Ask Phoebe: Pilot vehicle allows 10 second warning

The pilot vehicle should allow traffic travelling in the opposite direction five to 10 seconds notice of the wide load. Photo / Thinkstock

Last month, my friend and I were driving down New North Rd near Pak'n Save late at night. We encountered a house being moved on the back of a trailer reasonably fast which almost took up the entire four lanes. A pilot vehicle with a "large load follows" sign hardly gave us enough warning and we had to drive on to the footpath to escape. Is this legal?

- Lydia Jarman, Mt Albert.

The Transport Agency's load pilot driver code says that the pilot vehicle should allow traffic travelling in the opposite direction five to 10 seconds' notice of the wide load. Any longer than this and approaching drivers may think there is no hazard or forget about it. Approaching drivers need to beable to see the pilot vehicle from a distance of at least three times the speed limit, or three times the limiton that section of road, in metres.

I have noticed a number of instances when turning left and you do not have to give way under the new rules, that the old give way road markings still exist. Surely these give way markings should have been removed by now as they no longer apply. An example would be if you drive through Titirangi village and turn left into South Titirangi Rd.

- Peter Barrett, West Auckland.

The new give way rule requires all traffic turning right to give way to a vehicle coming from the opposite direction and turning left. This applies where:

a) Both vehicles are facing each other with no signs or signals (neither vehicle is controlled), or
b) Both vehicles are facing give way signs, or
c) Both vehicles are facing stop signs, or
d) Both vehicles are facing green traffic signals.

I visited this intersection and there is no give way sign for vehicles turning left from Titirangi Rd into South Titirangi Rd. Thus, those turning left into South Titirangi Rd have right of way.

I am writing about Titirangi Rd where Godley Rd joins at the top. If you are driving up Titirangi Rd and turning left down into Godley Rd I would consider this as an uncontrolled intersection as there are no lights. On some occasions traffic coming down from Titirangi Rd fails to give way. They are turning right into Godley Rd in front of me but I am the vehicle turning left. Does the new left hand rule apply here?

- Patrick Buddle, Green Bay.

No, it doesn't. This is a controlled intersection (the left-turning traffic is controlled by the give way sign, which states "for left turning traffic") and drivers must obey this sign.

Intersections can be controlled by give way signs and stop signs as well as traffic lights. The new rule applies as above, when both vehicles face signs or lights or no signs or signals.