Napier woman Amy Symonds takes her life into her hands every day she cycles to work in Hastings and she has the video to prove it.
A camera on Dr Symonds' cycle helmet on one particular day shows, among other things, trucks passing to close to the cyclist and one car even passing her on the left.
Dr Symonds began cycling from her home on Bluff Hill to work at the Hawke's Bay Hospital in Hastings about six months ago in the interest of healthy living, exercise and using pedal power.
Since then other work mates had begun cycling the 20km route but negotiating the narrow width of the Chesterhope bridge over the Ngaruroro river was a major safety issue.
Dr Symonds outlined the risk cyclists were taking on the bridge when she presented to the Hastings District Council's long term plan hearing this week.
She said it was only a matter of time before a cyclist was seriously injured there.
She showed a short video recorded from her helmet camera, of a typical ride across the bridge on the way to work.
Councillors cringed as they watched trucks pass close to the cyclist and cars nearly crossing the double yellow centre line to overtake the rider.
A scene showed a bus passing across the front of the cyclist to turn into Farndon Rd. Dr Symonds is caught in the middle with a car passing her on the left to turn into Ruahapia Rd and a truck on her right travelling towards Hastings on Pakowhai Rd.
Dr Symonds commended the council for its work on building the iWay cycle network and the regional effort on the Hawke's Bay Trails for cyclists. But those cycle ways had gates which slowed the ride and her road bike was not a good match for the limestone pathways.
As a result she cycled along a road route, off the main highways, connecting to the busier Pakowhai Rd at Chesterhope bridge.
"I know the council has lots of pressure on it at the moment ... but if the council could do something about this and put it in the long term plan, that would be good.''
Dr Symonds said even if there was no budget for a cycle clip-on, it could install signs making motorists aware they must share the bridge with cyclists.
The council was confident the government would approve its application for more Iway funding for cycling. This would provide a budget to build a clip-on cycle lane over Chesterhope bridge within the next three years.
Dr Symonds said she was happy to hear the council "was going to make changes'' to improve safety for cyclists.
"I might not be living in Hawke's Bay in three years' time but it will be something good for other people.
"I think more people will definitely want to ride ... but the fact is at the moment the bridge is a busy place and people are scared of the traffic.''
Police Eastern District acting road policing senior sergeant Clint Adamson said whether there was enough cycle traffic over busy bridges to warrant a clip-on was an issue for councils, but cyclists and motorists had equal responsibilities.
He said motorists should not try to "squeeze'' past cyclists in the face of oncoming traffic, but cyclists needed to ensure they were using up as little of the roadway as necessary.
Police have charged a teenager and a 51-year-old man over a crash in which a cycling couple were seriously injured on a dangerous stretch of road near Taupo.
David Joyce, 52, and Sirpa Lajunen, 49 _ formerly of Hawke's Bay _ were cycling on Poihipi Rd when they were struck by a 4WD just after 3pm on May 25.
Both suffered serious injuries.
Ms Lajunen is still recovering in Waikato Hospital, while Mr Joyce needs outpatient treatment.
Police said two vehicles were travelling in convoy in the same direction as the cyclists.
The first vehicle pulled wide to avoid the cyclists but the second vehicle hit them.
A 17-year-old man from Taupo has been charged with two counts of careless driving causing injury and one count of driving while his licence was revoked. A 51-year-old man, who was driving the first vehicle, has been charged with counselling another driver to drive with a revoked licence.
They will both appear in Taupo District Court on June 27.
- Lawrence Gullery, Hawke's Bay Today
