Sunstrike cause of traffic delays

People stopping dead in the middle of the road because of sunstrike is being given as the reason for extended tailbacks on State Highway 2 into Bethlehem this morning.

Western Bay of Plenty road policing manager Senior Sergeant Ian Campion rejects claims the delays were caused by a police operation that was pulling the occasional drivers out of the line of traffic.


Traffic delays were particularly bad this morning, with a number of commuters calling SunLive to report the issue. File photo.

'Staff out there this morning said people were literally stopping in the middle of the road because they couldn't see where they were going,” says Ian.

The police were at the top of the hill on the Bethlehem side of the Wairoa River from about 7.40am.

Sunrise this morning was 7.17am, meaning for a while commuters driving up from the river toward Bethlehem would have been driving straight into the sunrise.

'With the already high volumes of traffic on that highway, it just takes an additional issue like that to slow everything down,” says Ian.

'I'm sure the rubbernecking wouldn't have assisted.”

Police were only pulling out of the line of traffic the odd vehicle for indiscretions such as using their cell phone, not wearing their seat belt – and looking for other things like people eating their breakfast, reading the newspaper on the way to work, and doing their hair or applying their make-up.

'Those are the distraction issues associated with that highway. Police regularly carry out those spotter type tactics in that area, but this morning that was associated with the sun strike,” says Ian.

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16 comments

What Rubbish Ian

Posted on 26-05-2016 10:49 | By Merlin

Traffic was backed up nearly to the Omokoroa Beach Road as was the last time the police had recently had an excercise because of a motorcycle gang attending a tangi at Bethlehem.Whilst road policing needs to be done the timing of these operations at the busy time when people are trying to get to work and appointments etc is not helping.Blaming sunstrike for this is a bit of a cop out.


Fighting everything but crime

Posted on 26-05-2016 10:54 | By BullShtAlert

What has happened to our good old police force? To me they have become politically correct and so brave they now fight everything but crime??? This sort of nonsense only alienates people who are otherwise police supporters. Tragic really.


Not sunstrike?

Posted on 26-05-2016 11:10 | By friendee

I went through at 9-30 and traffic same as the picture, back as far as you could see, no sunstrike then. That traffic is becoming the norm most mornings now. Also I often see people driving into the sun with a filthy smeary damp screen, madly wiping away with their hand to no avail. It takes two minutes with a towel to dry off all windows and mirrors before leaving home.


Resolution

Posted on 26-05-2016 11:32 | By Towball

Judith Collins has got your best commute interests at heart as she has announced traffic Police are being scaled back so should help traffic flows immensely with nobody having to worry about speed texting coffee consumption lipstick shaving so should ease congestion . Source Office of Local Resident.


Police need to use there brains

Posted on 26-05-2016 11:59 | By tabatha

I know police are charged with road safety but there are times they do not stop and think about traffic flow. If they saw the sun strike stopping cars was the sun strike caused by where they had positioned themselves. I thought they were also charged to keep traffic flowing and we are seeing more delays because of check points etc. To prevent accidents traffic needs to flow smoothly and check points do not encourage flow. Perhaps the use of a camera that takes the talker on cell phone etc and their rego could be the answer.


Plain stupid!

Posted on 26-05-2016 12:29 | By Mackka

What a stupid time for the boys in blue to conduct such an exercise! They are sadly lacking in a lot of things lately - no more so than in the realms of common sense!


Incompetent Tauranga Drivers

Posted on 26-05-2016 12:31 | By roadkill1234

I have travelled around the world and have discovered that New Zealand drivers (Tauranga in particular) are very unskilled and inadequate behind the wheel - its no wonder Tauranga is marked as the "Black" city due to the high dealth toll we have here. I do agree police choose the most absurd times to be patroling - as if theyre going to catch someone speeding when traffic is crawling at 3kmph


silly place to be

Posted on 26-05-2016 12:43 | By interested

I drive that road everyday to work and I would agree that the sunstrike is the worst I have ever seen due to sun position and the glare of the wet road. This is more of a reason not to be pulling up vehicles in these conditions. As for the resons some of them were pulled up "very petty" Surely there is a better use of their time.


How About

Posted on 26-05-2016 14:17 | By Merlin

How about attending some burglaries which have a very low attendance or solved rate instead of revenue gathering due no increase in budget for 5 years.


Same thing...

Posted on 26-05-2016 14:58 | By penguin

...at the Poike roundabout the other day. Certainly was not sun strike since the main traffic flow was away from the sun! The situation was chaotic with traffic from all directions clogging the roundabout with a number of near misses. I wonder how many people were caught eating their breakfasts on that day?


.

Posted on 26-05-2016 16:34 | By putamadre

Yes, fines are going to "gather revenue". So what? Whether it gathers revenue or not, I don't care. If these ignorant imbeciles put innocent people's lives in danger by texting/talking by cell while driving, then let them get hurt in the pocket like they deserve. It's the only language they understand. These are NOT infractions which can be described as "very petty".


Surely...

Posted on 26-05-2016 16:56 | By GreertonCynic

stopping in the middle of a state highway would be dangerous driving. Anyone charged?


Cassie 798

Posted on 27-05-2016 22:33 | By CC8

If you don't like NZ and in particular Tauranga what are you doing here? Where do you come from ? UK ? South Africa? Australia? I have never heard of Tauranga being labeled "The Black City" and it seems nor has Google , or NZTA.If you want the facts here are the stats https://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/road-deaths/toll.html Many other NZ cities have a consistently higher crash and death rate... The Waikato seems to hae had about three times the rate of the BOP for the last ten years. City wise Tauranga is one of the lowest compared to the population....Don't make up your facts to suit your story!


Abominable Tauranga drivers

Posted on 28-05-2016 19:48 | By putamadre

I also, just like C798 have in lived in many different countries, around the world, including various NZ cities, and I wholeheartedly agree. It is no surprise that Tauranga has gained its notorious reputation as the "Deplorable Driver" capital of NZ. Every day in Tauranga I see examples of abysmal driving by rude, ignorant, ill-mannered drivers, who seem to think that any sort of reprehensible act is justified if it means getting just one place in front of you. I have never seen such execrable driving behavior as that of Tauranga drivers. They have no shame.


Cassie 798

Posted on 31-05-2016 16:13 | By Kenworthlogger

Im hearing you. Totally agree.


Yup....

Posted on 11-06-2016 22:36 | By groutby

....traffic "heavies" in action again, makes me wonder how one man (Mr Campion) can continue to get things so wrong......same old rhetoric...


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