Cycling.......do you feel safe???

[frank]

Just wondering how you guys experience cycling in NZ? Do you use your bike, where do you use it for (recreation/commuting/work) and do you feel safe? We arrived in NZ six years ago and we really missed our separated cycle paths that we we grew up with in Holland. Most of the time we felt safe cycling in Christchurch although we never can get used to the fact that quite often you have to cycle past parked cars which doors can be opened at any time. The vast majority of drivers in Christchurch seems to be OK with cyclists and swerve when they pass you. It appears that on average only 8 to 9 cyclists die annually in NZ: http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/ro...oll.html#fatal (although this needs to be zero). There are many people in NZ who do not use their bike because they think it is to dangerous.

Does this statistic agree with your perception and what is your city/region doing to make cycling safer?