Auckland cyclist cut off and thrown off bike in collision with driver in ute.
A cyclist who was sent tumbling to the ground after being hit by a ute says he hopes the video of the terrifying incident will serve as a serious warning to road users.
On Tuesday at 8.30am the cyclist, who wished to remain anonymous, was riding along Great North Rd in the cycle lane when he went to turn left onto Ponsonby Rd.
As the light went green the cyclist began to go straight. However, a ute in front of him that appeared to be going straight suddenly pulled across the cycle lane onto Ponsonby Rd, sending him flying off his bike and onto the ground.
Footage of the dramatic incident was captured on the cyclist's helmet cam and showed the driver of the ute pulling over to check on him.
A cyclist who was sent tumbling to the ground after being hit by a ute says he hopes the video of the terrifying incident will serve as a serious warning to road users. Photo / Supplied
"After the accident, he stopped and came to me and said he was so sorry.
"More than being sorry, he said 'I didn't see you', and he couldn't believe he couldn't see me. I was deliberately positioning myself in the most visible spot. It's a bike lane, it's obvious you're turning across another lane."
Photo / NZTA
The cyclist suffered a stiff neck, bruising, grazing and general soreness after the crash.
However, despite being hit, the Auckland resident isn't angry at the ute driver but instead wants the video to be used an education tool for road users.
The 26-year-old, who is a keen driver himself, says accidents can happen to drivers of any experience level and just wants people to be aware of the dangers cyclists face every day.
"I think he's learnt a lesson. We both got a fright. it was full-on. It would be great if people could watch the video and see how scary and unpredictable riding in traffic can be and adjusting their behaviour before having to hit someone to get the wakeup call they need.
"It's important to not let people be complacent. If you're a passenger and you notice whoever is driving weaving across lanes you should say something. You can get away with it 100 times before you hit someone but when you do it's so intense.
"I love driving, but I am currently riding as well so I'm not a cyclist out to inflame all drivers. I just want people to be aware of what is going on.
"I don't have any hard feelings to the driver. He's not a bad guy, it's just easy to get complacent and hopefully, more people will become aware of how dangerous it can be out there."
The ute driver pulled over to check if the cyclist was ok after accidentally running him off his bike on Tuesday. Photo / Supplied
The 26-year-old who both rides a bike and drives says behind the wheel of both modes of transport has opened his eyes to the behaviour of Kiwi drivers.
He explained road users need to be more patient, forgiving and have a greater awareness of what is going on around them.
"There is a culture of righteous road use in New Zealand, people teaching each other lessons like tailgating a car going slightly too slow in the left lane or a ruthless overtake of someone who pulled out and didn't accelerate up to speed fast enough. People think they are justified to speed through a red light if they feel the car in front took their time getting through the intersection.
"Drivers here seem to prioritise speed above situational awareness, none of which pays off when a cyclist and a car keep stopping at the same sets of lights. The best solution for getting there faster can be to just leave the house earlier than you need to."
Previously, Auckland Transport has said all road users need to drive to the conditions and give each other "appropriate space and courtesy".
"We want everyone to be safe on our roads. People walking, riding bikes and riding motorcycles are amongst the most vulnerable road users," the AT spokesperson said.
"If a person walking or riding a bike is hit by a vehicle travelling 50km/h, they have an 80 per cent chance of dying or being seriously injured.
