After a cyclist was involved in an accident on the N4 in February, a debate about where they are or are not allowed to ride was sparked.
Motorists’ behaviour towards cyclists, and vice versa, was also debated.
As many individuals in the comment section of Lowvelder’s Facebook page pointed out, cyclists are not allowed on a freeway, as per the special provisions in the Road Traffic Act and Regulations.
However, the section where the above-mentioned accident had occurred, according to TRAC, is not classified as a freeway.
“The TRAC N4 route is a freeway from Pretoria to west of Wonderfontein, where the freeway ends. A freeway is denoted by a R401 or R402 sign.
“The N4 between Mbombela and Schagen is not a freeway. Pedestrians and cyclists are allowed on that section,” said Solange Soares, TRAC’s spokesperson.
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Mpumalanga Cycling’s road director, Hendrik Wagener, said one of the biggest factors when it comes to cyclists’ safety, is the distance between a motorist and a rider when passing each other – 1.5m is the ideal. A motorist should thus try to give cyclists that much space when passing them.
Cyclists, he said, are, however, also guilty sometimes. “They have to ride behind one another and not next to one another.”
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Even though it is legal for a cyclist to ride on a section of the N4, Wagener said he would still not recommend it, unless it is an organised event with the relevant authorities present. There are so many other roads, he said, that are safer. The same rules apply there, though. If you cycle on any road, he strongly recommends having a backup vehicle follow you. Other cars will then automatically keep their distance.
What it comes down to is that both the cyclist and motorist should follow the same rules and be vigilant, but most importantly, patient.
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