Any legal or Gardai related issue; also road user behaviour: cyclists, motorists & pedestrians
Have you been frightened by a dangerous overtaking manoeuvre while cycling? If so you are not alone as these overly close passes on Irish roads show.
In fact, a recent survey conducted by Stayin’ Alive at 1.5 and the Dublin Cycling Campaign revealed that 97.2% of respondents had been scared by a dangerous overtaking manoeuvre whilst cycling.
Disputes about the installation of cycle lanes on main roads through a north London suburb continue to rage. Read article
National Standard Rolled Out Nationwide
Cycle Right, the National Standard for Cycle Training in Ireland, has been officially launched by Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Shane Ross TD. Through a standardised cyclist road safety training course, cycling skills and road safety awareness will be delivered to school children nationwide. The National Standard – Cycle Right – is funded by the Department of Transport Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) and the Road Safety Authority (RSA). It has been developed through a steering group of Cycling Ireland, DTTAS, the RSA and others.
Cycling Ireland CEO Geoff Liffey is excited about the launch of Cycle Right saying; “I am very excited about the launch of Cycle Right; this is one of the most significant positive developments that we have seen in recent years, and will be a crucial tool in progressing cycling. By learning correct cycling skills, and learning how to cycle safely on the roads, more people will be encouraged to ride their bikes on a regular basis. By increasing the number of people cycling and increasing its visibility, our voice is louder in the move towards a more cycling friendly country.”
“While there have been successful cycle training providers operating in Ireland for years, Cycle Right, the National Standard for Cycling Training in Ireland, ensures that everyone is delivering the same message, and the standard of training received by everyone is the same. This project has been in development for over six years and I’m very pleased to see it finally come to fruition as part of our current strategy.”
Launching Cycle Right Minister Ross stated “I am delighted to announce that my Department is funding the national roll-out of Cycle Right – the new national cycle training standard – to primary schools for 2017. This new standard, that includes an on-road element of training, will ensure that we have, for the first time, a standardised level of cycle training around the country. It will also complete one of our policy objectives under the National Cycle Policy Framework.”
The Minister continued – “Since my appointment as Minister, I have become even more aware of the numbers cycling to work and the continued year-on-year growth in those numbers, particularly in Dublin. However, we do need to address the fact that we are not seeing any significant growth in the numbers cycling to school, these are the cyclists of tomorrow and we need to give them the skills and confidence to cycle to school now, so that when they graduate they will continue cycling for the rest of their lives. Cycle Right will give them those skills and that confidence.”
The Minister added – “I am particularly pleased to note that Cycle Right was developed by a partnership steering committee consisting of a wide-range of stakeholders, Cycling Ireland, the Road Safety Authority, An Garda Síochána, An Táisce Green Schools, Coaching Ireland and representatives of local authorities along with my Department. This has ensured that the Safety aspect of this training has been key in its development.”
“I understand that training will commence in early 2017 and I look forward to congratulating some of the first graduates in person in the Spring. It is important that parents support this initiative and use this opportunity to look again at how their children travel to school. I know, from my discussions with my colleagues the Minister for Health and Minister for Children that childhood obesity is a pressing issue and that active travel to school, be that by cycling or walking is very important in addressing this.”
Cycle Right is funded by the Department of Transport Tourism and Sport and the Road Safety Authority, and will be administered and managed by Cycling Ireland, the National Governing Body of Cycling in Ireland.
See also article on website of Department of Transport Tourism and Sport (DTTAS)
In the first week of December the CHIPS (Cycle Highways Innovation for smarter People transport and Spatial planning) partners met in the surprisingly sunny city of Belfast to discuss the results of CHIPS survey and to design the behavioural change campaigns to attract more users on the cycle highways. The survey which was conducted by the project partners in Northern Ireland revealed the main barriers faced by commuters while cycling to work. Most respondents claimed that non-segregation of traffic is the biggest problem, while a smaller group of surveyed people has identified weather as the biggest problem. Read more
Cycling Ireland is now working closely with Cyclist.ie in advocating for better conditions and funding for cyclists and cycling in Ireland. Some of the fruits of our recently agreed collaboration can be seen in the attached article taken from their recent Newsletter.
The figures, released at a press conference in Dublin this morning, show that 1,296 cars in Dublin have been recorded breaking a red light so far in 2016 – 24 times the rate of cyclists caught breaking red lights (54) in the same period.
In response to a question from TheJournal.ie, Garda Superintendent Tom Murphy said zero pedestrians have died in collision with a cyclist, but he said one has been seriously injured.
A law has been passed in Wales that obliges politicians to listen to anyone who asks for safe walking and cycling routes to be built in their area. Read article
Irish people buy the most new diesel cars in the world. Car sales data shows diesel cars account for 7 out of 10 of all new cars sold in Ireland.
“Globally, Europe is a diesel island. In the US and Japan diesel cars account for less than 5% of new sales. Europe, where diesel makes up 50% of new sales, is an outlier, and Ireland is way out on a limb with diesel accounting for 70% of new sales”, according to James Nix of Green Budget Europe, pointing to a comparison with other European countries, and adding that “Ireland needs to get back on track, shifting car sales away from diesel and on to electric vehicles and hybrids”.
IN AN EFFORT to combat obesity and improve road safety, Mayo County Council has called for cycle training to be part of the national curriculum for primary schools.
The Love 30 Campaign favours a default speed limit of 30 km/h in urban areas, in residential estates, and in all areas of high pedestrian and cycle use. This includes residential streets and estates as well as the centres of cities, towns and villages and the areas surrounding schools. We believe there is a need for a paradigm shift in how road authorities manage traffic to enable pedestrians to use our roads and streets safely, to cater for the safety of the 8-80 age cohort while cycling and to allow our children to play outdoors and to walk to school, shops and friends & family. There is a need to protect the next generations, by ensuring that drivers understand their responsibilities fully, and that Councils put in place necessary speed limits to slow traffic. Road traffic planning and provision for many years has been for the benefit of the private motorist to the detriment of other road users including pedestrians, cyclists, public transport users, older and very young people and those with disabilities.
Link to Love30 on this site: see Organisations / Collaborative
