Narrow shoulder compromises safety

Belgium cyclist Syavie Annet did not hesitate when asked if there was enough room to ride up the Dublin Bay hill on State Highway 6, near Albert Town, yesterday on the outside of the rumble strip.

"No, of course not."

Because the seal to the left of the rumble strip measured as little as 200mm, Ms Annet chose to ride in the traffic.

And, as the Otago Daily Times watched, several cars and two trucks risked a head-on crash by swerving across the yellow centre line, at speed, to avoid her.

Explaining the NZ Transport Agency’s policy on rumble strips, system manager Graeme Hall said they were being put on roads with "lower levels of traffic".

"Drivers may sometimes have a short wait before they can safely pass cyclists," he said.

No vehicles waited for Ms Annet, who has ridden 2000km in New Zealand so far.

Rumble strips are being placed along 630km of state highway in Otago as part of a $22.5 million programme of  low-cost safety improvements to 30 regional state highways.

About a third of the work in Otago has been completed.