As some of you may have read in yesterday’s Weekend Herald, Robbie Price, the chair of Cycle Action Waikato, had a serious cycle crash which made him lose his memories of the last 10 years – while otherwise seeming mostly unhurt, Robbie cannot remember things from before 2002.
Robbie is reported to have crashed when he hit a temporary construction sign that had been placed into a cycle lane in Frankton suburb, Hamilton. From the limited information the article gives us, it appears that contractors were thus responsible for the crash by unsafely blocking a cycle lane. Something we do see around Auckland as well.
The construction traffic codes generally require that where a cycle lane is closed due to construction, a temporary cycle lane has to be designated. But even that does not help when signs end up in places where they should never go – especially without warnings ahead of the sign, such as traffic cones. In some cases, roadworkers seem to see the cycle lane or cycle path as a convenient place for signs to get them “out of traffic” – in other cases, some drunk hoodlum moves signs or traffic cones around, creating a dangerous situation. If nothing else, the crash would show that roadworks sites need to constantly check their signage – with cyclists in mind. If you see any unsafe construction zones, please contact Auckland Transport urgently.
We wish Robbie a good recovery, and all the support he needs from friends, family and coworkers – it is hoped that he will eventually regain the memory of his missing decade.
