Yesterday I became very depressed after reading the Herald comments on the tragic bicycling accident last Saturday.
“Cyclists are dangerous and shouldn’t be allowed on the roads”
- Surely, if you took cyclist off the roads the accident rate would remain high; if you took the cars off the road the accident rate would plummet.
- Most cyclists also own cars; therefore, by choosing to make some trips by bicycle, which reduces the wear and tear on the roads, it could be argued that they should get a rebate on their road charges.
- Given that the accident rate for pedestrians is higher than for bicycles, does that mean that we should not allow pedestrians either? Auckland is going to be a very lonely and desolate place!
The comments clearly display the bigoted car-centric perspective of many new Zealanders (the NZ media reports were no better). I seriously contemplated a return to Europe.
However, after the remedial effects of a hot bath and a glass of red wine I realised that it really wasn’t their fault – the comments were prompted by ignorance. Over the last few decades the governments, city councils and town planners have engineered this ignorance by marginalising and inciting a fear of cycling through actions such as compulsory helmet laws and a lack of cycling infrastructure. At the same time car driving is promoted by allowing children (15 is the legal driving age in NZ) to get behind the wheel; creating houses that give the same quality of accommodation to cars and family members; and designing facilities such as shopping areas, suburbs and a Harbour Bridge that can be reached and navigated only by car.
These same powers wish to promote NZ as a cycle tourism destination (word to the wise: the internet makes the world a very small place) and are prescribing a ‘share with care’ solution to the problems that we now have. But this will not overcome the ignorance clearly evident in the Herald comments. To make ‘share with care’ work we need to get more people on their bicycles. Drivers understand pedestrians because when they get out of their cars they too are pedestrians, but if only very few drivers cycle, cyclist will remain an unknown race that incites prejudice in car drivers.
So how do we get more people on their bicycles? ... We woo them. We show them that cycling is stylish, fun, good for you, and just down right sexy!!
We get on our bicycles and ride …
Good post, Unity. I like your way of promoting cycling
ReplyDeleteI only have two problems with cyclists.
ReplyDelete1) Cycling on the road when there is a designated Bicycle lane present.
2) Cycling side-by-side (especially on busy roads). Personally I think that this should carry with it the same sort of penalty that you'd get for doing it in a car.
If you aren't doing these two things, (especially the 2nd one which is idiotic) then I like you and when I'm driving I'll protect you.
Keri
ReplyDeleteMy motivation for writing this post was to convey that we are all human beings who should endeavor to empathize and take care of each other. When I am cycling on the cycle path along the waterfront I will "protect" pedestrians whether they are side-by-side in the bicycle lane, listening to an ipod or have recently walked across a pedestrian crossing on a 'red man'. Our choice of transport is irrelevant, our behaviour is what matters. If I cycled into a group of pedestrians, I would be at fault - particularly, it seems, in NZ!
It's also worth pointing out to Keri that cyclists are authorised in the road code to ride two abreast, conditions permitting. Cars may overtake cyclists, conditions permitting. If the conditions don't permit, they must wait until they do, just like when there's a slower car, campervan, truck, tractor or any other vehicle on the road.
ReplyDeleteCar drivers must look out cyclists in the cycle lane just as they must look out for car other lanes before turning or changing lanes.
It's pretty simple, and it's also the law. As a motorist, it's your responsibility to know it.
Hi Unity
ReplyDeleteAfter the weekends events I've started a Wellington blog! It's at www.wellingtonbicycles.blogspot.com. It has a nice link to John Campbell interviewing a Sydney Cycling expert about what's happening there.
One thing cyclists are very quiet about...
The issue of cyclists running red lights-it obviously really grates some drivers.
Hi David
ReplyDeleteWow I hadn't seen that before (the video) - John Campbell is my new hero (it certainly isn't John Banks after his pathetic response on the breakfast show). May be I'll move to Sydney instead!!
But that certainly gives us new hope as what ever our 'big brother' does, we usually follow - the question is "how many years will it take?"
True but at least John Campbell had the good sense to look outside of what we are doing in NZ for good ideas. NZ is so small and so small minded it seems like after reading the Herald comments. I was depressed too.
ReplyDelete