CRAZY CYCLISTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 9, 10 July 1937, Page 8

CRAZY CYCLISTS

ASKING.FOR TROUBLE

HUTO«VALbEY WORSTjOF ALL

When he announced the intention of the Government to distribute copies of the road code throughout the Dominion, the Minister of Transport remarked that possibly the publicity given to road accidents recently had been focused particularly upon motorists, but that in fact pedestrians and cyclists were in part to blame, through their ignorance of the traffic regulations or their failure to observe them and common-sense road safety practices. The Minister spoke generally when he made that remark, but it applies with particular effect to about half the cyclists of the Hutt Valley, and because that half behaves in a crazy way all cyclists are classed as crazy by motorists. If it is that these cyclists are ignorant of the regulations, _ their ignorance is complete. If it is thatj they know what the regulations insist on but choose to ignore them, it is because they feel safe enough about getting away with it. t "Never ride more than two abreast, says the road code, but they do it, morning, afternoon, and evening. "Be sure that your cycle has.an efficient white light to the front as well as the necessary red rear reflector, or light, and white rear patch." The code also says that, and the crazy section apparently replies: "Sez you!" and gets away with that, too. The main road from the Petone rail-, way crossing to the bridge over the river at Lower Hutt is on late afternoons at this time of the year the most dangerous roadway anywhere about Wellington, and the road from the Pipe Bridge to Petone runs it a good second. Each is narrow, with a big volume of fast traffic, there are no cycle tracks, the lighting is poor, and between 5 and 6 o'clock cycle traffic is busy, with and without lights. Once in the shopping streets of Lower Hutt and Petone the better lighting removes any shred of anxiety which these cyclists may have had about being run down or collided with, and anyhow they do not need white lights there. And they get away with that, also.

Beyond Lower Hutt, through Taita, the road is narrow and the traffic fast, but cyclists still hold to their ancient privilege of riding. without lights, as long as they are not caught.