Lower speed limits would help tackle NZ's culture of 'maiming and killing', Auckland cyclist says

A man who was injured after he was knocked off his bike at a busy Auckland intersection has hit out at what called a culture of "maiming and killing" on New Zealand's roads.

Speaking to the Herald after a full list of roads and streets which could see lower speed limits introduced was released by Auckland Council yesterday, Bruce Jarvis says he's lucky to be alive following the Auckland Anniversary Day crash - and things could have turned out differently if the car had been going any faster.

Jarvis, who lives in Grey Lynn, was run over as he cycled through the intersection of Great North Rd and the State Highway 16 Northwestern Motorway off-ramp on the morning of January 28.

A 3cm screw now holds the bones in his "busted" right hand together, but Jarvis says he is "very lucky" he didn't suffer more serious injuries.

"If [the driver] had been going faster I wouldn't be having this conversation," he said. "If it was a bigger vehicle… the result could have been very, very different.

"I was lucky, I was very lucky."

The car was travelling under the 50km/h speed limit as the driver approached the intersection coming off SH16 and merged onto Great North Rd when she hit Jarvis.

He described the incident as "terrifying".

It comes as Auckland Council yesterday revealed the names of hundreds of streets across the Super City which could have speeds cut from 50km/h to 30km/h, and others where the limit would drop to 60km/h, in an attempt to make the roads safer for the growing number of pedestrians, cyclists and residents.

Cyclist Bruce Jarvis is knocked from his bicycle on Great North Road, Western Springs. Photo / Supplied

Photo / Supplied

The majority are in the central city, but others are further out - including those in Orewa, Torbay, Oratia and Pukekohe, Franklin and Rodney.

Jarvis said he was in favour of the lower speed limits as "it only takes a minute of inattention" to crash.

"The thing is, people generally drive faster than the speed limit, so if you make it 30km/h people are going to drive at 40km/h, if you make it 40km/h people will drive 50km/h," he said.

"If you look at the amount of traffic now, and I'm talking all road users - people crossing roads, people on scooters, bicycles - there's a lot more traffic on the road, so what was okay 30 years ago is not okay today."

While he said drivers "have got a lot better" in the 15 years he's been cycling, Jarvis said New Zealand seemed to accept that a certain amount of death and injury was to be expected on the road.

"We seem to have, in this country, an attitude where it's okay to maim and injure and kill people all for the sake of getting somewhere faster," he said.

"If it was an organisation which had that mortality rate or injury rate you'd be prosecuted for health and safety, but because it's the road, we seem to accept that level of carnage and I don't think it's acceptable. We should say actually it should be zero acceptance."

Today Auckland Transport chairman Lester Levy said lowering speeds was one of the quickest and most effective tools to reduce road trauma.

"Auckland is facing a road safety crisis and our top priority is to address this." he said.

In 2017, 64 people died and 749 were seriously injured on Auckland's roads.

Levy pointed to recent research by Monash University in Melbourne which showed a significant difference from being hit at 40km/h compared to 30/km/h, and said the World Health Organisation also recommends 30km/h when there's a high residential population and high pedestrianisation.

"This is very much in line with research and international practice," he said.

However, the AA is opposed to the proposed by-law, saying "a blanket 30km/h limit [in the central city] just doesn't pass the credibility test", and a drop to 40km/h would be sufficient.

The proposed bylaw will be put out for public consultation from Thursday until March 31 and could be in place by August.