We’re moving targets, cyclist says
A Kiwi cycling enthusiast says motorists’ attitudes are putting people off joining the two-wheeled brigade.
Manawatu’s Wayne Butcher says that in six years, he’s been hit by cars on three separate occasions, has been hospitalised, verbally abused by motorists, and shot in the buttocks with an air rifle. On Wednesday Butcher was clipped by a car’s wing mirror while cycling with eight others near Taonui Airport, in Manawatu.
He said that having recently experienced the ‘‘outstanding’’ attitude of drivers in France, the negative attitudes in New Zealand needed to change.
‘‘The mentality of people out there is unbelievable – I just don’t know what we can do to alleviate this problem of people just thinking we are targets basically. It happens far too often to be comfortable.’’
Four cyclists have died as a result of crashes on New Zealand’s roads so far this year, Ministry of Transport figures show.
Butcher believed the behaviour of some motorists was scaring people away from cycling.
‘‘I think some people do it to scare you and a lot of people give up cycling on the road because they have so many near misses. They’re just too frightened to ride on the roads.’’
Cycling Action Network’s Patrick Morgan said a small percentage of ‘‘idiots’’, both cyclists and motorists, caused trouble and there had been a ‘‘boom’’ in cycling recently, rather than an increase in aggressive behaviour.