Doctor dices with death on ride to work (+video)

Amy Symonds of Napier. Photo / APN

Napier woman Amy Symonds takes her life in her hands every day she cycles to work in Hastings, and has the video to prove it.

A camera on Dr Symonds' helmet on one particular day shows, among other things, trucks passing too close and one car even passing her on the left.

Dr Symonds began cycling from her home on Bluff Hill to work at the Hawkes Bay Hospital in Hastings about six months ago.

Negotiating the narrow Chesterhope bridge over the Ngaruroro River is a serious risk, she says.

Dr Symonds outlined the danger to cyclists on the bridge when she made a submission to the Hastings District Council's long-term plan hearing last week.

She showed a short video of a typical ride across the bridge on the way to work.

Councillors cringed as they watched trucks pass close to the cyclist and cars nearly crossing the centre line to overtake.

One bus passed across the front of the cyclist to turn into another road.

In another scene, Dr Symonds is the meat in the sandwich of a car passing her on the left to turn, and a truck on her right.

"I know the council has lots of pressure on it at the moment ... but if the council could do something about this and put it in the long-term plan, that would be good."

Dr Symonds said even if there was no budget for a cycle clip-on on the bridge, the council could install signs making motorists aware they must share it with cyclists.

"I might not be living in Hawkes Bay in three years' time but itwill be something good for other people.

"I think more people will definitely want to ride ... but the fact is at the moment the bridge is a busy place and people are scared of the traffic."

Senior Sergeant Clint Adamson, in charge of road policing in the eastern district, said motorists should not try to "squeeze" past cyclists in the face of oncoming traffic, but cyclists needed to ensure they were using up as little of the roadway as possible.

- APN