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A WOMAN WAS seriously injured after she was knocked down by a truck in Dublin this morning.
Gardaí have said she was brought to the Mater Hospital after the incident which happened at the corner of Summerhill Parade at 8.45am.
Pictures obtained by TheJournal.ie show the damage done to the bicycle.
The woman managed to get off the bike before she went under the truck.
The road was closed for a period of time this morning as garda crash investigators attended the scene.
An Garda Síochána / TwitterDublin: Summerhill Parade/ Nth Circular Rd jct avoid due to traffic collision. Portland Row & Summerhill Parade currently closed
— An Garda Síochána (@GardaTraffic) November 23, 2016
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Play the lotto tonight love, Jaysus!
Why are there trucks this size on the city roads during rush hour? Cyclists have no chance if these are turning left and you are in their huge blind spot.
Philip> As a cyclist you certainly do have a chance, simply don’t go in the inside of a truck that may possibly turning left. Also never go along side one unless you can see the driver. It isn’t worth the risk.
@Kal Ipers: yep. *always* avoid blind spots.
from the photo it is hard to tell if it happened on turn at the lights or on the straight.
My main issue is that that those steps shouldn’t be poking out on road because you get two lines of cars going up that way and cyclists are having to navigate around the steps and deal with cars on their right hand side.
@Kal Ipers:
Aaahmm…so how do I prevent a truck from going past me on the outside? Or should I hop off the bike any time that happens?
Kal, if the truck passes you during left turn manoeuvre they tend to look to the right are they have to pull towards centre of the road then turn left, in the mean time the cyclist may not have been even noticed.
The point is if a truck is not aware of you they may hit you. If they passed you they saw you it is when you come up and they can’t see you there is a problem. Of course they could just run you over even if they see you but a lot less likely.
This is why we have a port tunnel to take these trucks off our streets,this truck was most likely on there way to the docks or coming from same.only a 150 meters from another female cyclist fatality at ferrymans crossing ,which also involved an articulated lorry.
@Pseud O’Nym: Then it’s going faster than you. If it does attempt to turn left in front of you, you can at least hang back.
I don’t see a left turn in those photos, so it’s probably not relevant here, but the left turning truck is easily the biggest danger to cyclists in cities. So obviously it’s on the RSA’s safety literature well below hi-vis and having a working bell.
Sick of this “blind spot” nonsense. Fit the proper mirrors, ie convex mirrors along with over passenger door mirrors with.a bit of common sence and don’t be making excuses. There is a small section of a truckers right side when turning left he may not see but in relation to this incident it’s irrelevant This “blind spot” term was first used when it wasn’t mandatory to have passenger side view mirrors.
All trucks have those mirrors which have is fine if you are not turning but the moment that you turn there is a blind spot on the inside of the truck. This is especially so as regards an artic. If some one decides to go up the inside of a truck when it is turning left then the chances are that the driver won’t see them. Common sense and a sense of survival would suggest that a cyclist doesn’t try to take a truck on the left but for some people that doesn’t seem to be the case.
@Shawn Rahoon: the blind spot highlighted by the mirrors is almost bettered by the blind spot created by fitting those mirrors.
Don’t believe me ? Here’s a drivers eyeview from a 26tonne Volvo….. https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/39368099/mirror3.png
@John Moylan: or try this: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/39368099/mirror%20gif.gif
@shawn rahoon if you think a blind spot in a truck can be fixed using mirrors you should really just sit in the drivers seat just once and see what you can see! All cyclists should be made sit in a cab so they know how difficult trucks are to get around. They are big! Also the driver has a lot of other things and directions to look out for apart from cyclists in awkward positions!
I cycle a lot in the city. No sensible cyclist would be in this position, you must be responsible for your own safety at all times. Never let yourself be on the inside of a truck.
@John Cummins: Fair point, as long as you make truckers cycle for a week as well. Deal?
The current set up is currently not suited to cycling in most parts of the city. I have been cycling in and out of Dublin city centre for 20 years or so and luckily never came off my bike, but it seems people are continuing to die on the roads like that poor girl at Spencer Dock not too long ago.
I can only see the authorities putting more and more rules on what cyclists have to do, without actually helping us in any way, as that might cost some money. So I expect to see harsher rules on what we can wear, speed, lights, much bigger fines, helmets and the likes going forward. Do I expect to see better cycle lanes and a city that wants to accommodate cyclists? Hell no.
eoin> If you have been cycling in Dublin for 20 years how did you miss the improvements? There are now cycle lane where there were none. They are hit and miss on being useful but definitely an improvement. I do fear knee jerk restrictions on what to wear coming in without actual research backing it up. Helmets are one thing people think would make a difference but there is little to no evidence they are any use. Wing mirrors on a bike would be much more use. Once you get them you can’t believe the difference it makes.
@Kal Ipers: Well personally I’m fine the way I am. I don’t and don’t wish to wear a helmet or need mirrors. I have lights and that should be enough. I find if you have your wits about you, you wont get into trouble. You have to assume drivers wont see you and will make mistakes.
Honestly, I can’t think of any improvements in the last 12 years on the Howth or Malahide road onwards into town. In fact they’re way worse in the city centre now with the luas works, College Green is an accident waiting to happen every morning.
@Eoin Fitzpatrick: More and more rules on what cyclists SHOULD do (e.g. like obeying lights, etc), not what they do.
They are totally different things.
The position of that truck gave the cyclist virtually no room for error. Truck Drivers used to be employed for their driving skills and experience, sadly cost is now seen as a more important attribute !
@John S: When do you hear of cyclists dying from breaking lights or not following the rules? It seems like people who aren’t on bikes just see us as absolute menaces on the road.
Eoin> I take much of the same route you are talking about. There are now cycle lanes on both Malahide and Howth roads when there were none 20 years ago. Then there is the cycle lane by Fairview park also not 20 years old. Admittedly they are poorly designed and maintained but improvement on nothing. Wear what you like I don’t care but I had no problem for over 20 years then had two accidents within a month. You can’t be prepared for random road obstacles like a wet plastic bag under your wheel when you brake. Basically no point in exaggerating or thinking you are safe by being observant.
If you cycle with out a helmet you are already a tad brain damaged.
@Eoin Fitzpatrick: you don’t have to have lost your wits to NOT fall victim to accident. You just need a motorist etc to lose theirs.
In which case not wearing a helmet at least is beyond foolish. No point being right, but dead.
Cycled home in the dark behind a car who hadn’t his lights on. Too busy on his mobile phone. Yesterday a car turned left with no indicators and wing mirrors turned in. Last week there was the huge truck that I stayed clear behind whose left mirrors were missing and then turned left with no indicators. These are incidents that will kill people Eoin, not excusing stupid cycling behaviour such as breaking lights, but if you cross the road as a pedestrian thinking the car is going straight and they suddenly turn then you’re in trouble
Brendan > Helmets on cyclists are next useless in all studies. However helmets on in cars are known to make it much safer for people in cars.
There are also studies showing wearing a helmet on a bike gives drivers more confidence to driver closer to the the cyclist as they think they will be saved by the helmet.
Go try and find a study showing helmets save cyclists and you won’t find one. I understand why people think they make a difference but the reality of how cyclists get knocked down in traffic make them next to useless.
I do wear one but I am under no illusion about how much protection it gives me
Not knowing anything about what this lady was wearing but just making a comment on what I see when I go to Dublin. I live down the country where generally there aren’t street lights. People and cyclists are well lit up with hi viz vests and a good strong light. Basically I can see them from a good distance. When I go to Dublin people seem to think they can be seen because there is lighting. It is very hard to see people at night in Dublin. It is extremely difficult to see the cyclists. They tend to have a hi viz in but then cover it with a back pack. My kids have hi viz covers for their school bags surely cyclists can get the same. Also a lot of the cyclists have really poor lights on their bikes and generally rely on a small reflector at the back of the bike. This isn’t good enough. Pedestrians and cyclists need to be aware how hard it is to see them even when there is street lighting. I know a lot of drivers look for cars and don’t think bike so then their brain doesn’t process that there is a bike but the chances of a driver missing a very well lit up and reflecting pedestrian or cyclist reduces dramatically.
I am a Dublin cyclist but every day see cyclists without lights. No reflectors and wearing dark clothes and these are not kids. They are adults. Then the way they cycle leaves me cold. Breaking lights weaving and hissing obscenities at anything that irks them. I am constantly surprised that there are not more accidents. On another note. The council does need to make improvements for cyclists we are not all Breaking the codes of behaviour and lanes and signage does need improvement
@ARIS: Agreed. Cycling in the dark and wet with dark clothes and poor/missing lights and wearing headphones and often cycling on the wrong side of the road – all are common. I cycle and I drive and cyclists scare me. They are unpredictable and dangerous.
Cyclists should be forced to wear high visibility gear while cycling. It may look stupid to some but if everyone is doing it then its ok. And we dont know if it would have helped in this incident but it wouldnt have hurt.
I for one was driving the other day and took a turn. I almost flattened a cyclist who whizzed by my headlights. Didnt see him. Infact i couldnt see him. He was all black on a black bike going to the dart in the morning. No lights, no reflectors. How is anyone supposed to prepare for that. Some European countries with large numbers of cyclists prohibit cycling in the dark with no lights.
@Andy K: Ireland prohibit’s cycling in the dark with no lights. Thats part of our law already, the issue is lack of enforcement.
Sticking every cyclist in hi viz doesn’t solve the issue, the issue is education for both cyclist AND motorists.
Cyclists in the likes of Amsterdam are just fine without hi viz, but they are better educated and motorist are much better able to deal with them. Infrastructure is also far superior
Andy, Ireland is one of those countries where it’s illegal to cycle after lighting up hours without a light
The issue is not only enforcement but personal responsibility. Do what you’re supposed to and no need for enforcement.
@Paul: No mate, the problem is design, its perfectly possible to separate cyclists from cars, plenty of countries have done it, it just requires the political will to give cycling infrastructure enough money to do it.
Easy solution.
Ban cyclists from City centre.
To some extent I agree, surely at this stage we need no further evidence that cars and bicycles can’t share the same space. Both should be accommodated but in different spaces.
There is a cognitive difference between a motorist seeing a cyclist, noticing a cyclist and acting in response to noticing the cyclist.
Sometimes, the motorist is at fault. A common problem is clipping too close to a cyclist in the impartience to get beyond the impediment of the cyclist.
Visibility is a factor although modern car lights should be able to light up a darkly dressed cyclist.
The most practical advice is not to get caught on the inside of a heavy truck or van. That requires the cyclist to stay well out from the kerb and to be in front of and clearly visible to the driver.
A mirror is very useful. Handlebar mirror, helmet mirror or even a wrist based mirror are all very useful.
The vast majority of motorists are sane, safe, sensible and competent but a small minority are crazy and reckless. It’s very bad luck if you encounter one of those. No precaution will save you, only luck.
I have seen increasing visibility of cyclists but many accidents occur in broad daylight, and when there is full visibility.
High viz jackets perform poorly at night. You need retroflective material.
Other devices which help are audible horns. They need to be loud. Use a bell to warn pedestrians or other cyclists. Use the loud horn with vehicular traffic. You need 120 Db in short bursts for that.
Never cycle with ears obstructed. Hearing alerts you.
Lighting is a subject all to itself but a 1000 lumen from helmet light in day time which is highly focused can be used to shine into a vehicle which appears not to notice you but avoid dazzling the driver.
Movement is noticeable to peripheral vision. Ankles and knees which are illuminated are highly effective in attracting notice from motorists.
Helmets are better than nothing but won’t protect you from crush injuries. Seeing a cyclist crushed into metal barriers at an intersection is truly horrific. No helmet saves your body. I use a carbon fibre Cratoni Vigor but I know that good as it is, it’s only a very minimal addition to my protection is a limited number of head impacts. If you are hit by a vehicle at more than 30 kmh, a helmet is irrelevant.
Cycling infrastructure is the big issue. Physically segregated separate cycling lanes do work.
Female cyclists are especially vulnerable to crush accidents from multi axle trucks and lorries. Paradoxically it is because they tend to cycle safely and on the inside. Get out and cycle wide. Cycle fast at the pace of other traffic with really good tyres and disk brakes.
Cycling safety is almost a specialised topic and involves extensive considerations.
One of the problems for cyclists in this country is that they are classed as a road vehicle. Perceptions and attitudes could be changed by a simple reframing and accepting that they are pedestrian transport, a more efficient way of walking and thus make pavements shared space. Obviously there is difference between the commuting cyclist and the sport/hobby cyclist and access to the roads should remain as is, but for school kids, shoppers and commuters there could easily be a safer way of doing it.
On another note I see this truck is of the tipper variety, well known for being cowboys with low standards.
Jail the driver!!
Why? Are you privy to evidence not mentioned here, or are you one of those red light ignoring, one-way street abusing, pavement-cycling menaces?
Hope the lucky cyclist is ok . I don’t know who was at fault but cyclists and pedestrians are easier to see with bright clothing & of course cars & trucks should drive slower and allow braking distance.
@Thomas Duffy: it was an accident which happened in broad daylight.
I drove by that accident this morning not long after it happened, bike was still under the truck, she was a very lucky girl glad to see she was ok
I always listen to the cut and thrust of cyclists vs motorists.
IMHO it’s all about behaviour of both, and until;
A) Consideration of cyclists is brought seriously into attaining a driving licence (both theory and practical)
B) Cyclists also have to pass a road test too
Not much is going to change, as behaviour won’t change.
Tony ,the correct infrastructure needs to be out in place. Only this morning Mannix Flynn and fellow Cllrs objected to a segregated cycle lane on the quays that would save life’s and encourage sustainable transport.
@brian magee: Segregated cycle lanes will actually save lives.
Oh I’m glad to hear she’s ok. Passed by just after and feared the worst!
Glad to hear she’s is ok. Passed by just after and feared the worst!
Seems unlucky to me?
That’s no artic, it’s a rigid tipper which no doubt is working with the luas works or all the student. Development sites in the city
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