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LAST UPDATE | 6 Nov 2019
DOZENS OF CYCLISTS gathered outside the Dáil today for a ‘die in’ – the second day of protests to highlight the dangers of cycling in Dublin.
Traffic was brought to a halt for 15 minutes on Kildare Street earlier this afternoon as cyclists staged the latest demonstration in a week of protests calling on the government to fund better cycling infrastructure in Dublin.
Yesterday, nearly 100 cyclists staged a similar protest outside Dublin City Council’s offices at Wood Quay.
The action, organised by I Bike Dublin, comes following the death of a cyclist Neeraj Jain last Friday after he was struck by a lorry on the South Circular Road in Dublin. More action is planned in the coming days.
Today’s demonstration saw cyclists lie down in the middle of the road, alongside their bikes, bringing the busy intersection to a brief standstill. Cyclists in the city have long demanded government action to make them safer on Irish roads.
A spokesperson for the Department of Transport said that Shane Ross, the Minister for Transport, “deeply regrets the tragic death of Neeraj Jain and passes on his deep condolences to the cyclist’s family”.
“He is committed to reducing the number of fatalities on our roads involving cyclists. He will implement changes to make it a separate offence to dangerously overtake a pedal cyclist,” the spokesperson said.
The numbers of people cycling into Dublin city centre has almost doubled from 6,870 in 2011 to over 12,000 in 2018, according to National Transport Authority (NTA) figures.
The NTA has previously acknowledged that more needs to be done to make cycling safer.
Addressing the crowd today, Lucille Redmond said that cyclists were “here today to demand that the government and councils build safe, protected roads for people to cycle in Dublin and in Ireland”.
As traffic stopped and dozens of cyclists lay on the street in front of her, Redmond read out a list of 16 people killed cycling on Irish roads.
“These were ordinary people. Their deaths were an ordinary part of Irish life.This should not be so. The deaths have gone on and on in the years since then,” she said.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Ciarán Ferrie, said that the last week’s death had “galvanised” the cycling community.
“During the tenure of this government there have been 40 people killed on Irish roads while cycling and the government is not taking it seriously,” he said. “Nothing has been done.”
The group is calling for 20% of the the Department of Transport’s land transport budget to go towards cycling and walking infrastructure.
“People driving buses, trucks and cars don’t want to be interacting with people cycling and we don’t want to be interacting with them either. Safe cycling infrastructure will save lives,” Ferrie said.
Neil Fox, whose sister was killed in a collision in Dublin’s north inner city in 2016, wrote in a blog post ahead of the ‘die in’ that he was in “total solidarity” with protesters. He said he was calling “on the government as ever, to wake up, to do whatever possible to curb such carnage”.
Green Party deputy leader Catherine Martin, speaking to TheJournal.ie at the protest, said that the issue has been “neglected” by the government.
“Our cyclists are dying on the streets, most recently last week, because of the consistent lack of investment in safe cycling infrastructure,” she said.
“This needs to be prioritised.”
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The amount of cyclists that are still going around with no lights on their bikes is unbelievable.
They should have their bikes confiscated on the spot.
As for the Deliveroo crowd, Red lights mean nothing, wrong way on one way streets, weaving all over the place while looking at their app trying to figure out where they are going. And then we have the tour d’france halfwits with their go-pro who stop for nothing and are just looking for a row so they can post it on You Tube.
@gerard carey: i totally agree, and the amount that break red lights is shocking
@gerard carey: do the road tax one now, it’s hilarious!
@gerard carey: Same nonsense everytime anything about increasing safety on the road for cyclists comes up.
I’m sure drivers don’t break red lights right? Or ever drive around with their lights off during light up hours? No of course not, drivers are perfect, when they are not running down and killing cyclists, pedestrians and each other that is.
@Gavin Conran: I’m a cyclist since January. I would say 1 driver to every 1000 cyclists breaks a red light. I’m sometimes left feeling ridiculous while stopped at a red light as every cyclist shoots past me … I’m thinking am I missing something here.
@Keith Fay: Yes Keith, you’re missing the ability to count apparently. The Luas red light camera found that it was more like 1 cyclist to every 7 drivers breaking red lights. See http://kerrycyclingcampaign.org/but-all-drivers-break-the-lights/ Also, the RSA Speed Survey released last week found that 2% of drivers comply with speed limits in urban areas. That might help you to work out where the danger on the road comes from.
@Keith Fay: I am a driver, cyclist and pedestrian. As a pedestrian, I have stopped stepoing out to cross the road when the green man indicates it’s it’s safe to do so as it never is safe to do so anymore. Always one more car rushing through before the traffic across gets their green light.
Just the other night when out for a drive i seen the traffic lights turn yellow and i was only tipping along in the city so i came to a stop just as it turned red. Driver behind me went nuts and started beeping the horn and waving his hands because it seems the correct thing to do would have been to increase speed and fly right through.
This seems to be the new mentality. Not a day goes by that i don’t see cars and indeed sometime lorries jumping the red.
@Gavin Conran: Saying that, i also see my fair share of cyclists do it – but if we are going to talk about red light jumpers, then lets not kid ourselves and pretend it’s a cyclists problem – it’s an Ireland problem.
@Gavin Conran: ok, i get you on the ‘amber gambler’ drivers. i’m talking about a solid red light, no cars moving (they can’t as all cars are, as expected, stopped) yet dozens of cyclists fly past the red light. I see that every single day. and lose the attitude ‘Shane Hogan’, have some respect.
@Keith Fay: They’re not ‘amber gamblers’ Keith. They are the one or two or three or on a bad day four or five drivers that push through when the light has gone red. It happens at every junction in the city at just about every change of lights. If you’re not seeing this kind of thing happening around you, you need to improve your observation. https://youtu.be/Vc5VGuJvOVk
@gerard carey: the Garda will be very busy on christmas taking bikes from children. By your logic a single infraction for any driver should require the motor vehicle also be seized from the driver or do motorist’s get special privileges?
@gerard carey: Met a cyclist last night not only did he break the red lights but he was dressed in dark clothes I was turning right as he was cycling towards me. Even though I had the right hand arrow in my favour I had to stop to let him pass when I bought it to his attention I suffered a litany of swear words and the two fingers .
@Alan Scott: That’s awful Alan. Can I tell you the stories of the multiple drivers I saw driving while using their phones last night? And the two who had no back lights at all because they don’t know how to operate their DRLs? And the 98% of drivers who break speed limits according to the RSA Speed Survey? And the 2 or 3 people killed each week by motorists on our roads?
@Shane Hogan: Reality is there are bad driver, bad cyclists and bad pedestrians. And more than likely it is the same individual and whatever mode of transport they are using on a particular day. I am a diver, cyclist and pedestrian myself so I get a chance to see all sides of it. I’ll never take off on my bike when the light turns green. I’ll always check first. If I didn’t I wouldn’t be still cycling. The reality is though that as a driver I have to realise I am in possession of something that can kill a lot easier than a bike so I need to be responsible enough to exercise due care and not to do something that would put other peoples lives at risk. If everyone just focussed on being a better pedestrian/cyclist/motorist rather than giving out then road safety would be transformed overnight.
@Getard Lanslanger: Yes, there absolutely are bad drivers, bad cyclists and bad pedestrians. The reality is also that the bad cyclists and bad pedestrians aren’t the ones killing two or three people each week. If we want to save lives on the road, we need to get motorists to slow down, put their phones down and stop killing people. Let’s stop playing the false equivalence ‘everyone must….’ game that is largely designed to take attention off motorists.
@Gavin Conran: I see drivers everytime I go out on the road with my car breaking red lights.There’s no need to become so accusing of drivers breaking reds as we all know its going on maybe more so than cyclist doing it . The thread here is about cyclist and not drivers so stick to that.
@Shane Hogan: Read my other post on this thread you will find I am agreeing with you YES YOU Shane I tell it as I see it and not for thumbs up as I think its what you are at . So stop acting a spoiled child who has just lost his lolly pop . Get it.
@Gavin Conran: it’s just a pity the rules of the road don’t apply to cyclists
@Gavin Conran: how about gavin cyclist cycle in a manner that is same to them as an individual and as a group. Last Sunday I observed 3 different groups of cyclist cycling abreast on country roads. When they were any motorist honked their horns at them they were greeting with unpleasant single finger salutes.
@Gavin Conran: They do… but they’re not lying down playing dead in front of the Dail looking for safer road space.
@gerard carey: I am a cyclist and I fully agree
@Pat Ryan: Honking the horn is an aggressive action.
@Gavin Conran: drivers get fined and penalty points when they do it
@Shane Hogan: just watched that video. Absolutely crazy!
@Keith Fay: I’ll back you up here, Keith. I’m a pedestrian and a cyclist, the latter for decades. As a pedestrian, now I am at risk of being knocked into by the many cyclists whizzing along the pavements. As a cyclist, I too am that lone cyclist stopping at a red light while all the others pass me by as if I’m some sort of freak, and in their way. Until cyclists admit they need to totally check their own behaviour, this whole discussion about etiquette on the roads/paths is hypocritical. I stopped cycling to work because of danger from cyclists, not cars or buses. One cyclist f-bombed at me last week for stopping at a red ‘bike’ light because he nearly went into the back of me. Personally I’m not a fan of being killed by the traffic turning left on that green light for motor vehicles. One video of cars at one spot doesn’t negate my own person observations, like them or not. I’ve nothing to gain by making this stuff up.
@gerard carey: the go pros are there to prove their point about drivers and their half wit tendencies . Besides, why would the carry a camera and film their alleged breaches of road rules ? Oh, and if they were triply Tour De France boys, they would be obsessed with weight and not wanting needless weight on the bike ie the said camera
I think it’s time for cyclists to pay a contribution charge, we’ve no problem taxing every other aspect of our life’s, why do they get off the hook?
@Cynical: what group is that of yours that pays taxes that people who cycle don’t?
@Cynical: how about everyone pays for the damage they cause to roads and footpatgs based on weight?
So trucks pay most and cyclists end up paying about 0.000001cents.
More cyclist should pay road tax nonsense… Should be interesting to send a 5 year old a tax bill.
@Cynical: I pay for the roads through general taxation same as you.
I pay motor tax for my car’s emissions. The two aren’t linked. You’re a dope.
@Cynical:
And pedestrians too for use of the footpaths? And how much do you purpose pedestrians and cyclists should pay to get around?
I pay through general taxation like most other people. I also pay motor tax on my car. Think I’m paying enough thank you very much.
@Cynical: I cycle to work to pay my taxes.. Nob
@Stephen McManus: Every other road user?
@Emmet: rubbish, When societal and indirect costs are factored in, motoring is subsidised by everybody. And the issue isn’t just about the rest paying: while less than 30% of the people (i.e. share that private car users represent as total traffic into Dublin during rush hour) are causing over 80% of congestion
@Cynical: if you want a contribution charge let’s have a proper one for motorists too including road building, , maintenance, traffic management, policing, air pollution, accident management, noise pollution, obstruction to other road users. I could go on all day.
@Cynical: So interesting to hear the entitled thoughts of cyclists, thanks guys!
A taxi tried overtaking me on my bike last year when the space wasn’t there. He clipped my handlebar and only by some miracle I managed to duck a bus wing mirror or I’d have left a widow with a 2 month old behind.
If you’re ever wondering why that lad in front of you doesn’t tuck in tighter to the kerb with the potholes and the grates, please remember me and have a little patience.
@Ciarán Ó Fallúin: pot holes on the road are not the motorists responsibility. We have to avoid them as well. Its huge expense to fix a car. If you want to avoid a pot hole then thats the chance you take.
@Dave Barrett: but it is the motorists job to expect the unexpected and to take due care and attention towards other road users.
The motorist is driving the 2 tonne metal box so the responsibility is there’s not to kill somebody with that box.
@Dave Barrett: don’t talk shyte.
@Barry Somers: goes without saying. And visa versa. Cyclists can cause accidents by avoiding potholes. If there is a pot hole then stop. If you cant stop then they are cycling to fast. And probably with out a helmet or hi vis.
@Roy O’Rourke: are you saying im responsible for the pit hole they are trying to avoid!. Dont talk shite.
@Dave Barrett: you’re responsible for not killing another legitimate road user by driving too close to them and not anticipating potential hazards. If a motorcyclist was overtaking you and you swerved out to avoid a pothole and killed them would you accept responsibility or would you say they should have anticipated you having to avoid an obstacle? Or would you be able to stop in time as you have suggested?
@Dave Barrett: You’ve seen the ads on TV and online about leaving enough room when you pass a cyclist Dave? Keep an eye out for them and see if it helps you to become a good driver.
@Dave Barrett: jeez you are some pr1ck hope I never meet you on the road
@Dave Barrett: “If you want to avoid a pot hole then thats the chance you take.”
Dave thinks he’s Judge Dredd…
@ed w: This is the problem in a nutshell. Internet comment sections have grown massive chips on lads shoulders and it’s built up the seething annoyance with some cyclists, that they’d take out on other cyclists. It manfests as aggressive driving that places little care in the safety of the vulnerable chap ahead of him on a bike.
Cyclists running reds feeds into this and is making us all less safe, until such a time as when cyclists are encouraged/permitted to walk through pedestrian lights and to turn left on junctions when the light is red for cars – as is the case in most of Europe. So long as cyclists are seen flouting rules by drivers, this frustration drivers are talking about puts all cyclists in danger.
@Ciarán Ó Fallúin: How about when cyclists see drivers flouting rules Ciaran, such as the 98% of drivers that break urban speed limits (RSA Speed Survey) or the majority of drivers that use their phones while driving (Liberty Insurance survey) or the 88% of red light jumpers that are motorists, not cyclists (Luas red light camera)? Motorist are putting EVERYONE on the road in danger – other motorists, cyclists and pedestrians. Maybe that’s the bigger issue that needs to be addressed urgently?
@Shane Hogan: I don’t think attacking each other will help and is literally the thing I’m most afraid of. Neither side are perfect, but cyclists are more vulnerable and the RSA’s efforts to remind motorists to keep their distance is crucial in staying safe.
I’ve taken to shouting abuse at cyclists running reds with me in Dublin city centre in morning, because I’m sick of them going through gaps of pedestrians crossing and I don’t want to be on the receiving end of a driver who’s pissed off at that cyclist too.
@Shane Hogan: Arent those distances sometimes literally impossible on some streets?
The roads arent designed to cater for all the different types of transports! Everyone needs to simply get in line and wait! If you cant. Leave 10 minutes earlier! Simple!
@Shane Hogan: i have been driving over 40 yrs accident free. But with some idiot cyclists that has the greatest possibility of changing.
@ed w: if yr a cyclist you will be okif you obey the rules and stay in your own bloody lane.
@Emmet: if you can’t overtake safely then don’t overtake. It’s pretty simple.
You wouldn’t overtake another car leaving only a few inches room, so why would you overtake a human on a bike leaving such little room?
Make insurance compulsory for cyclists . They are lethal in Dublin. Red lights mean nothing
@Leo Lalor: couldn’t agree more. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to jam on due to a veering cyclist. If he hits my car who is paying?
Cyclists should be kept off certain roads. It’s a joke.
ALSO. If you’re a weekend cyclist stop cycling two or more abreast and having the chats. It’s highly illegal.
@Rebecca De Stanleigh: I hate the 2 a breast thing Rebecca but to my knowledge it’s not illegal and actually encouraged by the RSA.
@Rebecca De Stanleigh: It is not illegal cycling two abreast and I am a bus driver.
@Rebecca De Stanleigh: “stop cycling two or more abreast and having the chats. It’s highly illegal” – Hahahaha. Good one. It’s not illegal. In fact it’s recommended to cycle 2 a breast to stop half wits trying to squeeze past in inappropriate places.
@Rebecca De Stanleigh: kept off all roads!
@Rebecca De Stanleigh: cycling 2 abreast is not illegal, in fact it’s advised. Regarding your other comment of “cyclists shouldn’t be on certain roads”, can you expand on that and tell us which roads we shouldn’t be on, because that’s a battle cyclists will never win. On one hand we have motorists saying cyclists shouldn’t be on main roads because the traffic is too fast and cyclists can hold up the traffic, and on the other hand you have the motorists saying cyclists shouldn’t be on back roads because they are too narrow and you can’t overtake them. So which roads cyclists should or should not be on is lose lose discussion.
@Dave Barrett: so, you’re saying cyclists should cycle on the footpaths? Ah, I see now. Why didn’t you say so at the start! Would have saved all these angry messages.
@Leo Lalor: Lethal Leo? It’s not cyclists that are killing 2 or 3 people each week on the road. Perhaps you’re looking in the wrong place for lethal road users?
@Martin McFly: Cyclists can cycle two abreast but under Article 47 of the Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) 1997 Regulations (as substituted by the 2012 Regulations), you must not cycle more than two abreast, except when overtaking and it does not endanger or obstruct other traffic. Garda National Roads Policing Bureau Chief Supt Aidan Reid has said“The law is very clear in this; cyclists may travel two abreast only when it is safe to do so.”And on the issue of minor roads he said: “If you have a single carriageway with a continuous white line, it is not safe for cyclists to go in pairs.“A car cannot overtake the white line and you have a vulnerable situation arising.”
@Leo Lalor: You say cyclists are lethal? How many people have cyclists killed this year? Zero. How many last year? Zero. How many in the last 10 years? Zero. Should I go on?
I think the “lethal” description applies more to motorists, killing hundreds of people every single year.
@Jason Ebbs: Cyclists can cycle two abreast but under Article 47 of the Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) 1997 Regulations (as substituted by the 2012 Regulations), you must not cycle more than two abreast, except when overtaking and it does not endanger or obstruct other traffic. Garda National Roads Policing Bureau Chief Supt Aidan Reid has said“The law is very clear in this; cyclists may travel two abreast only when it is safe to do so.”And on the issue of minor roads he said: “If you have a single carriageway with a continuous white line, it is not safe for cyclists to go in pairs.“A car cannot overtake the white line and you have a vulnerable situation arising.”
@Rebecca De Stanleigh: two abreast isnt illegal. if a cyclist veers whilst you are passing another vehicle you pay it’s your fault. some d1cks on here today
@thejamer: Jamer, Chief Supt Aidan Reid doesn’t get to make or interpret the law. That is done in the Oireachtas and the Courts.
@Christopher Duffin: more than two is illegal. This is what I was implying.
@Peter Murphy: no offense Peter. But being a bus driver doesn’t automatically give you trumps over others in RSA rules.
@thejamer: thanks! Exactly what I was gonna quote for the know it alls.
@SB. Sedentary.: I’m really not trying to be provocative with this but of Is it possible people get themselves killed through their own mistakes? And ruin other lives in the process? You’re not allowed to so much as suggest such a thing. The motorist can’t always be at fault. Cyclists don’t have the force and mass to cause death but that doesn’t make them faultless angels when they mix with machines that do.
@Rebecca De Stanleigh: Oh dear God – you clearly do not fully grasp the rules of the road so if anyone needs to be removed from certain roads my vote would be for those that dont know the rules.
@Leo Lalor: So how much would a 6 year old have to pay insurance wise? just curious.
@Early Cuyler: Cyclists are involved in 5% of road deaths Early. Motorists are involved in 99%. It’s not hard to see where the danger comes from. Can you point to any recent examples of where cyclists got themselves killed through their own mistakes? I’m aware of a tiny handful of such cases, but they are few and far between. meanwhile, motorists continue to kill 2 or 3 people each week on the roads.
@Shane Hogan: are you really going to continue to comment like this on everyone of these articles Shane? Cyclists NEVER cause accidents? Really? Every incident involving a bike and a motor vehicle, it’s the vehicles fault? You absolutely need some balance in your argument.
As a young lad I cycled to school, lucky to have been involved in only one accident, knocked up in the air off my bike.broke a couple of ribs but was grand. It was 100% my own fault. The poor woman driving couldn’t do anything about it. didn’t look to see if all was clear and was out in front of her in a flash. To this day I’ve seen the exact same kind of thing happen and there is literally nothing the driver can do. Happens every other day. You definitely need to come at this in a different way
@my name: They’re not ‘accidents’, they are crashes or collisions. The term ‘accident’ was dreamt up by the motor industry in the US in the 1930s to get drivers off the hook for killing people. And no, I never said that cyclists are ‘never at fault’. But cyclists are not the common factor in road deaths. Cyclists are involved in 5% of road deaths. Motorists are involved in 99% of road deaths. Any driver who says ‘there was nothing I could do’ was usually driving too fast or too close or both. Leave room for cyclists and you won’t hit them.
But seriously, we have 98% of motorists breaking speed limits in the RSA Speed Survey and you want to talk about cyclists?
@thejamer: so to shorten your post….it’s perfectly legal for cyclists to cycle two abreast.
@Early Cuyler: re the “mixing with machines”, I think all cyclists would agree that this is the problem, and why they would love to have a segregated cycling infrastructure with even 10% of the transport budget that they pay for.
@Rebecca De Stanleigh: well you did say “two or more abreast, highly illegal”. We can only base our replies to you on what you said, and not on what you meant to say ;-)
@SB. Sedentary.: The answer is not zero to be accurate, but it’s pretty close. I can only recall one cyclist killing a pedestrian in the last few years.
@Reuben Gray: I think that was the reverse, a pedestrian killing a cyclist (in the Phoenix Park). I may be wrong, but I don’t think I am.
@Shane Hogan: that person driving the car that I collided with could do absolutely nothing to avoid me Shane. Literally nothing, I came around a corner at high speed without looking never mind to check if it was safe to do so. This kind of incident happens on a regular basis to this day. I was in second year in school and knew full well it was my fault. A very expensive (at the time) bike written off too. Your attitude is wrong here, you’re the very thing you’ve been attacking on this and other articles. Rattling off road death numbers is fine do what you want. But and no pun intended take the blinkers off, blame can be placed at both doors here. Vehicles and bike both have idiots controlling them from time to time
@jamesdecay: they are doing that Already. Some poor woman in cork lately knocked down crossing at the lights when she had green man . Bang! This tool on a push bike sends her flying. Broke her arm and head injury. What does he do then. Pedals on. So who pays her medical bills. Thus you can see how the animosity between pedestrians, motorists grows.
@Rebecca De Stanleigh: Highly ignorant of the law. Dangerous driving on the other hand is definitely highly illegal.
@ed w: it is if they’re causing an obstruction!
@Dave Barrett: oh I see how it grows alright. Not that you’ve done a whole lot to help the issue. So, not on the road, not on the footpath… where to now?
@Leo Lalor: it’s compulsory for cars, but 160,000 couldn’t be arsed, so we pay a 8% levy on our motoring policy to cover the €60million in damage caused annually by uninsured drivers. Much bigger problems out there, and 40,000 cyclists already have voluntary insurance anyway.
A cycle lane is NOT a painted section of the road, so dangerous to be mixing with traffic. And yes I have to do it everyday
@Vincent #SaveDaredevil: Totally agree…near miss a regular occurrence due to driver lack of awareness.
@Vincent #SaveDaredevil: agreed, I used to cycle from Templeogue to around O’Connell Street and it’s a death trap. I had to stop as I had too many near misses.
@Michael Carolan: and visa versa. Rules of the road work for both.
@Vincent #SaveDaredevil: “I can park in the cycling lane since I have my emergency lights on” is one I deal with a lot.
@Dave Barrett: Dave, is there any news on when the Rules of the Road are going to work for the 98% of drivers that break speed limits in urban areas?
@Dave Barrett: I’ve seen you comment this a couple times – the term is “vice versa”, fyi.
@Shane Hogan: dont know. I stick to the speed limit and its so slow for the people behind they overtake.
Cyclists protesting about road safety!!!! I’ve heard it all now. They are a menace.
A menace, as in ‘kills 2 or 3 people each week’ kind of menace Martin? Oh wait no, that would be motorists, wouldn’t it. Take a look at the death statistics on the RSA website and see if you can work out the real menace on the road. Take a look at the 98% breaking speed limits statistics on the RSA website and see if you can work out the real menace on the road.
@Shane Hogan: just because your riding a bike doesn’t mean your blameless, when you pull out in front of a car or run a light and end up causing an accident you can’t go blaming the lack of road safety for your stupidity. Obviously in that scenario the cyclist is more likely to be killed than the driver of the car. Just because your driving a car doesn’t mean you did anything wrong.
@Mairtin Antaine O Conaill: From the article above: “People driving buses, trucks and cars don’t want to be interacting with people cycling and we don’t want to be interacting with them either. Safe cycling infrastructure will save lives,” Ferrie said.
But you didn’t read the article, did you Máirtín? Skipped straight down to the comments for an oul rant…
@Mairtin Antaine O Conaill: They’re not ‘accidents’ Mairtin – they are crashes or collisions. Can you point to any examples from Court cases or similar where cyclists caused crashes by running a red light or pulling out in front of a car? Maybe you’d like to focus on the fact that just 2% of motorists comply with speed limits in urban areas?
@Shane Hogan: you seem to be the statistics man Shane, you tell me how many cyclists were killed or injured as a result of driver negligence or behaviours.
@Pseud O’Nym: I don’t waste my time arguing with pseudo accounts.
@Mairtin Antaine O Conaill: Good man. Sounds like I was spot on there so.
@Shane Hogan: if cyclists obeyed the rules of the roads instead of flouting them as if they didn’t apply to them , accident levels would drop drastically
Where are their helmets??
@Michael O’Leary: some of them don’t have them. They are optional accessories – of questionable value.
@Michael O’Leary: and where are their fishnet stockings and mullets? What other irrelevant fashion accessory are they without?
@Michael O’Leary: They are special and dont need them because its not breaking the law. Neither is running into a burning building naked but hey ho….
@John: Neither is not wearing a crash helmet in the car John, where the vast majority of head injuries happen, even with seat belts and airbags etc, but hey ho…..
Can we please start with making it an offence to cycle without lights and hi-viz vests? You literally can’t see some of the cyclists dressed in black without lights.
@sue: it is an offense not to have lights. When we make hi vis mandatory can we make it so all cars are also paint in a similar hi viz way?
Can we bring in penalty points for parking in cycle facilities including stopping in the cycle box by lights?
@sue: What colour is your car, Sue?
@sue: They will be kept safe by their own smugness
@John: They’ll be kept safe if the 98% of drivers that break urban speed limits would just slow down and put their phones down.
@Shane Hogan: white, and the lights are always on
@Shane Hogan: really? I’m really not asking too much here. It’s just common sense to dress to be seen. Was driving the other evening 40 in 50 zone (narrow road and coming up to cross road), cyclist on the side of the road in front of me. Dressed in black head to toe, no light. The only thing I saw were the reflective things on the pedals. Had he come up behind me, I would have missed him. (Road not very well lit) I’m not saying drivers are saints or all cyclists are bad. I’m only saying dress to be seen. What is wrong with this?
@sue: So you don’t have hi-vis stripes on all sides, Sue? That’s very irresponsible of you. All cars should have hi-vis on all sides for when they are parked or for when a bulb or two is blown or for when the driver forgets to switch on their lights or doesn’t know how their DRLs work. Surely if you’re a fan of hi-vis you would lead by example?
@Craic_a_tower: I think penalties already exist for drivers. Can we enforce penalties for cyclists breaking the red light? Or cycling without light?
@sue: Cyclists need lights Sue, they don’t need to wear special clothes to suit your fashion sense. If you’re a big fan of hi-vis on the road, fit your car with hi-vis stripes on all sides before you come lecturing others. Do you need all pedestrians to wear hi-vis before they cross the road just to suit you?
@sue: there aren’t penalty points which is what I suggested. They don’t enforce rule on all users I want added penalty points. By all means enforce all rule on all users. Drivers break more rules everyday than cyclists by sheer quantity and kill people regularly
@Shane Hogan: why are you so against making it easier for people to be seen? Look around you, the amount of cyclists WITHOUT lights is astonishing. It’s pure madness. As for clothing, it doesn’t have to be hi viz, just wear brighter clothing in the dark. What is so wrong on that? I’m not lecturing, I’m not arguing, I’m just suggesting some common sense. Basic things I have learned in kindergarten. I’m pedestrian, I do cycle and I drive. You have idiots in all areas. Why is it such an issue to respect each other?
@Shane Hogan: most cars have….. lights… they ….tend to give away the presence of a car because… of the light…
@Emmet: not when they are parked in cycle lanes they don’t have their lights on
Fair play to all involved. Better infrastructure for cyclists will make the roads better for all users and should be embraced.
I’m a motorist and since January, a cyclist. I cycle from Tallaght to Camden st every day. Mostly it’s fine but I’ve had a few run ins with coach drivers, worst was one believing I’m in the wrong lane (second lane from the left as going straight, clearly correct as the left lane was a left turn only) so he drove aggressively at me, dangerously overtook me etc. It was terrifying especially when I know I know the rules of the road … he didn’t. I get off the road at every chance, no matter how bad the cycle lane is.
@Keith Fay: Need to be reporting these things
Fully agree with these protests,
If you look at the Netherlands its die ins like this that were used to improve cycle safety in the 70s.
Their bikes are propelled by their own immense sense of entitlement.
@John: Unlike your comments which are propelled by an immense sense of mindless snark
@John: well why don’t you tell cyclists they aren’t entitled to live. Never understand these comments what entitlement do you think cyclists are looking for that are unreasonable?
Fully agreed we need to do more for the protection of our cyclists but it would have been a good idea to wear helmets to the protest guys. Not being cheeky. I had 10 years bike racing and hit 3 times by drivers. Worst one the helmet saved me without doubt.
@Martin McFly: a helmet isn’t designed for collisions. You’d never see a helmet being worn in the Netherlands (where they have appropriate safe and segregated cycling infrastructure). Cycling/commuting/ getting from A to B isn’t dangerous, nor does it require and overload of PPE wear
@Martin McFly: Martin, why would you think that a helmet for racing is relevant for a spin down Molesworth St?
@Ness: a car cuts you off across your lane, you hit the side and are tossed over the bonnet. Roll off and land on your back on the other side of the car, banging your head on the road/pavement in the fall… you keep not wearing yours, seems like there is nothing there to protect anyways.
@Shane Hogan: read my second comment. Racing helmet or otherwise. Wear one. Otherwise just read the last sentence of my last comment. Refers to you also.
@Ness: Fully Agree! Ireland isn’t designed to hold Motors and cyclists (motorcycles are a different story) you cant always give a cyclists the appropriate distance as the road is either too small. Or it has more lanes and cars next to you.
Likewise cyclists dont always put themselves in the right places, creating lanes when suits them and night being light up appropriately. We have ourselves to blame!
@Martin McFly: Martin not only have you just shown how you don’t know what you’re talking about (you’ve just described a collision, the exact thing bicycle helmets are not designed for); you’ve had to resort to insults to reinforce your point. I’ll simplify things for you. Bicycle helmets won’t and can’t even prevent a concussion, especially in a situation such as a collision
Pay you road tax and insurance otherwise get off the road – have they anything else to do
@TM B: yeah, you tell ‘em! Almost as painful as idiots moaning about it on the comments section. Almost.
@TM B: you mean the road tax that was abolished in 1937? The same abolished and non existent tax that nobody actually pays because it doesn’t exist?
@TM B: No-one pays road tax in ireland TM. Perhaps you’re mixing it up with some other tax? Motorist pay insurance because they drive vehicles that weigh 1-5 tonnes at speeds of 20-150 kmph killing 2 or 3 people each week and causing huge damage to property. Cyclists don’t. Does that help you to understand why cyclists don’t need to pay insurance? As it happens, all club cyclists DO have insurance through Cycling Ireland.
@Shane Hogan: I wipe for you
@TM B: I’ve no idea what you’re wiping TM, but if you don’t have any facts to bring to the discussion, it might be better to stay quiet.
@TM B: Car tax is to do with emissions. Last I checked bikes don’t produce emissions
@TM B: road tax doesn’t exist, but fair play if you’re paying this mysterious tax. Also, there’s 160,000 uninsured drivers on the road. I pay an 8% levy on My motor insurance policy to cover the €60m in damage they cause annually. Maybe we should start with them? Oh and a cyclist has 100% the right to use the public road as any motorised vehicle.
Look at the picture. Not even all them wearing a helmet. Helmet should be like a seat belt.
@: A helmet is like a helmet, Fridge. If you believe in helmets, make sure you wear one at all times in a car, as far more head injuries happen in cars than on bikes, even with seat belts and airbags etc.
The problem here is lack of respect on both sides.
@Tommy Sea: The problem here Tommy is that motorists kill 2 or 3 people each week on the roads, mostly other motorists, a bunch of pedestrians and a few cyclists.
1. Get off the ground yous cabbage’s. 2. There are rules for cyclists that are not inforced by guards. 3 cyclists need to take responsibility for their own safety. Some do. But others go around with no lights, reflectors, helmets etc and cycle in the middle of road in front of cars.
@jenny bumbles: What rules are not enforced by the Gardai Jenny? https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/almost-5-000-on-the-spot-fines-issued-to-cyclists-1.3977141 Cyclist are fully entitled to take whatever road space they need to cycle safely. A good driver knows that you just have to find a safe space to overtake. Your journey is no more important than anyone else’s?
How many cyclists follows rules of the roads?
@Paddy Power: How many motorists follow Rules of the Road Paddy? Here’s a hint: Just 2% of motorists comply with speed limits in urban areas according to the RSA Speed Survey released last week.
@Paddy Power: I do for the most part. I’m a driver too so I understand and follow the same rules as when I’m driving.
Sometimes I accidentally break a red light at large junctions where they were green when I entered but by the time I reach the far side, they would be red. Simply because traffic light times are designed for cars and not much slower cyclists.
Otherwise, I always obey the rules of the road.
At the end of the day, it makes more sense to me to obey them when cycling because I’m completely vulnerable to motor vehicles when cycling so I’m not about to break a red light and risk getting killed.
Typical cyclist bashing comments…
I cycled for years but I bought a car recently.. I think the car is great shelter from rain and also there is less effort involved in driving a car….
@popeye Doyle: Yes, probably less effort – which is probably why cyclists are generally so much fitter and healthier. UK research shows a 46% reduction in cancer rates for those who cycle to work. But sure maybe staying dry is more important for you?
@Shane Hogan: Jeez Shane are you alright? Seems you’ll find a way to post some sort of argumentative reply to anyone that drives a car on here. Also, how do you know Popeye doesn’t run 20k every weekend after gulping down a tin of spinach??
@Très Bien: I don’t know anything about Popeye’s fitness, but I do know that he or she would be fitter if they cycled to work rather than driving to work. That’s a fact.
But if you want to talk about being argumentative, maybe you could ask Popeye why he or she felt it necessary to talk about cars keeping you dry on an article about not killing cyclists?
@Shane Hogan: I only live 1 km from my job so I can’t how cycling that would improve my health all round… Unless I put in for a transfer say 15 km from home that may help but then again if it rains I might get a flu…
@popeye Doyle: loving the big stirring spoon
Cyclist mentality , its ok to fly down the road between traffic, to jump lights, to bump up on to kerbs when it suits its all fine because a car is bigger so its the cars fault all these things happen..
@MickN: Motorist mentality: It’s OK for 98% of us to break speed limits (RSA Speed Survey) and for most of us to use our phones while driving (Liberty Insurance survey) and for 88% of red light jumpers to be us, not cyclists (Luas red light camera) because the chances of being caught are slim and we never think that we, or one of our family members are going to be among the 2 or 3 people killed by motorists on the road this week.
Something needs to be done. Lots of people cycling into Dublin and other cities every day and it should be encouraged to free up road space, cut down on carbon emissions etc. The one thing I haven’t seen from a lot of these protest groups is a coherent plan of how certain areas can be improved. Given Irish cities were not originally designed with cars in mind, then adapted for cars, there’s not a lot of room left for safe, dedicated cycle lanes, so some really detailed analysis and original ideas are required to find solutions. Yes, that is partly for the NTA to do but some of these groups should put together plans too. If they present good plans and get the public onside then politicians will have to cave.
@Aidan: there is a full list of what cyclists want on all the different cycling websites, they mostly match.
Starting with adquet cycle lanes that are kept clear of cars and maintained.
Minimum passing distances.
Prosecution for drivers for dangerous driving.
The acceptance of video footage of offences.
It is easier to get a driver fined for littering with no evidence than to get a driver brought to court for intentionally hitting a cyclists with video footage. I heard some cyclists suggest that maybe you should report the littering of the pieces of the car that come off the car when they hit you instead of the collision
As a pedestrian I’ve had only ever has situations with cyclists , knocked down twice by the tour de clowns going to fast to stop. Also nothing worse than the muppets cycling through red lights and using the paths or crossing pedestrian bridges .
@MitchConnor: Translation, you walked out in front of traffic which surprised you when you got knocked?
Cyclists can cycle two abreast but under Article 47 of the Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) 1997 Regulations (as substituted by the 2012 Regulations), you must not cycle more than two abreast, except when overtaking and it does not endanger or obstruct other traffic. Garda National Roads Policing Bureau Chief Supt Aidan Reid has said“The law is very clear in this; cyclists may travel two abreast only when it is safe to do so.”And on the issue of minor roads he said: “If you have a single carriageway with a continuous white line, it is not safe for cyclists to go in pairs.“A car cannot overtake the white line and you have a vulnerable situation arising.”
@thejamer: Cycling two abreast doesn’t ‘obstruct’ traffic Jamer. Traffic will have to pull into the next lane or the opposite side of the road to pass one cyclist safely, so two abreast has no impact at all. You just have to find a safe place to overtake, then overtake safely. It’s not hard really.
@Shane Hogan: sorry there are a number of issues cycling 2 abreast. There is regular group of cyclists that meet up in Drumcondra that seem to cycle to Swords some evenings. They all cycle 2 abreast in the cycle lane. This holds up all the commuting cyclists as they are having their little chats during rush hour. They are aggressive and stop other cyclists passing them.
There are aholes on ever form of transport.
@Craic_a_tower: Why would you think your journey is more important than anyone else’s? If you want to pass them, find a safe place to pass and overtake – just like any other traffic.
@Shane Hogan: You didn’t pay attention, they are aggressive and actively prevent people from passing. They aren’t concerned about the journey they are interested in their chats. So yes my journey is more important than their leisurely cycle/chat. They can cycle 2 abreast by law but it doesn’t stop what they are doing as being selfish. The purpose of cycling 2 abreast is to let traffic pass the group quicker not to slow down people.
@Craic_a_tower: essentially you are asking them to double the distance you have to pass which is where the danger comes in.
@Stephen Devlin: in a cycle lane on the path? BS. You don’t have defend all cyclists. As I said the are aggressive and actively prevent people passing them. Absolutely no reason for it other than being selfish
Seriously lads
If some dodgy dubs see these pictures they will go over there with their yellow jacket on and steal your bike
Ye have a good idea but not in Dublin
I agree with the comments by the cyclists today for safer road conditions to help protect life.
But my God some cyclists are absolutlely wreckless themselves .This morning I saw a group of 7 male cyclists on the Dundalk Blackrock road. .They blocked the traffic and refused to pull in .Then I saw 2 cyclists on the avenue road cycling in the wrong direction in the cycle lane on the avenue road in Dundalk.
To finish it off I later saw an eleven or 12 year old child cycling on the wrong side of the road on the Dundalk inner relief road in the wrong direction.
Miracle he was not killed.
So while cyclists are right to protest they need to cop on to the fact there are a lot of bad cyclists who use the road highly dangerously and put their own and other people’s. Lives at risk
I think we can all agree that there are motorists and cyclists out there that break the rules of the road every day…. Idiots will be idiots no matter their mode of transport! As a motorist myself I can never wrap my head around the constant hate & battles between cyclists and motorists, we are all using the road and the sooner we all respect each other the better. If you chose to view either as a nuisance that’s where the aggressive, dangerous behaviour on the road begins. View them for what they are; another human, another life like yours just trying to make their way home. Big, big changes in attitudes and infrastructure needed, more awareness, more campaigns, safer roads for all and most importantly, less deaths!!
@Très Bien: Yes, there are idiots on the road with all modes of transport. Though the idiots on bikes aren’t the ones killing 2 or 3 people each week.
@Shane Hogan: You state your fact as if it’s ALWAYS the motorists fault for accidents – plenty of cyclists and pedestrians are to blame for accidents too and it’s obvious they will always, unfortunately, come out the worst from it. They are both the more vulnerable road user verses vehicles. That is why awareness from everyone is a must!! Responsibility works both ways.
@Très Bien: I didn’t say anything about who is at fault, Tres. Most road deaths are motorists killing other motorists or passengers, so it’s going to be hard for you to blame cyclists for that. The next largest category are motorists killing pedestrians, so again, it’s going to be hard to get blame cyclists for that. If you’ve any genuine interest in saving lives on the road, get motorists to slow down, put their phones down and stop killing people. Anything else is a distraction.
@Shane Hogan: I wasn’t putting blame on anyone in particular here. Everyone at some stage or another has caused an accident, be it a motorist, cyclist or pedestrian. Everyone is responsible for themselves AND other people once they get behind a wheel or pedal a bike. People using phones whilst driving is scarily out of control and I would love nothing more than stricter laws and penalties for these a**holes. There’s really nothing to deter them from scrolling carelessly while they coast along the road, then they panic and realise they’ve left a huge gap or are about to miss the green light so they speed up without even checking if there’s any cyclists around their vehicle. It’s frightening behaviour. Let’s hope change is coming.
The journals ‘week in numbers article’ is going to have to includes Shane’s 2 or 3 , 98% and 2%
The absolute state of them. Get up and tell your fellow cyclists to wear helmets, stop breaking red lights, get proper lights on the bikes and use the provided cycle lanes.
I don’t know about cyclists in the city but where I live in a rural area they are extremely dangerous. The roads are too narrow to safely over take cyclists who insist on cycling two and three abreast even though the road is only the width of a bin lorry in places. Also there are very few places on my route where you have a clean line of sight to overtake a single cyclist. I think it needs to have cooperation on both sides and although the law might be on their side if they end up under a combine harvester the law won’t do much for them.
@Irisheyes: It’s only dangerous if you make it dangerous.
@Stephen Devlin: exactly. It is just that simple.
It would be useful if bicycle tracks were constructed throughout the city like in the Netherlands. But I feel that it should be compulsory for all cyclists to pass a test on the rules of the road. Modern bicycles can travel at speeds of up to 30 mph. And it is every motorists dread trying to predict a cyclists next move when they suddenly appear and are travelling at high speed. All of us motorist have encountered cyclists behaving dangerously, and the law seems to take the view that the cyclist is always right.
I spent the last 2hrs and 15 mins commiting home and I saw probably close to a hundred cyclists (not joking) not wearing hi-vis or helmets in the bloody dark. They have no accountability and therefore do what they want. It is dangerous for them out there but they are certainly not doing their part.
@dearg doom: neither are required. Helmets are viewed by many as the same as a seatbelt but they are nowhere near as significant. They offer very little protection for most accidents involving cyclists. If a driver can’t see a cyclist with lights they shouldn’t be driving. I saw well over 200 cars speeding today. Which is the true danger?
When cyclists are on country roads they think that it’s ok to cycle 2 or 3 abreast with earphones on and don’t listen for other traffic . Make them pay a tax like us motor drivers and also insurance so then they can argue as an equal. Also these suggested rulings on overtaking if we are to leave the suggested amount of space on country roads the cars would be on the opposite fence. COP ON Shane Ross and come to the country and we will show you some narrow roads.
@Rhoda Patterson: cyclists probably pay the exact same tax as you. But people like you are extremely thick.
@Rhoda Patterson: how dare you try to impose conditions for people who cycle to be “equal” to people who drive in public spaces? You really need to have a look in the mirror, that is sociopathic. People are equal, no matter how they travel.
If people want to cycle on the roads, it should be by law that they have a helmet, hi vis jacket, working lights front and back, and they should have insurance/road tax and a way to identify them like a registration on a car, so when they break the rules of the road or red lights they should be fined
@Sheamus Redmond: Totes Ridículo
Morons.
@Jim O Brien – TechBuzz Ireland: excellent and thought-provoking analysis there Jim. Well done you.
@Jim O Brien – TechBuzz Ireland: Was Neeraj also one of the morons, Jim? https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/cyclist-killed-in-dublin-was-full-of-life-and-loved-cycling-1.4070754 What is it about the 98% of motorists breaking speed limits that you fail to grasp?
@jamesdecay: OK owl face. Ohh wait. Faceless.
@Shane Hogan: Full details of that accident there? No just finding the first thing you can nitpick with.
Witnessed this protest earlier, there was a number of cyclists without lights, high viz and helmets. The road is shared by a number of different modes of transport and everyone needs to aware of that. Looking after ones self should be a starting point.
@Padraig McConnell: how much use would lights be in the middle of a bright day? As for hiviz and helmets, just because you want them to wear them it doesn’t mean they have to. Snap out of it.
That overtaking law won’t work on rural roads.
Bicycles should not have to share road space with cars, trucks etc.It is too dangerous as can be seen by recent horrible accidents and fatalities.
Dedicated bicycle lanes should be provided .
Until that happens bicycles should be prohibited from shared roads especially in built up areas.
A lot of people would be alive now if this had been done years ago.
Anyone engaging in us versus them here is just slow witted.. we all share roads. We all want to get places. We all have families. It’s about tolerance and respect, on a basic human level. Until such time as the authorities spend money on safe cycling infrastructure This is literally about life and death. Be cool. Be sound. Let’s all get there alive ya. ✌️
Just went past a cyclist in the middle of two lanes with no lights and not given a f#ck and yet it’s the drivers fault if he gets a smack
@Philip Shevlin: I saw 20 cars parked in cycle lanes in 15 minutes. Yesterday I saw a car pull straight into a cyclist in a bus lane with hi viz and lights. There are idiots on the road using all transport. When you see an idiot driver do you blame all drivers? Change your attitude and realize there are all sort cycling.
Well done ibikeDublin, doing something to highlight the dangerous and getting worse cycling conditions in Dublin
Perhaps the cyclist who broke the lights in Phibsborough at lunch time today was on his way to this event. He struck a woman who fell to the ground banging her head, he then continued on his way not even bothering to stay around to see how she was, or even help her to her feet. So in effect a hit and run, of course cyclists have no reg so impossible to trace. All road users need to obey the rules but more importantly we need to have the means to identify each and every one of them. The cyclist uses the road / footpath and because there is no onus on them to have a reg they can behave any way they want. Unfortunately the cyclist who breaks the lights, won’t use the cycle lanes etc have given other road users the impression that all cyclists are the same, not so, many obey the rules
Not a high vis vest among them.
Shame.
Any bit of personal responsibility at all?
have your say