@Scundered: in ear headphones isolate external sounds considerably. Radios (at a sensible volume) do not. Traffic noise is not audible to a headphone user

@Scundered: the difference between cyclists wearing headphones and drivers listening to radio is that the headphones block out most of the noise making it practically impossible for a cyclists to hear something around them

@sue: that is absolute nonsense. In ear headphones generally do not isolate noise from external sources when listened to at a level that will not cause hearing damage. I’ve a small experiment for you, try cycling with a pair of headphones in and unless they are now cancelling you will hear every car, truck or bus that is near.

@Gulliver Foyle: most will, even at a sensible volume. Like these: Sennheiser CX 300 II Precision Noise Isolating Ear-canal Phones, Black https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001EZYMRM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_mGKozbFXA1R8X

@Gulliver Foyle: I walk with headphones and I know they do cancel out a lot. I use sensible volume and have to always double check when crossing the street as I cannot hear the cars

@sue: when you listen to music in the car your windows are all down I take it? Because otherwise you’re in a sealed room. You are no better than the cyclist but safer since you’re inside a cage.

“Cities get the cyclists they deserve. If you have good infrastructure, you will get good cyclists”

@Scundered: yes, I have the window open regardless of whether I listen to the radio. Also cars have mirrors to check the traffic behind, cyclists don’t

@Dave Spier: I think it is a good idea too, don’t worry that motorists are contributing to the economy albeit under duress but banning cars etc from areas where bikes only are allowed; this is bound to highlight the idiots who cycle and have no respect for other people. Without cars around they will have nobody to blame they broke the lights etc. Any consideration being given to reduce road tax in areas you cannot bring?

@sue: yes, was just about to point out myself that in a car, you have three mirrors to allow you to see what’s behind you or coming up either side of you. A cyclist doesn’t have this and instead has to rely on sound a lot more.

I cycle 150 km+ a week through the heart of the city wearing headphones. I can hear traffic around me. 100% of near misses I have with motorists come not from being able to hear, but from drivers not paying attention. I have near misses daily, always caused by bad driving. I’ve been hit by cars, had cars cut me off, had buses driving deliberatelty close to my back wheel because they were annoyed I wouldn’t let them past, had taxis punishment pass me, and on and on and on. This argument about headphones is a nonsense, drivers need to cop on. Ask yourselves, how many times in your car have you felt like you were in mortal danger because someone was cycling with headphones on? I’ve been so close to being knocked down so many times its frightening, I’d be dead if I cycled the way drivers drive, not paying attention, going too fast, speeding through orange and red lights, texting as they drive. There is no equivalence between a motorist and any other road user, because cars kill. Virtually no one dies from any other method of using a road, deaths are caused by vehicles with an engine. It’s not right to feel like you could be dead before you get to work because of the attitudes of people who require a license for the privilege of driving a car that clogs our city and pollutes our air. Much harsher restrictions need to be put in place for cars, and much harsher punishments.

@John Smith: do you have an organ donor card?

@Gulliver Foyle: That only works if you don’t have any music turned on. Most kids don’t hear any thing you ask them to do when their earphones are in.

@Ian Moloney:

They hear you, they just don’t want to answer you.

Not sure how useful my organs would be if/when they peel me from underneath a bus. If you have an issue with a bus driver deliberately trying to push you off the road take down their reg number, bus number and record the time, then lodge a formal complaint. They track down the driver. The more times this happens the more drivers will face their employers for their reckless actions.

@John Smith: You just keep wearing your earphones and pointing fingers at drivers. That’ll solve this problem once and for all. Facepalm.

@Fin Tastic:

Nah mate, removing cars from drivers will solve the problem once and for all. Kids aren’t allowed to drive cars, but morons are. Facepalm.

@Fin Tastic:

And Heisenberg as your avatar, bet that makes you feel cool, so original.

@John Smith: Good luck with those earphones – Darwin awards await you.

I can talk to the others while radio play in the car but hardly having music on my earphones.

@Fin Tastic:

Wow. That comeback is worthy of being immoratlised in stone. Next to “yer Ma” and “I know you are but what am I?”

@Dave Spier: Do you listen to the radio while driving?

@Patrick O’Brien: as pointed out above, three separate mirrors in a car allow a motorist to see what’s behind them.

All a cyclist has is their sense of hearing.

Removing the one thing that a cyclist can use to make them aware of this (headphones) is dangerous.

@Scundered: I use headphones along the off road bike lanes only. Always turn it off or take them out altogether when on the road. Even having them in alone with nothing playing has an impact on your hearing.

@Dave Spier: I’m a pedestrian and many times I went to cross the road when the green light is on and cyclist fly by me many times I’ve nearly been knocked down

@Jho Harris: There’s no such thing as road tax. There’s motor tax, which is a tax on the motor/engine of the vehicle. Roads are paid for out of general taxation, so everyone contributes – pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.

@Dave Spier: the same for motorists with earphones in and on their phones as well.

@GunsGerms: the rules should be applied to all regardless of mode of transport but they are not and that’s the problem. I see cars cutting off cyclists but then I also see the same cyclists squeeze past cars in traffic jams and ignore cars indicate going left. I also see plenty of pedestrian and cyclists breaking the lights every day. Apply the rules of the road across the board and treat each other with respect rather than it’s my right to be here, and roads might be safer

@sue: No they shouldnt. Are you saying it should be ok for me to cycle on a motorway because cars are allowed to?

There needs to be most more sensible rules applied to both encourage and promote cycling given that the benefits of having greater volume of cyclists on the streets far out weigh the benefits of having more cars.

@GunsGerms: thanks youve proven my point. Best of luck in wonderland.

@theupsidedown: You’re welcome. Your point wasnt very well thought so happy to oblige. Not much critical thinking evident.

@GunsGerms: I forgot to include use common sense

@GunsGerms: cyclists are not allowed on the motorway as it’s dangerous to cyclists. As I said common sense needs to be applied in all areas of life.

@GunsGerms: well said. Best of luck in alternative reality Dublin. I suspect it’s very misty there. Dope.

@GunsGerms: You do know you have to yield to a car that’s turning left?

@TP Simms: The issue is cars over taking cyclists and then turing left cleaning them out.

@TP Simms: ‘have’ to would be incorrect. If you are ahead of the car and it passes you and then turns left they are in the wrong. If you pass a car stuck in traffic that is indicating and the traffic then frees and the car then passes you and turns left they are in the wrong again. There is an issue of judging time and speed so that is why both sides must pay attention and error on the side of caution.

@Scundered: I think it came from a man driving a white van ?

@Dave Doyle: Owen Keegan personally hates you? Did you do something to him?

@Rob Cullen: Well done Rob, have a nice day at school today.

What this van driver doesn’t realise is that while some cyclists flaunt rules, the more cyclists there are means the less cars there are meaning he can get around the city faster. Coming over Capel St Bridge yesterday onto Parliament St I was taking the middle lane because I wasn’t turning down the quays. There is no space to pass me so drivers have to stay behind. A van driver speeds up behind and beeps his horn, speeds into the right lane and then back into the middle lane right in front of me. When I cycled up to the red light in front of Dublin Castle I was stopped right beside him waiting for the green, his little manoeuvre got him to the same position as it would have if he had the courtesy to drive properly in traffic behind me. He did roll down his window and apologise for his shoddy driving though, so kudos to that.

@Camroc: Given the chance, i would.

@Dave Doyle: Why cyclists fight motorists instead of them both direct their anger into people in Councils responsible for such situation?

@theupsidedown: Idiotic analogy. None of your post makes any sense.

@theupsidedown: How many people this year have you heard of that were killed by a bicycle hitting them?

Now how many have you heard of that were killed by cars?

Now you understand.

@Ger Healy: it’s quite simple – even for you – I’m simply making the point that a cyclist is not accountable for their actions because there is no way of tracing him/her when he/she carries on like the way he/she does. That includes verbally abusing and threatening motorists, pedestrians and other cyclists. Therefore the vast majority of cyclists don’t care because there are no consequences. I can’t dumb it down any more for you. You’ll have to come up to everybody else’s level of understanding.

@theupsidedown: having a licence plate does not make you accountable. I have walked into a a Garda I station with video footage of dangerous driving with number plates and they won’t do anything. I see cars break lights daily and nothing happens. I can walk out my front door and tape over 50 cars all breaking parking and road signs within 20 minutes and none will be charged.
If there were plates on bicycles motorists would be sitting in their cars and just report every cyclist plate they see. The amount of visible aggression towards cyclists on the road is staggering. People stuck in traffic regularly pull in against the curb to block cyclists intentionally. Some will do it as you approach. Cars punishment passing happens so regularly it doesn’t surprise me in the slightest.

@theupsidedown: If only a few swear words and ranty threats was the worst that a motor vehicle could inflict on a cyclist! That would have meant Zero cyclist deaths on the road this year and not the 10 and counting who are now 6ft under…Cop onto yourself!

@Geraoid O’Helidhe: English 101. I am a cyclist. Please read everyones posts and then you could channel your energy into something worth while.

@Dub_Right: still doesn’t make it right though.

@Kal Ipers: it does make you accountable if people like yourself make the effort to do something about it. Be brave and come out from behind the net curtains.

@Scundered: well if motor vehicle drivers have to put up with the red tape and monotoring it should not be a bother to you….

@theupsidedown: You really are an arrogant individual. I actually really doubt you cycle. I didn’t think trolls could ride a bike.

@Ger Healy: I didn’t think clowns could type either but there you go.

@David: you appear to be ignorant to the fact that most cyclists also own a car and therefore do pay tax already.

@Scundered: most? So what about the others? And anyway, consider this. I’d say all farmers who own tractors, or tradesmen who own vans, also already own a car and therefore also already pay tax. Yet if they want to bring that other vehicle onto the road, they have to pay a second tax. No logical reason not to introduce something similar for bikes, to help cover the cost of providing and then maintaining cycle lanes.

@Jumperoo: no logical reason for someone not to pay Motor tax, on a motorless bike.. Really? That completely ignoring the fact that road maintenance and build for the most part comes from general taxation. Would you prefer the more income tax someone paid the more right they had to the road?…

@Jumperoo: you appear to be unaware of where the money comes from to pay for roads. It is from central taxation, not just motor tax. Therefore all the cyclists and pedestrians and non drivers are already paying for your precious road.

@David: You should pay a tax for ignorant comments like that!

@Jumperoo: The roads are paid for out of general taxation, same as cycle lanes are, so cyclists already pay for cycle lanes the same way as motorists pay for roads. I’m quite prepared to pay motor tax on my bike based on the same criteria used for calculating the tax on motor vehicles, which is based on emissions. My bike doesn’t produce emissions, so the payment due is nil. Yay!
By the way, do you think the relatively puny amount raised in road tax paid for the motorway system we have, which cost multiple billions? Millions are spent on ramps in housing estates because drivers refuse to drive carefully, despite the presence of children. Millions are spent on policing road traffic for the same reason, installing roundabouts, traffic lights, speed calming measures, all because drivers cannot be trusted to be responsible road users. Not to mention the massive environmental damage being done, old cars dumped in the countryside, tyres stockpiled around the country in illegal dumps. Do you think what you mistakenly call road tax covers all that? Motorists are subsided to a massive extent by the general taxpayer.

@Jumperoo: don’t forget @scundered believes there should be no accountability for the actions of cyclists. Jesus, don’t expect them to have to pay a tax as well.

@David: A lot of car drivers and pedestrians are “ignorant pieces……….” as well. But you cannot tar every one with the same brush.. Having reg plates is ridiculous and so is a test. It goes against the spirit of cycling. As for paying tax, most cyclist already pay it but leave their cars at home for their own benefit and ironically for the benefit of the begrudging motorists on here who enjoy less congestion because there are less cars on road.
People seem to forget that positive side effect.

@theupsidedown: Jesus doesn’t read the Journal.

@Jumperoo: It is a motor tax not a road tax so cyclist don’t pay. Motor tax doesn’t pay for the roads it comes from general taxation so cyclists are paying for the roads like everyone else including pedestrians.

@Scundered: neither do you obviously.

@Ger Healy: Don’t feed the troll

@Scundered: so then by your logic motor drivers should stop paying road tax as it “comes out of general tax ” anyway, and as cyclists and jaywalkers dont pay road tax that would even things up, all you fanatical cyclists seem to forget all the items you buy in the shops including your cycle gear gets to the shop by motor vehicle ? prehaps all motor vehicles should be banned from using the roads so you can have a clear path ? but hang on what about bread, milk, and all the other items that cannot be delivered by bycicle ? perhaps we could go back to horse drawn vehicles….

@Peter donnelly: You pay motor tax, how often does this have to be pointed out to you, until you finally understand it, the tx you pay as a motorist, is based on the engine size of your car, and the poisonous gasses motorized vehicles inflict onto the environemnt, why do you think ar electric cars tax exempt?

@Darren Tully: Maybe next time you’ll show the mental capacity to engage in the debate instead of attacking the poster, but I somehow doubt it.

Have a nice day playing with your sword.

@Paddy Walsh: It depends on how fast the cyclist going and if you fall/how you land. I got a broken wrist from being hit by a cyclist at college green 10 years ago. I had the green man at the pedestrian lights and a cyclist came up the inside of a bus that was stopped at speed and hit me hard enough to knock me over. He told me that I should watch where I am going and cycled off.

@Darren Tully: if it was a car you would be dead.

@Kal Iperers: And that makes it okay how? And no I wouldn’t be dead because if it was a car that came up the inside of the bus I wouldn’t have crossed the road in the first place because I would have heard screams and seen people running from the car driving on the foot path.

But yeah I’ll count my blessings that it was just a cyclist who broke the law by not stopping at a red light, and then proceeded to flee the accident leave me to pay the hospital bill.

@Darren Tully: The point is it is safer. At no point did I say it was OK. I see everybody breaking the law. On that occasion it was a cyclist. I drive, cycle and walk. If you cycle you will have pedestrians walk out in front of you all the time and against lights. The latest thing that baffles me is pedestrians standing with their feet over the curb. Walking in cycle lanes makes the unusable. Their are some people who ignore the rules it doesn’t mean the group as a whole are the same nor responsible. Punish and police everyone. Just because one cyclist broke your wrist means that guy is responsible and seems to be leading you to some irrational hatred of all cyclists. I have never once gone through a light with pedestrians crossing at the same time. I have gone through lights the same as every other road user has.

@Noel McGivern: Yep, I admire the cycle lanes in Germany, shame our crowd can never think ahead. Came across it only yesterday evening, 2 cyclists, no Hi-Vis jackets, 2 abreast around a bad bend on a main road (100km speed zone) with ZERO margin on this particular road. Complete and utter stupidity.

@Noel McGivern: if a car is turning left across a cycle lane, the car should yield to the cyclist not force the cyclist to have yo go around him

@Kate: Just because the speed limit is 100 km/h, doesn’t mean you have to go 100 km/h, you should always drive according to the condition of the road, and be prepared to stop, the two cyclists could have been a slow moving vehicle like a tractor too, do you expect all tractors to be painted hi-viz, and to jump out of the way of ignorant drivers like you?

@Noel McGivern: Noel cycling 2 to 3 abreast is in some cases the safer option because it allows motorists overtake cyclists over a shorter distance. There is logic behind it.

@Noel McGivern: you obviously weren’t paying attention at your German cycling classes so – bike lane usage is not mandatory.

@Larissa Caroline Nikolaus: I wasn’t doing 100, never do on that road but go ahead and jump to conclusions…. My point is, they have a responsibility and should cycle safely where they can too. Nope I don’t expect a tractor to wear a hi-vis, a tractor would have their lights on at that time of the evening dear. Do read fully before you reply.

@Scundered: all the more reason for cyclists to cop themselves on and minimise the risk by abiding by the rules. Unfortunately cyclists generally don’t and so accountability is needed to force them to take responsibility for their actions. But of course you believe there shouldn’t be any accountability. Nice.

@Scundered: well who is going to fund these cycle lanes? The happy sweaty cycle club or me, the car driving road paying tax guy? And like another guy said, in germany cyclists need to earn a cycle licence, theres many out there that dont know the rules or dont care because its not enforced for them to know like get off my road sweaty gooch

@JustBeingHonest: Maybe it’s time for a refresher course and a retest if an incident like that nearly caused you to crash because you were obviously not driving with due care and attention.

@Ger Healy: nothing wrong with my driving in those instances, ive had a cyclist fly through a red light and into my path because you know he was above the law of the roads

@JustBeinghonest: Passing a simple driving test only Once in your life DOES NOT make a driver a good motorist…

@Dub_Right: i never said that it does, in fact i completely agree with you. You must be a member of the sweaty gooch club?

@JustBeingHonest: You’re either a really bad troll or have an IQ equal to your shoe size…

@theupsidedown: You do realise that this line about “no accountability” I’m supposed to support has been invented in your own imagination? Sorry to have to point that out to you, so now stop making a fool of yourself on the internet. Everyone can see what was said and they are not thick.

@Scundered: I’d doubt if could support your own body weight judging by your comments. Or maybe thats a conscious choice.

@theupsidedown: Try that again but in English next time.

@JustBeingHonest: Are you saying cyclists don’t pay taxes? Wow, never knew that, will have to address this issue with revenue, as I think, they’ll owe me a smal fortune in this case, what with all the taxes that I’ve paid so far, also, the bike license being compulsory in Germany is utter rubbish, the bicycle “license” is issued by schools, or the police as a kind of certificate for children , that they know the rules of the road, but it has absolutely no legal meaning, and you don’t need a license to cycle

@Scundered: ask the teacher can you sit at the front of the class next year. That should help.