A young cyclist has been left shaken and bruised after being run off the road for the third time in two years on Auckland's North Shore.
Elliot Henk, 18, was biking along Lake Pupuke Dr from a friend's place in Takapuna to his home in Forrest Hill about midnight on Friday when a white car approached.
Speaking to the Herald on Sunday, Elliot said the occupants of the vehicle were yelling and honking the horn before they veered towards him, striking his handlebars and knocking the teen onto the tarmac. The car then quickly sped off.
"It was quite scary, but to be honest it is not entirely unusual," Elliot told the Herald.
The teen suffered minor bruises and scrapes in the incident, but his bike was badly damaged.
A keen cyclist, biking is Elliot's main method of transportation. However, the teen said he is regularly subjected to aggressive behaviour by motorists while riding around Auckland's northern suburbs.
Mostly the hostility is limited to honking or yelling out the window - but now on three occasions, the 18-year-old has been intentionally driven off the road, one time ending up in a gully.
His parents, Mandy and Chris Henk - also regular cyclists - say poor cycling infrastructure and a lack of awareness on the roads are partly to blame.
"The difference is when you're on a bike, you are just so vulnerable," Chris Henk told the Herald.
Auckland Transport (AT) has a target of building 10km of cycleways each year, yet it has failed to meet that goal for the past four. Only 6km of cycleways were built in the 2019/2020 period, with some projects hindered amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Due to financial constraints, the target has been lowered to 4km for the current financial year.
Yet despite the deficit in infrastructure, the number of cyclists continues to grow - with a 16 percent increase recorded in the last three years.
In a statement, a police spokesperson told Newshub: "Police urges all motorists to drive carefully, be alert, keep to the speed limit, and share the road. Pedestrians and cyclists are also much more vulnerable to injury than drivers in a crash.
"If you're driving a vehicle it’s crucial to stay alert, slow down and give plenty of room when passing people on bikes or on foot.
"Our police are out on the roads every day trying to prevent harm but we really need the help of everybody who uses the road. If you're using the road - whether that be driving, riding, cycling, or as a pedestrian - you have a responsibility to do so with care, and to look out for your fellow road users.
"Motorists are urged to stay clear of cycle lanes - even if you're intending to make a turn you must only drive in the cycle lane for the minimum length necessary to complete the manoeuvre."
