Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2023 22:11:50 GMT
A long-standing source of exasperation for me is the presence of bicyclists on New Zealand roads. Most suburban and city roads are made for cars, not for bicycles. It causes a huge number of problems.
Today, I was driving to university, as one does. Usually I do not drive in to university if going to the city campus because parking costs quite a bit but today I drove in as I had not driven my car in almost a week. I got to a point where I was on a one-way, two lane road (i.e. two lanes going in the same direction). I had just entered this road and was thus in the left-hand lane (remember: in this country we drive on the left, unlike in the United States).
I knew I had to be in the right lane in order to be able to turn into the street I wished to park on about 100 metres ahead. Thus I indicated right, checked my side-mirror, checked my blind spot, and looked forward (although the early-morning glare of the sun limited my visibility). I made to move into the right-hand lane having checked it was clear. Just as I did so, a bicyclist waiting at a bicyclist turning bay turned right from the turning bay into the lane I was turning into. He was not trying to get into the traffic flow - he was trying to cycle directly across the road to the footpath on the other side. He should have given way to me given he was in a turning lane and should have seen that the lane he wanted to cross was about to be occupied by me, but instead he turned into the lane anyway.
Because of the glare, I only saw him at the last moment. I had to brake and swerve left to avoid hitting him. Having averted falling off his bicycle, he rode off. Had I not seen him he would certainly be in hospital now. My first instinct, of course, was to examine the whole situation to make sure I was not at fault or had not sinned. I have concluded that it was either entirely or almost entirely his fault. He should have given way and should not have turned across a lane from a traffic island when a car was indicating to move into that lane.
Unfortunately, this is evidence of a massive problem in New Zealand. Drivers of both cars and bicycles have a terrible record. Just last year, I was driving in a 70 km per hour zone when a lady pulled out of a side street without looking to see if any cars were coming, and nearly caused me to crash into her drivers' side.
Bicyclists, however, are the worst. They get to drive on our roads without any licence or any experience whatsoever. They clog up the roads - honestly, sometimes you are stuck behind a cyclist who refuses to move to the side and the other cars behind you start honking for you to move even when it is not safe. Bicycling, in my opinion, should be banned on New Zealand roads. It is too dangerous, and bicyclists expect you to give them special treatment because they are more vulnerable. Yes, they are more vulnerable, but also more arrogant a lot of the time. They think they own the roads.
Today, I was driving to university, as one does. Usually I do not drive in to university if going to the city campus because parking costs quite a bit but today I drove in as I had not driven my car in almost a week. I got to a point where I was on a one-way, two lane road (i.e. two lanes going in the same direction). I had just entered this road and was thus in the left-hand lane (remember: in this country we drive on the left, unlike in the United States).
I knew I had to be in the right lane in order to be able to turn into the street I wished to park on about 100 metres ahead. Thus I indicated right, checked my side-mirror, checked my blind spot, and looked forward (although the early-morning glare of the sun limited my visibility). I made to move into the right-hand lane having checked it was clear. Just as I did so, a bicyclist waiting at a bicyclist turning bay turned right from the turning bay into the lane I was turning into. He was not trying to get into the traffic flow - he was trying to cycle directly across the road to the footpath on the other side. He should have given way to me given he was in a turning lane and should have seen that the lane he wanted to cross was about to be occupied by me, but instead he turned into the lane anyway.
Because of the glare, I only saw him at the last moment. I had to brake and swerve left to avoid hitting him. Having averted falling off his bicycle, he rode off. Had I not seen him he would certainly be in hospital now. My first instinct, of course, was to examine the whole situation to make sure I was not at fault or had not sinned. I have concluded that it was either entirely or almost entirely his fault. He should have given way and should not have turned across a lane from a traffic island when a car was indicating to move into that lane.
Unfortunately, this is evidence of a massive problem in New Zealand. Drivers of both cars and bicycles have a terrible record. Just last year, I was driving in a 70 km per hour zone when a lady pulled out of a side street without looking to see if any cars were coming, and nearly caused me to crash into her drivers' side.
Bicyclists, however, are the worst. They get to drive on our roads without any licence or any experience whatsoever. They clog up the roads - honestly, sometimes you are stuck behind a cyclist who refuses to move to the side and the other cars behind you start honking for you to move even when it is not safe. Bicycling, in my opinion, should be banned on New Zealand roads. It is too dangerous, and bicyclists expect you to give them special treatment because they are more vulnerable. Yes, they are more vulnerable, but also more arrogant a lot of the time. They think they own the roads.
