Failing to wait an extra minute won't kill you but could kill someone else, cycling widow...

Celia and the late Tim Hope make the most of an open day for the Huntly Expressway in February 2020.​

Failing to wait an extra minute won't kill you but could kill someone else, cycling widow says Stuff.co.nz

New Zealand - Celia Hope doesn’t know how she’s going to cycle without her beloved husband and biking buddy.

She met Tim Hope on cycling tour across Canada just over 23 years ago.

Their relationship continued to revolve around cycling until a fateful trip to the Hamilton Farmers’ Market last month when Tim was seriously injured in a crash with a truck
on Hamilton's Ruakura Road.

The 76-year-old never regained consciousness and died five days later, on July 3.

A police spokesperson said they are “continuing to investigate the circumstances”.

“I just don't know how I'm going to cycle without [Tim],” Celia Hope said. “I will, but at this stage I don't know.”

Tim, a cycling advocate, wasn't one for crowds and never liked a fuss, Celia said.

He was the kind of person who quietly considered how he could make things better – whether advocating for cycling, taking a neighbourhood leadership role, or picking up rubbish on his travels.

And Celia’s now calling for a culture change on Kiwi roads, in his honour.

“When I’m a lot better again I'm going to do what I can for this cause, for Tim...because we had hoped to do that.”

“This is to honour him and I hope this is to also try to get the message out there that we as a road culture need to smarten up. We need to be people. People driving cars, not cars or trucks ... Tim would say that. He would say we’ve got to have respect, we've got to be responsible, and we’ve got to be patient.”

“One minute is not going to kill you but it could kill someone else.”

Ruakura Road, where Tim Hope's crash was, is about to be 'urbanised' by Hamilton City Council. The speed limit will drop to 50kmh and it will get an off-road path for pedestrians and cyclists, along with other safety improvements.​

“That’s the big message from Tim,” she said. “If nothing else, that’s what he would want to be heard.”

Tim was a cycling advocate who pedalled about 9000 kilometres a year, Celia said.

Their car would ...

Continue reading...