Sophia Jarlov commutes to and from work by cycling along Cameron Road cycle lanes.

She has been doing so for a year and a half now and said she experiences close calls with drivers every time.

Jarlov is worried that it won’t be long before something awful happens.

The cycle lanes along Cameron Rd have been in place for about a year, and Jarlov said there still seems to be issues with sharing the road.

“They’re awesome the cycle lanes, I’ve just had so many near misses that I was like, ‘somebody’s got to do something’, and maybe today, that has to be me.”

Jarlov said the most dangerous sections of the cycle lanes are as you’re crossing intersections with side streets.

“When they’re coming out onto Cameron Rd, there’s stop signs at every intersection and I’m surprised when I see people stop now.

Sophia Jarlov has experienced many close calls with cars which have failed to stop at stop signs as she crosses the intersection using the cycle lane. Photo / Ayla Yeoman

“Some people just blow straight through and onto the cycle lane. Some of them do the rolling stop but keep going.

“It’s not ideal to share a space, but the very least that the drivers can do is just stop at the stop sign. It’s actually illegal to not stop.”

Jarlov said she is particularly concerned about the cycle lanes around schools like Tauranga Primary, as many students bike to and from school.

“There’s a lot of kids I see cycling, and it’s awesome,” she said, but she’s worried that one of these days, a student will be on their way home from school and they’re going to get hit because a driver didn’t stop at a stop sign.

Tauranga Primary School

Tauranga Primary School principal Fiona Hawes said student safety is always a priority for the school.

“We have noticed a lot more families biking to school with the addition of the dedicated cycleway on Cameron Rd,” she said.

“The new cycleway has certainly added a challenge for motorists - it is complex to navigate an intersection with two sets of ‘traffic’ moving in a variety of different directions and at a variety of speeds to account for.”

Where the main road meets merging traffic from side streets is a dangerous area for cyclists, Hawes said.

“At our school, we encourage our students to cross 5th Avenue at the pedestrian crossing and then enter the cycleway from the Burger King side to avoid end-of-day school traffic leaving 5th Avenue.”

Hawes said the slower speed zones around schools are very helpful for improving safety, and in general, slow-moving traffic outside the school gate makes the road safer for children.

“Children can be very unpredictable, and they will make mistakes, motorists must be aware of potential hazards in the environment they are driving in, especially around school zones.”

Sharing the road

Around 15 years ago, Jarlov was in an accident where she was hit while cycling.

The car failed to give way, and she was hit and knocked off her bike, resulting in a twisted knee and ankle.

From then on, Jarlov has been extra careful. “I’m a very slow, nervous cyclist.

“Some people go really fast with the traffic, and that’s cool, but I like to totter along.”

It’s so common for Cameron Rd cyclists to experience near-misses that it has become an office joke where Jarlov works.

“It’s a joke at work now with people who also cycle. You’re like, ‘Only one person tried to kill me today on my way to work’.

“I just want people to pay more attention when they’re in their cars and actually stop at a stop sign.

“I’ve driven around these streets with the stop signs and honestly, I can’t imagine blasting through them because I know that people are coming from both directions.

“It surprises me still that people feel confident to just go straight through. I would feel awful if something happened.

“They are tricky intersections; you have to stop and look. There’s a lot going on.”

New Zealand road rules require drivers to give way to people using cycleways. Photo / Ayla Yeoman

City cycle lanes

Tauranga City Council head of transport Mike Seabourne said the Cameron Rd cycle lanes were designed to accommodate more cyclists and scooter riders without taking up extra road space.

“We’re seeing more than 1000 people regularly cycling, walking, and scootering along Cameron Rd, following its completion.”

Seabourne said signal crossings have been installed at high-use side roads to minimise conflicts between drivers and people biking or scootering. Some side roads have speed humps installed to reduce speed and green marking alerts drivers they must give way when entering a side road.

“New Zealand road rules require drivers to give way to people using cycleways.

“If a cyclist is travelling straight ahead through an intersection, vehicles must give way to the cyclist, just as they would for other vehicles.”

He said this means drivers must wait until it’s safe to proceed without cutting off or endangering people riding their bikes.

“This rule applies to both two-way cycleways and one-way cycleways.”

Seabourne said when drivers are turning at an intersection, they must give way to cyclists in the cycle lane whether they are turning left or right.

“Over the past five years there have been 177 cycle-related crashes in Tauranga, of which 64% were at intersections. Of these, 21% involved death or serious injuries.”

Seabourne said a similar trend was evident on Cameron Rd. Between 2017 and 2021, before the upgrade started, there were 19 crashes involving cyclists, of which 12 (63%) were at intersections and 16 (37%) involved either a serious or minor injury.

“Since 2021, when cycleway construction on Cameron Rd began, there have been no reported crashes involving cyclists using the new cycle lanes.”

Seabourne advises cyclists to take care when approaching intersections, to slow down, and to ensure clear visibility.

“While cycleways and shared paths are well utilised across the country, they may still be a bit new for some Tauranga residents. While we do our best, we rely on everyone to play their part and keep each other safe on our roads.”

A spokesperson said Tauranga police would like to remind all road users to be alert and aware of their surroundings no matter where they are on the roads.

“As a road user, the decision you make not only impacts you but everyone else on the road as well.

“It is up to every single road user to pay attention to what they’re doing when they’re driving, riding, cycling, or crossing the road.”