An Auckland cyclist says it's lucky no one was killed after he captured the moment a vehicle overtook him and nearly forced him into a parked car on a busy, blind narrow corner.
The cyclist was riding to work in Reihana St, Orakei, at 8am on Wednesday when a car coming from behind suddenly overtook him around a blind corner with parked cars on either side.
The cyclist, who wishes to remain anonymous, told the Herald he was travelling close to 40kmh and had no room to move.
"Not only was it a blind corner but there were trucks completely blocking the view so he wouldn't be able to see anything coming the other way.
"If I pulled over I probably would have smashed into the back of the green car. There was never going to be a good chance to overtake.
"I wasn't hogging the road. If there was another car coming he would have either been dead in a head-on collision or if he manages to swerve he'd have pinned me into the parked car or ran me over or pushes me into the back of a car.
"Even if he honked at me there was no chance of a safe overtake."
Cyclist: "Mate, you just pulled around me across a bend you couldn't see. There could have been a car coming across the other side of the road."
Driver: "Do you want me to bang into you?"
Cyclist: "No I want you to slow the f*** down and just wait. That would have been a split second. Are you f***ing kidding me, you could have killed both of us!"
Driver: "When you're on a bike move the f*** over, otherwise people have to drive to the wrong side of the road.
Cyclist: "Dude there was no room for you up there. You can't make both of us go around a bend."
Driver: "There's no room for you when there's a car coming. Why don't you move the f*** over?"
Cyclist: "Where was no more room, I was not in the middle of the f***ing road!"
Driver: "No wonder cyclists get f*** the run over mate, you act like a dickhead."
Since June, the cyclist has captured 13 videos of near misses and dangerous driving incidents from motorists during his journeys too and from work.
Reihana St is notorious for its busy traffic and parked vehicles on either side, with many cars often speeding through the Orakei road.
While the cyclist understands in some occasions bikers can be in the wrong, he says drivers of vehicles need to be more aware of their surroundings and show a better understanding of safe driving.
"I get everyone is in a rush, but people need to see things from a cyclist's perspective. I wasn't hogging the road. I drive a car as well and I see cyclists on the road but without being a cyclist it's hard to see it from their point of view.
"People on the roads need to have more awareness on 'defensive driving' – not just defending themselves but everyone on the roads and not getting into these situations in the first place!"
