Injured cyclist says stay alert

Emergency services attend the scene on Monday. Photo / George Novak

A cyclist who was hospitalised after a collision with a car says the accident will not deter her from getting back on a bike.

Teresa Nichols, 49, was on the home stretch of her ride around Tauranga when she was involved in the collision on Matapihi Rd near the Omanu Golf Club about 1.30pm on Monday.

Ms Nichols told the Bay of Plenty Times that she recalled yelling "stop, stop, stop" before the collision. The impact knocked her unconscious and the next thing she remembered was waking up in the back of an ambulance that was rushing her to hospital.

She wanted to thank those who came to her aid on Monday afternoon. Members of the public stopped oncoming traffic, didn't move her from where she landed in the middle of the road and covered her in a blanket until St John arrived.

She had started her ride in cental Tauranga, cycled over the Tauranga Harbour Bridge, along Pilot Bay and up along Ocean Beach Rd and towards Papamoa before circling back through Matapihi, she said.

Nothing was broken as a result of the accident but she was was still sore, she said.

She was aware of the risks associated with cycling on the road and said a prayer each time she set out that she would return home safely.

The accident would not put her off riding again, she said. But she said both drivers and cyclists had to be aware of each other on the road.

"So many people think trails and bike lanes are the answer. No, driver awareness and cyclist awareness, that is the answer.

"Everybody has to be alert and anticipating. It's the responsibility of both parties."

It was the first time she had ever been involved in a collision, she said.

Everybody needed to do their part in sharing the roads, paths and cycleways, she said.

"I ride with the intention, I don't want to hold you up. I want to get where I am going and back. As a cyclist I am out to enjoy the ride ... I just want to ride on the road too.

"People don't seem to understand. Bikes do not have brakes like cars.

"We cannot stop at the snap of a finger. We are not wearing a seatbelt."