The Automobile Association is reminding motorists and cyclists they need to work together to safely share the roads.

With February being Bike Wise month in New Zealand, more people are being urged to get out of their cars or public transport and onto a bicycle. Tomorrow will also be Go By Bike Day in several parts of the country, including Auckland, with events encouraging people to cycle to work and school.

The recent court case of a driver who, despite acting as safely as they could while getting out of their parked car, was involved in the tragic death of a cyclist riding in a cycle lane in Auckland is the most poignant reminder possible that bike riders are incredibly vulnerable on our roads.

The AA wants both cyclists and motorists to have safe and enjoyable travel and is promoting the tips below as ways both groups can show more consideration, courtesy and common-sense towards each other:

Tips for drivers

• Make a conscious effort to look out for cyclists.
• Double check for cyclists before turning – a large amount of crashes happen when a vehicle is turning in front of a cyclist
• Only pass a cyclist when there is enough space to do so safely, the road code recommends keeping at least a 1.5m gap.
• Be willing to drive behind a cyclist as you would for any other vehicle.
• Check for cyclists before opening your car door.
• Take even more care around young cyclists – 10-14 year old cyclists are the group most commonly hospitalised from crashes with vehicles

Tips for cyclists

• Help to be seen by wearing brightly coloured or reflective clothing.
• Stick to the road rules.
• Use hand signals to indicate when you are turning or stopping.
• Ride in single file as much as possible, especially on narrow roads.
• If you have a tail of cars behind you, pull over and let them pass. A little consideration makes the road a lot safer.

On roads with cycle lanes

More of our roads are now having cycle lanes added to them, and bike riders should use these where they exist. They are no guarantee of safety however, and the following tips explain what drivers and cyclists should be doing on these roads.

• Maintain a safe distance. An obstacle can force a cyclist to swerve out of their lane so drivers should still give them as much additional space as possible.
• Drivers can only cross a cycle lane to access a side road, driveway or parking space.
• Drivers must give way to any cyclists in the cycle lane before driving across it.
• Cyclists should leave a cycle lane well before an intersection to join a different lane to turn right or left.

“The ‘them and us’ mentality some drivers and cyclists have has no place on our roads,” says AA spokesperson Dylan Thomsen.

“Drivers and cyclists have a mutual right to safe travel and it is in everyone’s interests to take extreme care around each other.

“Any type of collision involving a cyclist and a motor vehicle can have tragic consequences, even at low speeds.

“In a lot of crashes drivers have simply missed seeing a cyclist so this month helps gives motorists a reminder to watch out for cyclists and for bike riders to make themselves as visible as possible on the roads.”

More information about Bike Wise Month is on www.bikewise.co.nz.

For more information contact:

Dylan Thomsen
Motoring Affairs Communications Adviser
New Zealand Automobile Association
T. (04) 931 9991
M. 027 781 3254
E. dthomsen@aa.co.nz

The New Zealand Automobile Association is an incorporated society with over one million members. It represents the interests of road users who collectively pay over $2 billion in taxes each year through fuels excise, road user charges and GST.