Helmet cam confirms driver inattention

Despite the current ‘cost of living challenges’ facing all community events, Bike Manawatu is 100% committed to ensuring the 51st year of the Novice Tour – once again provides a safe, fun, competitive cycle racing event.

We will adopt a high-quality assured approach in implementing the Local Roading Authority’s/Cycling New Zealand’s ‘Safe Traffic Management System’ (STMS) standards which ensure best practices and rider and spectator safety.

If the level of community funding secured is not sufficient to contract in external road management service providers with the ability to stop/go traffic, the Novice Tour will proceed on a ‘local club racing’ model, whereby our team of trained/experienced road marshals will, where necessary, pause racing in order to give way to traffic and ensure rider safety.

Although funding external road management services with the ability to stop/go traffic is ideal, if this is not feasible – we are confident that the event’s ‘Safe Traffic Management System’ (STMS) will provide a competitive, fair, enjoyable and importantly safe racing environment.

Irrespective of which model of traffic management/racing is finalised, as with all CNZ/Bike Manawatu events, normal road rules will apply and a full rider briefing confirming the event rules will be provided to all riders prior to the start of each race.

From the Bicycle Victoria Website

A research project which fitted cameras to bike helmets to observe traffic has confirmed what riders have long suspected—drivers are not paying attention.

Of all the incidents recorded by the cameras drivers were at fault 87 per cent of the time, and in 83 per cent of those cases the drivers appeared oblivious of their errors. Drivers of 4WD vehicles were highly likely to failure to observe cyclists.

On the positive side the bad driving did not generally have serious consequences for riders because the videos suggested that cyclists were highly aware and could react rapidly to traffic situations and avoid collisions and near-collisions.

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