Matt Greenop and Alistair Woodward: Cyclists and drivers - what's wrong?
A cyclist shares the road with drivers on Auckland's Tamaki Drive. Photo / Dean Purcell
Recent events have fuelled debate between cyclists and drivers over road rules and acceptable behaviour. We talked to a cyclist and a driver and got their opinions on the matter.
A cyclist's view
Alistair Woodward, Head of School of Population Health, Auckland University
Auckland is a wonderful city for cycling. I ride to work most days, and I also ride socially with friends at the weekend. The harbours and the hills are stunning and the weather is kind.
There are risks. In nine years, I have been knocked off my bike by cars twice. But it is easy to get this out of proportion. The number of people drowned in New Zealand each year is 10 times that killed on bikes, but no-one ever says to me "you must be brave, going swimming in Auckland, it is just so dangerous".
There are still frustrations - bike lanes that end abruptly, traffic lights that don't register cyclists, roads that narrow suddenly and pitch you into the stream of traffic. But things are improving. I ride along Tamaki Drive frequently and it is much more attractive and secure than it once was. A big difference is the amount of space on the road that is now dedicated to bikes.
How to make it better? I'm in favour of extending the network of bike paths. The path along the Northwest Motorway for example is fantastic, and heavily used. However, the biggest improvements in safety could come from changing the physical spaces that cyclists and motorists share. This means more bike lanes, smarter design of intersections, better car parking, lower traffic speeds in residential areas. It's no mystery - there are lots of cycle-friendly cities overseas we can learn from.
A driver's view
Matt Greenop, Editor, Weekend Herald, Driven magazine
Cyclists aren't evil, they're not a scourge and they shouldn't be considered two-wheeled targets on the road. Generally. But there's a a dark side to this colourful Lycra world.
Maybe their helmets are too tight, or they just develop a Bono-sized ego when the shades go on. Either way, they're ruining it for people who follow the rules.
Riding in large groups while ignoring the line of cars building up behind them is annoying. They know that. So why the irritating behaviour? Judging by the Mamils (middle-aged men in lycra) who seem to feel most hard done-by for having to share the road with other people, they suffer from a persecution complex that most cyclists don't.
Their other faves are firing down the middle of lanes of traffic, making it near impossible for motorists to cross their paths without fear of an accident, or tearing through traffic lights on red while pedestrians are forced to leap out of the way.
Road pigs are going to irritate whether on bikes or cars. And when they get bowled as a result of their own arrogant behaviour they blame others. A two-fingered salute or a bit of abuse is likely to leave a foot-sized dent in the door as the cyclist disappears into traffic.
We have to share the road and work from the same rule book. Do this and it should be fine.
No of course we don't. I've decided that this is because cyclists doing something 'wrong' is abnormal so people feel like they must complain whereas poor driving behaviour is the norm so therefore somehow acceptable!
Not helped by the gross exaggerations of such things as cyclists 'tearing through crossings'... I mean seriously how often does that actually happen?! You do actually know of the Transport Act changes in Nov 2009 that allows cyclists to ride across crossings on the green man right?
Would be nice to see some drivers putting their hands up saying 'yep we're responsible for HUNDREDS of deaths a year lets change something' rather than just having a whinge about what in reality is just transport envy cause someone's getting somewhere faster than you.
If the police can give a ticket to a car travelling too slowly on the motorway (and they can), then they should also ticket cyclists that impede the general traffic.
If the police can ticket red light runners, that should also include cyclists.
If cyclists want to use the road, then they should respect the rules, written and unwritten (such as common driving courtesy)
There's another aspect too. If I am walking down the footpath and a 6 foot six tough-looking dude is coming the other way, I generally swerve to let him go by. I don't stand my ground and risk bumping him. He's bigger than me! When I drive my little car, I make way for big trucks because I know that I would come off 2nd best if we connected. It's the law of the jungle. Why do cyclists tempt fate and expect that even though they are behaving badly, they should be immune to the bigger road user's ? I'm not suggesting deliberate bullying by motorists, just that, because a car is bigger, the cyclist should be prudent. Be responsible for their own safety.