The Tharwa drive traffic lights near Lanyon shops

Those stupid traffic lights have been there no less than 9 months, is the old farts home even finished yet? I havent seen any old codgers using said crossing to stroll over for what may be their last trip to the shops yet.

And lastly, pulling out of Norman Lindsay isnt an issue, ive never had any problems..

But you do get the odd wanker who will pull out when he/she shouldnt, then proceed to deliberately accelerate at a snails pace because they are pretentious lowlifes.

p1 said :

KB1971 said :

It is still russian roulette trying to turn out of Norman Lindsay in the afternoon. People spear out of that roundabout so fast they are doing 80 by the time they pass the servo.

True. And yet I exited the round about and approached the intersection at about 50km/h a week ago, on a motorcycle, when someone started to pull out directly in front of me. Some people seem unable to identify a vehicle approaching and adequately judge its speed at the best of times. They realised I was there and stopped about half way across the intersection, and some sudden braking and a quick swerve saw me safely round them, but historically it isn’t a good corner for bikes.

The road as a whole would be vastly improved by extending the median strip across the intersection and forcing traffic to go up to the round a bout and turn.

Yes, left turn only. If you want to go right, go back past Corks.

KB1971 said :

It is still russian roulette trying to turn out of Norman Lindsay in the afternoon. People spear out of that roundabout so fast they are doing 80 by the time they pass the servo.

True. And yet I exited the round about and approached the intersection at about 50km/h a week ago, on a motorcycle, when someone started to pull out directly in front of me. Some people seem unable to identify a vehicle approaching and adequately judge its speed at the best of times. They realised I was there and stopped about half way across the intersection, and some sudden braking and a quick swerve saw me safely round them, but historically it isn’t a good corner for bikes.

The road as a whole would be vastly improved by extending the median strip across the intersection and forcing traffic to go up to the round a bout and turn.

harvyk1 said :

Tooks said :

I bet if you FOI ACT police you’ll find there have been no crashes there since those traffic lights have been put up.

As the traffic lights have only recently gone in, you are probably right.

I would like to ask, how many people here who are condemning me as a bad driver (btw, my record says otherwise) have actually been through that round-about, especially during peak hour?

I’m not going to deny that there are many other examples of difficult to navigate situations out there. The thing I want to know is why can’t potential black spots be called out as potential black spots before they start claiming lives? Are we only allowed to start questioning an area’s safety after accidents happen? Can’t we say “look, I think this particular area has the potential to cause accidents, how about we look at alternatives to make it safer” rather than simply saying to such people “shit happens, if you can’t deal with it get off the roads”.

I seem to remember that people on this site where more than happy with a certain member who successfully campaigned on speed limits.

Every day, I have more of a problem with the arsemuppets who fly through there at high speed and dont give way. The way I see it, if you approach the roundabout at a safe speed, you should carry that speed through the traffic lights & once you are past the built up area then get back up to 80.

The 60 limits have not really done anything to slow people down IMO. It is still russian roulette trying to turn out of Norman Lindsay in the afternoon. People spear out of that roundabout so fast they are doing 80 by the time they pass the servo.

RE black spots, you need evidence. Blakc spots become black spots because there is evidence of danger. At the moment you have hearsay of driver innatention.

caf said :

Even if the traffic lights weren’t there, you’d have to be prepared to stop anyway, because there could be anything obstructing the road at that location.

That is true, there could be anything obstructing the road, and it’s not entirely unheard of for there to be roo’s crossing that section of Tharwa drive. That said, does that then excuse putting in lights which IMHO have the potential to make that stretch of road dangerous?

caf said :

It’s impossible to distinguish between a good driver and a lucky driver on record alone.

I’ll concede with that, although I don’t think my been a good or bad driver should detract from the subject at hand, which is was the placement of those lights a good idea or not?

Even if the traffic lights weren’t there, you’d have to be prepared to stop anyway, because there could be anything obstructing the road at that location.

Perhaps a set of “traffic signals on side road” signs on the approaches to the roundabout would be a good mitigation, perhaps with those lights that flash when the lights are red or about to go red.

harvyk1 said :

I would like to ask, how many people here who are condemning me as a bad driver (btw, my record says otherwise) have actually been through that round-about, especially during peak hour?

It’s impossible to distinguish between a good driver and a lucky driver on record alone.

harvyk1 said :

Tooks said :

I bet if you FOI ACT police you’ll find there have been no crashes there since those traffic lights have been put up.

As the traffic lights have only recently gone in, you are probably right.

I would like to ask, how many people here who are condemning me as a bad driver (btw, my record says otherwise) have actually been through that round-about, especially during peak hour?

I’m not going to deny that there are many other examples of difficult to navigate situations out there. The thing I want to know is why can’t potential black spots be called out as potential black spots before they start claiming lives? Are we only allowed to start questioning an area’s safety after accidents happen? Can’t we say “look, I think this particular area has the potential to cause accidents, how about we look at alternatives to make it safer” rather than simply saying to such people “shit happens, if you can’t deal with it get off the roads”.

I seem to remember that people on this site where more than happy with a certain member who successfully campaigned on speed limits.

They’ve been operating for several months, haven’t they? Like I said, not a great place for them, but they are only pedestrian lights so are green most of the time anyway. They can be seen for a couple of hundred metres before the roundabout. I can’t really see the big issue. Having said that, I may be proven wrong and it may become a little black spot. I doubt it though.

harvyk1 said :

Tooks said :

I bet if you FOI ACT police you’ll find there have been no crashes there since those traffic lights have been put up.

As the traffic lights have only recently gone in, you are probably right.

I would like to ask, how many people here who are condemning me as a bad driver (btw, my record says otherwise) have actually been through that round-about, especially during peak hour?

I’m not going to deny that there are many other examples of difficult to navigate situations out there. The thing I want to know is why can’t potential black spots be called out as potential black spots before they start claiming lives? Are we only allowed to start questioning an area’s safety after accidents happen? Can’t we say “look, I think this particular area has the potential to cause accidents, how about we look at alternatives to make it safer” rather than simply saying to such people “shit happens, if you can’t deal with it get off the roads”.

I seem to remember that people on this site where more than happy with a certain member who successfully campaigned on speed limits.

They’ve been up for several months haven’t they?

Tooks said :

I bet if you FOI ACT police you’ll find there have been no crashes there since those traffic lights have been put up.

As the traffic lights have only recently gone in, you are probably right.

I would like to ask, how many people here who are condemning me as a bad driver (btw, my record says otherwise) have actually been through that round-about, especially during peak hour?

I’m not going to deny that there are many other examples of difficult to navigate situations out there. The thing I want to know is why can’t potential black spots be called out as potential black spots before they start claiming lives? Are we only allowed to start questioning an area’s safety after accidents happen? Can’t we say “look, I think this particular area has the potential to cause accidents, how about we look at alternatives to make it safer” rather than simply saying to such people “shit happens, if you can’t deal with it get off the roads”.

I seem to remember that people on this site where more than happy with a certain member who successfully campaigned on speed limits.

Anyone who has a prang at those traffic lights or even has a near miss, is an incompetent driver. The lights can be seen for hundreds of metres before the roundabout. Speed on the roundabout should be no more than about 50-55kmh. Yes, it is a strange place to put them and obviously not ideal, but really, it’s not difficult.

I bet if you FOI ACT police you’ll find there have been no crashes there since those traffic lights have been put up.