Thoughts on bad driving and hostility to cyclists inspired by Josie Dew's book 'Long Cloud Ride'.
I’ve just read Josie Dew’s latest book, Long Cloud Ride, about her time in New Zealand. Two things stand out: awful weather and awful drivers.
NZ weather is known to be unpredictable, and Dew does seem to have drawn the short straw there. But bad driving is something else: it’s down to how people choose to act. Here’s what Josie has to say about Kiwi drivers:
Diabolical! Worst ever experienced. The majority seem convinced that the only place for a cyclist is in the ditch and if you’re not in it, they will soon put you there.
I have cycled in New Zealand, but only for a day or two and most of it off-road (we were there to go trekking, or ‘tramping’ as the Kiwis call it), so my lack of bad experiences proves nothing. And it isn’t just Josie Dew’s view; statistics show that New Zealand has an appalling road safety record, and just about every cyclist she met had horror stories to tell.
Kiwi drivers drive too fast, tailgate anyone who dares to travel more sedately, overtake on blind bends, pull out in front of cyclists, and so on. So far not much different from the sort of thing I experience here in the UK, not constantly, but regularly.
In the UK I blame it on the fact that most people never ride bikes (which is a national disgrace, of course) and therefore don’t appreciate either how fast a cyclist can be travelling. Too many drivers treat cyclists as essentially stationary objects, in the same speed category as pedestrians.
Bad enough, but in fact most British drivers are reasonably respectful and considerate toward cyclists. It’s just that the ignorant minority are so much more noticeable.
But what I have never experienced in the UK is driving deliberately calculated to intimidate or endanger the cyclist. This seems to be horribly common in New Zealand, with frequent reports of car passengers spitting at cyclists, hurling bottles and other rubbish at them, as well as running them off the road, not by accident but by intent.
We have our problems in the UK, and there are mindless twerps like Jeremy Clarkson who talk up hostility to cyclists, but clearly New Zealand is a whole lot worse. It surprises me that this beautiful country, whose people in general are both outdoors-loving and pleasantly laid-back, should be so susceptible to the moronic cult of ‘hooning’ (basically, driving too fast and/or recklessly, burning rubber, etc.). Mind you, as the home of lamentable inventions like the jet boat (the best way to shatter the peace of a lonely valley that I have ever encountered) maybe I shouldn’t be surprised.
Shame, but it doesn’t encourage me to head down there with my bike any time soon.
In my next blog I’ll try and hit a positive note with some of the countries where I have found drivers most considerate to cyclists, and as ever I’d love to hear your comments about the best and worst places to cycle.
