What can be done to make cycling in NZ safer?

Updated: 1:09PM Tuesday November 17, 2009

Blibble (Karori)
Friday October 30, 2009 Stefan (October 30), the main point I was trying to get across (something which has now thankfully been mentioned by several contributors) is that the attitude of many contributors is one of 'all cyclists deserve to be treated with animosity because some cyclists break the rules'.

I got the feeling that your original post hinted at this but perhaps this was a misunderstanding. I would like to draw to people's attention that in all of the high profile recent cycle crashes that I can think of, the cyclists were not breaking any rules. In some cases the motorist involved simply didn't see them, and in some (such as Dr Robinson's) it seems it may have been a case of deliberate (or at least having absolutely no respect) contact. I can't recall having heard of any crashes where cyclists went through red lights. I wonder why this is, when people say they see it happen so often.

BigbadSue (Pakuranga)
Friday October 30, 2009 Why are these crazies still blaming cyclists when we have a drunk woman killing a rider on a cycleway, a woman running a stop sign (carelessly, note, not dangerously, NZ softness strikes again!) without looking, a hit and run killer coward on Peak road? All involved motorists breaking the law.

How will cyclist number plates stop these crashes? Just consider about 6 deaths over Labour Weekend with no cyclist involvement. Motorists hit anything they fancy, get punished with the wet bus ticket and releasad to do it all again.

socially aware (Mangonui)
Friday October 30, 2009 To make safer all cyclists (including motor cyclists) should wear compulsory his visibility tops & bottoms.

Two potentially massive benefits. First, all cyclists would be highly visible, so safety. Secondly, if all motor cyclists had to wear high visibility gears too, can you imagine offenders on their cycles or the gangs on their harleys in flouro pink/yellow, etc? I think not, the high vis would certainly take some of the cool out of their sails. I mean a pink gang patch, again I think not. Definetly would be a lot of good in these changes.

karla walker (Murrays Bay)
Friday October 30, 2009 I would be terrified to ride a bike on the road these days, as a kid I always felt safer riding a bike on the foot path, but I know that would cause problems with pedestrians etc, I know it is very dangerous as a cyclist on our roads.

I nearly ran over a cyclist 2 days ago. (I was driving my car) there were 2 cyclists riding side by side in front of me, using up the whole side of the road ,when they decided to "grow a brain" and go single file, 1 took off up ahead, the other one stayed just in front of my car (doing 25k) so I went to overtake her when the silly woman started weaving all over the whole lane again, I was cms away from running her over. I felt sick.

The great thing was, the next day at the same time, they both got pulled over by the Police for doing the exact same thing to another motorist. So it isn't always the motorist's at fault, we all have to be careful.

WillieTheWaiter (Auckland)
Friday October 30, 2009 Why is it that people get SO upset about a cyclist going through a red light?

Do you also get as upset about cars exeeding 50k's an hour, and of course you'd never do that yourself would you? And you've never gone through a stop sign without completly stopping have you? Of course not, if you disagree then you're flat out lying!

People don't get upset about things like this as it's just one of the liberties of society. it doesn't impact on anything so why get so upset about it?

Do you also get upset about seeing children cycling on the footpath? Dogs running around without leashes? People crossing the road not at crossings?

Sheesh, people get so upset and righteous about what everyone else is doing, maybe we should all just focus on doing the right things ourselves!

Sure, a courier flying down Queen St and flying through red lights at full speed is unacceptable, but if you're going to moan about a cyclist making a safe left hand turn through a red light impacting on no one, PLEASE make sure you're never going to go 1kmph over the speed limit again before you whinge about it.

matt (Pukekawa)
Friday October 30, 2009 I am a keen cyclist but I do sometimes get embarrassed when my friends run red lights and block roads by riding 3 or more abreast and I can see how drivers who experience our thoughtlessness regularly could get to dislike us.

Personally I wouldn't have a problem with having to pay rego at a reasonable rate maybe $20 (remember we are environmentally friendly). I thought we were subject to the normal road laws, and would welcome the police cracking down on cyclists running lights, swerving all over or blocking the roads, and in particular not stopping for pedestrians on clearly marked crossings. Sometimes we are our own worst enemies.

However in exchange could drivers please give me a bit of space, give way when they are supposed to, and not treat me like some sort of road going vermin?

It works both ways and we have to meet drivers somewhere in the middle of the arguments rather than being unreasonable and intractable.

cyborg (Te Atatu Peninsula)
Friday October 30, 2009 You can't make roads safer, unless you make designated bike lanes everywhere which obviously is not practical. I bike to work, I accept the risk I am taking, but it is my choice. Cycling in any large city on roads designed for vehicles is inherently dangerous, either accept the risk or don't ride a bike, simple as that.

Joe Ayres (Titirangi)
Friday October 30, 2009 And so the debate rages on, with both views becoming more and more polarised, and a solution gets further and further away.

I have been a cyclist for the best part of 65 years and a motorist for 55 years. I have raced and toured on a bike and I have cycled and motored in England, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Canada and Europe. Some countries have 'dream' conditions for cyclists, such as Holland. Others have minimal or non-existent provision for bikers.( New Zealand tends toward the latter end of the scale) While we have such a small population base and such a large area to cover, we can only dream of separate bike paths to make cycling safer.

In most countries I have observed motorists and cyclists sharing the roads with reasonable tolerance. Sadly we Kiwis have not learned the art of co-existence. The 'gung-ho', 'she'll be right', no. 8 wire- we-can-fix anything attitude which is worshipped as a great Kiwi attitude, works against the spirit of co-operation.

We are an individualistic, fiercely independent people, and for that you can read 'selfish' if you like.

pCb (Mt Roskill)
Friday October 30, 2009 Sorry to disillusion you Willy the Waiter but I'm lucky to have Cornwall Park . unfortunately the other day I had a close run-in with a woman who driving through the park wound her window down demanded I get out of the F*g Way - lots of motorists invade such bike freindly areas .

stgmnobpf (Papamoa)
Friday October 30, 2009 Do any of you posting on this thread realize how extraordinarily juvenile the complete lack of personal responsibility sounds?! "... they are the main cause of the accident."!? Has anyone in NZ ever taken responsibility for anything? You certainly wouldn't think so reading this thread!

Grow up, already! And while you're at it, you might take into consideration that the whole world can read this thread. Are these the kind of people you want to do business with?

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