Garda safety campaign for Dublin

Lumen

ThisRegard wrote: »

You can bet that gardai involved in this will be stopping cyclists purely because they're not wearing high vis vests.

I'm sure a quick "I pay your wages" will be enough to settle that argument.

manwithaplan

ThisRegard wrote: »

You can bet that gardai involved in this will be stopping cyclists purely because they're not wearing high vis vests.

But how will they see them?

morana

Just one patrol cAr on th north strand but completely ignored cars parked in wrong place, wheels on path etc. but i made sure i didnt scratch myself just in case they were cracking down on that as well!

BostonB

manwithaplan wrote: »

But how will they see them?

LOL.

Zyzz

Will they be pulling people over for breaking red lights?

Edit: Re-read the Irish Times Article, and yes they are. Thank the lord, I have better things to be doing than passing cyclists and telling them that we stop at red lights aswel.

OssianSmyth

http://www.herald.ie/news/garda-blitz-on-daredevil-city-cyclists-3248034.html

Hare-dild wrote:

Garda blitz on daredevil city cyclists
By Clodagh Sheehy
Tuesday October 02 2012

CYCLISTS who break lights and road laws will be saddled with harsh penalties after gardai launched a new offensive in the capital.

The clampdown comes as part of the Casualty Reduction Implementation Plan was launched.

Figures showed three quarters of those killed or seriously injured in city road accidents were cyclists or pedestrians....

Wishbone Ash

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

how about targeting the types of road users most likely to cause accidents

In fairness though, many cyclists put themselves in danger and are likely to cause accidents.

ror_74 wrote: »

He waved me down with one of those neon stick things. I had no idea what was going on. Turned out my front light was too dim and he couldn't see me approach

If he couldn't see you approach, how did he know you existed?

Ole Rodrigo

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

If he couldn't see you approach, how did he know you existed?

I think that neon stick might be a magic wand, or something

monument

ror_74 wrote: »

So I got accosted last night by a guard outside Wongs in Clontarf. He waved me down with one of those neon stick things. I had no idea what was going on. Turned out my front light was too dim and he couldn't see me approach ( it was dipped for the oncoming traffic ). Although I was legally compliant with a front and back light, he said, for Gods sake would I ever put on a hi vis jacket and wear a helmet. And then he sniffed rather haughtily at the torch strapped to the handlebar - a TK11 - and suggested I use somethin a bit less cobbled together, maybe one of those LED ones that were good value and can be seen by people pulling out of their driveway, and then I might not get creamed. It was all I could do but thank him for his advice and off I went.

That would have been priceless if recorded on camera. But brilliant all the same.

tomasrojo

OssianSmyth wrote: »

http://www.herald.ie/news/garda-blitz-on-daredevil-city-cyclists-3248034.html

Figures showed three quarters of those killed or seriously injured in city road accidents were cyclists or pedestrians....

They've decided to target the group that makes up at most about 5 percentage points of the 75%. So if they get cyclist KSIs down to zero, they can re-apply the same logic next year, "cyclist and pedestrians make up 70% of those killed or seriously injured in city road accidents", and target cyclists again.

BostonB

I don't see the point of newspapers that don't report news or facts. But simply jumble nonsense together to make a story.

BostonB

The number of Irish road deaths fell to 212 in 2010, the lowest level on record, down 26 from 2009. The Government’s road safety target of achieving no more than 252 deaths per annum by the end of 2012 was achieved three years ahead of schedule.

The 212 who died consisted of 44 pedestrians, 5 cyclists, 91 drivers, 55 passengers and 17 bikers.

Who do they target, who do they put in the headlines, the cyclists.

opti0nal

BostonB wrote: »

I don't see the point of newspapers that don't report news or facts. But simply jumble nonsense together to make a story.

You're describing the Indo and the Herald to a tee. Junk media. Some people like that sort of thing.

The bit about 'unofficial crossing points' is questionable. You're only obliged to use a crossing if you're within 15 metres of one. Hopefully, the Gardai won't be inventing another fictitious law like the 'wear a high vis' law.

ednwireland

how come the rest of us arent subject to the garda waving there "wands" at us bloomin dubs hogging all the good stuff (although here they would have to stop me - every time they see me cos i'm pretty much the only person cycling into work) i'd love them to tell me my 1.5 watts of rear lights and 2500 lumens between 2 front lights wasnt enough

DirkVoodoo

Very disappointed.

Went out to Belfield to collect my lock, then cycled back into town to go to Nassau street.

Not. A. Single. Garda.

Plenty of law breaking from all corners, I felt like I was taking my life in my own hands. People breeze through red lights, cars change lanes or take turns aggressively and without indicating and pedestrians walk like lemmings onto the road.

Had a (good looking) girl walk out in front of me at the top of Stephen's Green, shouted and tried to brake, of course the bike straightened up from it's turning arc and made a beeline for her. Shouted "Jesus Christ!" more at the inevitable impact which never came and got a hoity-D4 "Jesus You!" in reply.

Thankfully most of my journeys in rush hour are on quieter roads than Leeson street.

smackyB

Campaign off to a good start yesterday, was coming up to the crossroads at Donnybrook church heading south. Car comes up behind and cuts across me trying to turn left - she would have wiped me out had I not shouted and braked heavily. Turned around to give out to her and she's looking sheepishly at me with her f*cking phone in one hand. Moron. Was too shocked to clock her reg, time to get a helmet cam I think.

M1XR

Quick Question: Are bicycle lights obliged to be used under law? Where is this written?

Surveyor11

M1XR wrote: »

Quick Question: Are bicycle lights obliged to be used under law? Where is this written?

Yes, relevant legislation is here: http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1963/en/si/0189.html


Flashing lights legal since 2009

Zyzz

Im sure there will be a lot of 'wand waving' in the next few weeks..



..unfortunately not the signal type wands :pac:

Surveyor11

Do you mean http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Nescafe%20bean%20shaker ?

Surveyor11

Ok, so here's a (rather long) account of my journey to work this morning. I should start by saying that I obey the rules of the road to the T, however I do cycle defensively but always with consideration to other road users and pedestrians.

After a non-eventful cycle with my kid to school, I head out from the school gates through the traffic-choked streets of my neighbourhood. Cycling up the bus lane towards Coolmine Roundabout, a car unexpectedly pulls in front of me to turn right into an estate. Have to brake hard, as I’m moving pretty fast, to avoid hitting the car – car driver seems oblivious to me. “Must upgrade that large flashing strobe I have on the front of the bike that’s visible from several hundred yards”, I think as I cycle away. First incident on the way to work, so got to keep sharp and focussed.

Turning right at Coolmine roundabout, which is snarled solid with traffic, I proceed along the Carpenterstown Road, coming to the bus lane at Laurel Lodge. A car pulls out left in front of me, again seemingly ignoring me and the flashing light, to drive up the bus / bike lane. Have to say I’d be frustrated as well at being the 30th-odd car queuing for the lights at Laurel Lodge, knowing that what is ahead of me is a crawl around the corner to Castleknock, but getting those 6 or so cars ahead makes some sense I guess.

As this car proceeds to head up the bus lane fellow drivers, who are also stuck in gridlock, think it's a good idea, safety in numbers and all that, and proceed to follow him in sympathy. 4 cars are now blocking the bus / bike lane where it merges with the car lane. Bit of a mêlée at the top of the queue – cars bumper to bumper, jockeying for position and the cars in the bus lane are trying to merge into the lane they should have been in the first place. Have to squeeze through these guys and their Mexican standoff to get to the lights.

Cars continue stationery through the traffic lights, which have now turned red, and they are blocking the yellow box and preventing their neighbours from turning right out of their estate. Usual beeping and argy-bargy ensues – more ‘bumper offs’ ensue to my amusement. At the junction of Laurel Lodge / Castleknock road, about 4 cars are doing that unique Irish manoeuvre - parallel parked along side each other, now stationery in the yellow box turning right. I suppose this makes all the difference to getting those 2 or 3 car lengths ahead. Makes it tricky to get around this on the bike, but I make it to the relative safety of the bus lane at the M50 bridge.

At Castleknock / Auburn Avenue, white van man is oblivious of the bike lane to the left, and the advanced stop box, and blocks both with his van. Numerous cyclists now have to squeeze up his left – too dangerous to pass on the right – and park themselves at the front to ensure they are visible. Usual light breakers in cars at the turn for Auburn Avenue – maybe 2 this time – but happy enough to cut across the 3 or 4 of us on bikes heading to the Phoenix Park.

The journey though the Phoenix Park is the best part– car free all the way to the Quays. At the Quays, more madness ensues. We have to navigate a guy who’s trying to head up the bus lane at Park Gate Street, but he’s thought twice about it – maybe spotted a Garda? So he’s now blocking the bus lane and making it difficult for everyone to pass. Just after the Luas tracks, a woman comes over the bridge at Heuston at speed, cuts straight in front of me and takes a left off the quays – no indication or a second thought as to what she’s done. Have to come to a stop to avoid her. Back on the bike and gather speed again. Further down, a driver is half parked in the middle of the bus / bike lane trying to turn left coming out of the side street at Collins Barracks. Quick look over the shoulder, indicating and moving around him. A taxi breaks the red light at Capel Street bridge turning right, driving through a green light while pedestrians are crossing - don't mind the pedestrians in your way, taxi man, they'll jump out of the way sure and it's all about your fare. Bike breaks the red light coming over the bridge – heading across 2 lanes of traffic, just like ‘frogger’, he manages to make it to the other side unscathed. Risky move.

I head up Christchurch. Again the advanced box has got cars parked in it. I pick my way through the traffic - nobody bothers to stay in the middle of the lane, so it's a zigzag of wing mirrors all the way up to the lights. Taxi blocks the newly re-laid bike track at St. Patrick’s. Count no fewer than 3 cars breaking the red light coming from Cork Street to Kevin Street while I’m stopped - last one cuts it fine, as the lights have already gone green for the cars coming the opposite way, and he's now driving through a green pedestrian light at the other side of the junction that people are trying to use to cross the road.

Turning left onto Kevin Street, a driver thinks it's ok to tailgate me around the corner, but almost squeezes me against a metal railing on the corner as he under cuts it and parks in the bike lane, waiting for the pedestrian lights to turn green for traffic. I hold back and avoid disaster. Further up, a woman driver tries to squeeze up the bike lane to the left of the cars queuing at the Wexford Street lights, without warning, almost hits me in the process as I make my way up the bike lane - she'll get 2, maybe 3 cars max ahead, if she succeeds. Still has a few to pass to get to her destination, so not really sure of the merits of such a move.

Taxi breaks a red light at Wexford Street - he runs it from, oh maybe 30 yards or so back - and breaks it about 2-3 seconds after it has gone red. Cars and bikes coming the other way are already on the move when he pulls this one off. Closest I've come to seeing a car T-boned at a junction this morning.

At Cuffe Street / Mercer Street, a tour coach pulls out, turning left and totally ignores the 2 - 3 cyclists making their way along the bike track, which have to stop to let his complete his manoeuvre. Parks his bus across the road, blocking both car lanes and a bike lane. No rush - we'll all wait. Lights go green, so he moves off. The usual taxi driver skips up the left only lane, then cuts in right, across the cycle track, to avoid the cars at the lights and get onto Stephen’s Green.

Stephen's Green is strewn with pedestrians crossing randomly, apparently oblivious to cars and bike around them. Some are busy texting / looking at their phones while they cross, some have headphones on, always great to listen to a few cracking tunes when you're checking your phone and crossing 4 lanes of traffic. At Lesson Street, a fellow cyclist comes down the wrong side of the road, passes on my left as I’m cycling up. Not sure what’s he’s at, but he’s cycling head long into traffic on the wrong side of the road. Maybe a foreign cyclist used to cycling on the other side?

I get to work 30 minutes after I leave my house – the traffic has been particularly heavy this morning – but wouldn’t get to work any other way.

The above is an average account of my commute to work .What it illustrates is that a lot of road users, cyclists, motorists and pedestrian included, have a total disregard for their fellow road users – in a lot of cases, it’s all ‘me, me’ me’. So, treat other road users with a bit of respect and make them safer for everybody – cars, cyclists and pedestrians.

Man, I love cycling!

buffalo

That's a hell of an account Surveyor11, would you like to join us in the grumpy old men club?

Though on second thought, you had the patience not only to get through all that without giving out to anyone, and then write about it in a mild-mannered and objective fashion. I don't think you're grumpy enough, sorry.

OldBean

For the umpteenth time, I've nearly gotten taken out by the Viking Tours coming down to St. Patricks from Clanbrasil St. If it's illegal to drive and talk on the phone, surely it's illegal to drive and give a f**king tour over a loudspeaker.

buffalo

OldBean wrote: »

For the umpteenth time, I've nearly gotten taken out by the Viking Tours coming down to St. Patricks from Clanbrasil St. If it's illegal to drive and talk on the phone, surely it's illegal to drive and give a f**king tour over a loudspeaker.

I treat them like HGVs, and stay well away. Though I appreciate there's times where you can't avoid them - I'd drop them a line. Wouldn't be great publicity if they had an incident with a cyclist. Then again, it might be water off a DUKW's back...

OldBean

Whoops, I'd meant to put that post into the 'Tell Us About Your Cycle Today' thread. On topic, I've not seen any more Gardai about than is normal so far.

ThisRegard

A couple of vids the gardai released as part of this drive. The one with the bus is just ridiculous

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI1p3cFienw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhWSVvI1t3s

buffalo

ThisRegard wrote: »

A couple of vids the gardai released as part of this drive. The one with the bus is just ridiculous

tbf, I've seen the behaviour in the latter far too often. it's also behaviour that's encouraged by some of our cycle tracks - both the cycling on the footpath, and the moving from footpath to the road. No excuse for not looking though.

Scarlet for yer man on the Luas tracks. Looked painful.

Andy-Pandy

ThisRegard wrote: »

A couple of vids the gardai released as part of this drive. The one with the bus is just ridiculous

Ah, but he's wearing a Hi-Viz.

ThisRegard

Yip, that's the reason he wasn't hit, lucky him.

But I doubt the passengers getting off the bus were wearing any.

morana

buffalo wrote: »

tbf, I've seen the behaviour in the latter far too often. it's also behaviour that's encouraged by some of our cycle tracks - both the cycling on the footpath, and the moving from footpath to the road. No excuse for not looking though.

Scarlet for yer man on the Luas tracks. Looked painful.

thats the way it is outside Charleville Mall flats on the North strand.you slalom thru the people getting on and off the bus as the lane runs infront of the stop!