Five cyclists die in five days

[scissorhands]

Tamaki Drive again and cagers killing bikers. You got to be nuts to ride bicycles on NZ roads.

from http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=10688406

Five cyclists have died as a result of crashes on New Zealand roads in the last five days, following the death this morning of a cyclist critically injured on Saturday in Morrinsville.

Kay Heather Wolfe, 45, was one of 10 cyclists from the Morrinsville Wheelers Cycling Club travelling in a group along the Morrinsville-Walton Rd when a car driven by a 23-year-old woman crossed the centreline on a corner and crashed into the group.

Fellow cyclists Mark Andrew Ferguson, 46, and Wilhelm Muller, 71, died at the scene while Ms Wolfe was taken to Waikato Hospital by ambulance in a critical condition.

A fourth cyclist suffered minor injuries and the driver was also taken to hospital for treatment.

On Saturday, Patricia Anne Veronica Fraser, 34, from Longburn, near Palmerston North, was killed while out training on State Highway Three in the Manawatu for the Lake Taupo cycle race.

Last night, another cyclist - 27-year-old Jane Mary Bishop, a UK citizen working temporarily in New Zealand - also died after being hit by a truck on Tamaki Drive along Auckland's waterfront.

Emergency services closed part of Tamaki Drive and worked frantically to save the cyclist after she was trapped under a Henderson Rentals truck about 6.30pm.

The accident happened on the corner near Kelly Tarlton's marine tourist attraction.

Police said Ms Bishop took evasive action to avoid a motorist who opened a car door and fell under the truck, which was travelling in the same direction, towards Mission Bay.

A witness who was jogging said Ms Bishop was pinned under the truck's rear wheels.

"The driver brought a jack to try to jack the truck up, but he couldn't - it wasn't big enough," the man said.

"So the firefighters got their airbags and lifted the truck up. But she was in a bad way."

The witness said the firefighters gave Ms Bishop CPR to keep her alive until an ambulance arrived.

Police later urged motorists to check for cyclists when opening doors or pulling out of parking spaces.

A St John Ambulance official said Ms Bishop had died by the time paramedics arrived.

A spokeswoman for Transport Minister Steven Joyce yesterday said the minister was very concerned about the recent spate of fatal road accidents, including those involving cyclists.

"As the details of those accidents become known, he will be reviewing them with transport officials for any common elements and to see if any changes in regulations could help," she said.

Chief Coroner Neil MacLean said last night there were plans to group a spate of cyclists' deaths together in one inquest.

He believed about 12 cycling deaths had been caused by collisions with vehicles.

Judge MacLean said the purpose of the inquest would be see if a pattern emerged and "what could be done to cut down the death toll".

Auckland regional transport officials regard Tamaki Drive as the city's the most dangerous stretch of road for cyclists.

Last night's accident was between the Kitemoana St and Atkin Ave intersections with Tamaki Drive, which were last year identified as black spots for cycling crashes in Auckland.

In 2008 and 2009, there were 24 crashes in that stretch near Bastion Pt involving cyclists, including six that caused serious injuries.

Cycle Action Auckland spokeswoman Barbara Cuthbert said cyclists would be devastated by the news.

"This is a ghastly toll for such a short time."

She welcomed the Chief Coroner's plan to investigate the common factors in the deaths.

"We have to have that big-picture analysis. In this case, we are dealing with a congested road where parked cars are a luxury that we can't afford to have."

In September last year, four cyclists were injured on Tamaki Drive when they were run over by a female motorist.

One of the cyclists, engineer Greg Paterson, was left with skull fractures, brain injuries and paralysis to the left side of his body.

In November, a man aged in his late 20s was injured by a car which came out of the Ngapipi Rd-Tamaki Drive intersection and reportedly hit him in the cycle lane.

The Auckland City Council allocated $455,000 for improving safety on the busy scenic route, with measures including extending on-road cycle lanes and improving signs.

- Additional reporting: Isaac Davison, Andrew Koubaridis, NZ Herald Staff
By Amelia Wade and Paul Harper | Email Amelia

[mashman]

that is a lot of cyclists... RIP to the fallen... hope the new measures TPTB come up with do the trick

[Bald Eagle]

RIP to all of the poor cyclists.
Once again car/truck drivers killing anyone with less wheels than them.

[James Deuce]

The woman who died yesterday was a victim of her own mistake. She swerved to avoid a car door opening, into the path of a truck.

It's always easy to blame other road users, but the unpalatable truth is that more often than not, people die as a result of their own mistakes.

[Mully]

Terrible news.

Hmm, cyclists being killed and injured on the roads. Better hike their ACC levies.

Oh, wait.

Actually, doesn't Tamaki Drive have a shared footpath/cyclepath along it?

[duckonin]

The woman who died yesterday was a victim of her own mistake. She swerved to avoid a car door opening, into the path of a truck.

It's always easy to blame other road users, but the unpalatable truth is that more often than not, people die as a result of their own mistakes.

Yes she swerved but it sounds like the truck was up her arse as she ended up under the rear wheels of truck,..and again sounds like the arrogant truck driver never gave her any room at all ..'Prize cunt' he would be

The unpalatable truth is other road users are ignorant cunts, it is a me me me attitude on the road.....

[marty]

Terrible news.

Hmm, cyclists being killed and injured on the roads. Better hike their ACC levies.

Oh, wait.

Actually, doesn't Tamaki Drive have a shared footpath/cyclepath along it?

it does, but it's too rough and uneven for road bikes - it's OK for MTBs or soft roaders though. And runners with iPods make it pretty dangerous as they can't hear you coming. I always take my MTB to Akl when I stay up there - the road is just too fucking dangerous.

[Paul in NZ]

To me the worry is that 5 cyclists die and there are calls to instigate 10year reviews of drivers abilities (ie you resit your license every 10 years)

The implication being its poor drivers at fault rather than the cyclists...

With motorcyclists - its our fault we are getting injured and killed so we have to pay for training and extra ACC...

Um.....

[Blackshear]

While I do respect the deaths of them, I'm somewhat unsurprised.
At most points the roads are narrow with parked cars on either sides around reasonably tight and blind corners, couple that with pedestrians trying to cross the road and other cyclists using the cycling lanes on the footpath, they tend to really blend in the with scenery. 9/10 cyclists you pass are pretty clued on and respectful of their place on the road, but too often you come up to some tosser in the middle, barely in a straight line and isn't looking at shit in front of him. He'll, I've even seen a cyclist carry his merry inertia through a pedestrian crossing without looking and collected two poor little kids.
Yes, mr.cyclist, you have to obey the road rules when on the road.

I agree the cyclist lanes are absolutely no place for the pace a roadie cruises at, but goddamnit you know the risk of riding on the road as much as the next guy.

[Grubber]

The woman who died yesterday was a victim of her own mistake. She swerved to avoid a car door opening, into the path of a truck.

It's always easy to blame other road users, but the unpalatable truth is that more often than not, people die as a result of their own mistakes.

Here we go again. Assumption is the Mother of all cockups. Car driver opening door is at fault, as you are suppose to make sure the path is clear before you open the door. Simple as that really.

Yes she swerved but it sounds like the truck was up her arse as she ended up under the rear wheels of truck,..and again sounds like the arrogant truck driver never gave her any room at all ..'Prize cunt' he would be

The unpalatable truth is other road users are ignorant cunts, it is a me me me attitude on the road.....

Arrogant truck driver huh! I guess you were there then were you??
Truck happened to be just behind and to the right of cyclist until she had to take evasive action when car door opened, forcing her into the path of the truck. FACT!

[James Deuce]

Here we go again. Assumption is the Mother of all cockups. Car driver opening door is at fault, as you are suppose to make sure the path is clear before you open the door. Simple as that really.

Fault is no solace when you're dead. I'm totally sick of hearing the same argument from motorcyclists.

It doesn't matter who is at fault. Aren't you also supposed to be able to stop in half the visible distance ahead? I'm not suggesting that she is to "blame", I suggesting that she ran out of skill and made an error of judgement, which many, many motorcyclists also manage to do. Including me.

[Luckylegs]

...forcing her into the path of the truck. FACT!

No-one forced anything, there were two options.... FACT!

[rickstv]

No-one forced anything, there were two options.... FACT!

I think the main FACT here is that New Zealand roads are not designed with cyclists in mind. Like it or not, cyclists MUST take this into consideration every time they ride.
Rick.

[Grubber]

Fault is no solace when you're dead. I'm totally sick of hearing the same argument from motorcyclists.

It doesn't matter who is at fault. Aren't you also supposed to be able to stop in half the visible distance ahead? I'm not suggesting that she is to "blame", I suggesting that she ran out of skill and made an error of judgement, which many, many motorcyclists also manage to do. Including me.

Very true for the most part.
One exception would be, if the car door opens at the very point your right there, your options become extremely limited. You either hit the door with the knowledge there will be a heavy impact, or you swerve around said door. In this case the split second decision was the wrong one. I don't think she had too much time to do anything that was going to save herself really. This is how these things happen sometimes.
I would say the truck (to which she would have been to the left of) would have had plenty of clear distance ahead, until she swerved out to avoid the car door.

[Grubber]

No-one forced anything, there were two options.... FACT!

Exactly right! 1st being that shen collided with the car door then got flung onto the road under the truck or, 2nd she swerved to miss the door and ran into the truck.
Would love to see you try to stay alive under those circumstances!
She in FACT, was forced to make 1 of 2 really shit decisions.