Three strikes and city cyclist is out
Hamilton man David Cook knew it was time to give up cycling the third time he was struck by a car on city streets.
A third serious accident has been enough for a Hamilton cyclist who has given up biking after being struck by a car and shattering its windscreen.
Wintec photography tutor David Cook is catching the bus to work after his latest accident earlier this year.
He suffered concussion and bad bruising and spent two and a half weeks on pain killers after being hit by a turning car in Hamilton East.
Mr Cook was riding past the Clyde St shopping centre when a car coming from the opposite direction turned right into the car park.
“He hit me fully side on and I rolled on to the bonnet of the car. My body collected his front windscreen and shattered that,” he said.
“I just rolled on to the ground and looked around and thought, where am I? What happened?
“So that’s when I took up bussing.”
Mr Cook had cycled for 40 years before the accident this year – 25 of them in Hamilton. All of his serious accidents happened in the past six years.
“Either I’m getting less observant or the roads are getting more dangerous and I do think I’m reasonably observant.”
In both earlier accidents he was hit by a car at an intersection. The first time a student failed to give way at the intersection of Bridge St and Memorial Drive. Mr Cook was unhurt but his bike was damaged.
In the second accident a 16-year-old male drove through a give way sign at the intersection of Cook St and Firth St. Mr Cook’s bike was wrecked and he lost a tooth.
While Mr Cook doesn’t think Hamilton’s roads are the whole problem he said they must be fairly unsafe given that a cyclist was killed on River Rd last Wednesday. It was one of two cycling accidents in Hamilton that happened within 10 minutes of each other.
He said motorists need to have more respect for cyclists.
“I think we’ve become such a car culture that the tide has turned. I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to go back to a safer space for cyclists in some cities.”
He recommended any cyclist in an accident notifies the police. “I think the more information and data that gets through to the police about what’s happening on the roads the better.”
Mr Cook still rides on occasion but said it’s not a routine part of his life any more.
“I just love being on the road on a set of two wheels. It gives me a chance to get in some exercise and to reflect on things and just enjoy the city.
“[But] I just don’t feel safe enough to get back up there on two wheels at the moment.”
