Cycle Lanes

First rule of cycling in New Zealand: NEVER TRUST DRIVERS !!!

Governments can set regulations on the movements of cars and bikes but they can never actually physically control their transgressions into each other's spaces,-which is inevitably where cyclists come off worst.

( 8 cyclists have died in New Zealand so far [September] ( now 11 dead in October) this year, keep counting! )
http://www.landtransport.govt.nz/research/toll.html

Cycle Lanes are useful for those cyclists who want to ride as fast as they can go but put cyclists right in the danger zone.

Car doors and cars pulling into and out of parallel parking spaces along the roads and cars crossing cycle lanes to turn left are a major danger to cyclists using allocated lanes.

Cycle Lanes are not an appropriate place for (what could be) the greatest number of (would be) cyclists who are more likely to want to move at a more relaxed pace and with some degree of physical separation from the 'river of steel'.

To reduce the confusion felt by cyclists finding that their allocated cycling lane has petered out into nothing, it is important that they be allowed to make free and unfettered use of footpaths where-ever they exist.

Enabling cyclists to use pavements will provide the degree of separation that will help intending cyclists to make the change
and will help to lower the incidence of collisions with significantly bigger and faster vehicles.

We aren't allowed to walk on the roads. Why are we forced to cycle on them ?

See http://www.bianz.org.nz/96.html
for new rules on cycling in NZ