get going at intersections
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.
ends