Journalism and cycling

magicbastarder

Oh, and the details I quoted were wrong. It was €750 for causing the death, not €1.5k.

tomasrojo

If I set fire to the kitchen at work while messing around with a blow torch, I hope I get bonus points for not being drunk.

Duckjob

tomasrojo wrote: »

If I set fire to the kitchen at work while messing around with a blow torch, I hope I get bonus points for not being drunk.

Torch away. As long as you express remorse later on it's grand apparently.

Large bottle small glass

magicbastarder wrote: »

not about cycling, but this is rage inducing.
4 year driving ban and €1,500 fine for killing someone.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/circuit-court/truck-driver-fined-1-500-for-collision-that-killed-estlin-wall-3-1.4233297

looks like he performed an incorrect overtake of a bus.
€1,500 is less than two weeks (gross) of the average industrial wage in ireland.

The man in truck killed a child, nearly killed his dad as a direct result of his negligent driving. This man (ignoring the Covid 19 breaches) had no insurance and drove while disqualified and got a 3 month sentence and 28 years off road.

I'm ok with the 3 months jail and 28 years off road as long as things scaled up the more severe the offence and consequences. Seems a generally law abiding citizen going about their work in a work vehicle gets all kinds of breaks.

"He was given a three-month jail sentence for the driving offences and was disqualified from driving for 28 years, as well as another three-month concurrent sentence for these offences."

https://www.msn.com/en-ie/news/newsireland/first-person-charged-with-breach-of-virus-travel-restrictions-is-jailed/ar-BB130x0v?ocid=spartanntp

Eamonnator

^^^^^^^
I think the 28 years disqualification has to be a reporting error.

Weepsie

Eamonnator wrote: »

^^^^^^^
I think the 28 years disqualification has to be a reporting error.

It's reported as that in a number of places. The same judge refused to extend any further ban to JAson Byrne though when he was caught driving while disqualified.

If that 28 years is true, they are definitely just making it up as they go along

magicbastarder

Cyclist, aged 9, airlifted to hospital after collision with car in Limerick

https://www.limerickleader.ie/news/home/536675/breaking-cyclist-aged-9-airlifted-to-hospital-after-collision-with-car-in-limerick.html#.Xp8rmOnlCLg.twitter

hans aus dtschl

magicbastarder wrote: »

Cyclist, aged 9, airlifted to hospital after collision with car in Limerick

https://www.limerickleader.ie/news/home/536675/breaking-cyclist-aged-9-airlifted-to-hospital-after-collision-with-car-in-limerick.html#.Xp8rmOnlCLg.twitter

Poor child. I hope they'll be OK.

What an exceptionally poor standard of reporting:

...accident...
...cyclist collided with a car...
...Gardai have appealed for witnesses or anyone travelling on the Kilfinane to Garryspillane Road...

What would be the point in a Garda appeal, if you're reporting it was an accident and that the child collided with a car?

work

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/milan-to-reallocate-streets-to-pedestrians-and-cyclists-in-bid-to-reduce-air-pollution-1.4234088?mode=amp

something good from Covid? Not to belittle all the suffering but people might like not driving? Can we sell this long term

eclipsechaser

CramCycle wrote: »

This has set a precedent whereby the legal system has set a standard for the punishment of poor driving, and unless they could show it was intentional

Sadly, even when you use your car to intentionally hit someone, you probably won't see jail-time.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/circuit-court/suspended-sentence-for-man-who-deliberately-crashed-into-cyclist-1.4094339

CramCycle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7EfwK-_Qug

Attourney at law

Tenzor07

Plenty of Fascists around UK and here in Ireland too:

Reports of “small-scale vigilantism” ..... said people had even been “aggressively driving at cyclists”...
...
There have been signs put up, we’ve had people calling cyclists out. All sorts of little things, nothing that is criminal but people really making it clear how anxious they feel.”

But she made clear it was not acceptable for people to be abusive to cyclists. Asked whether she was concerned that those involved in vigilantism may themselves end up falling foul of the law, she said: “Yes, absolutely. And what it’s doing is creating tension in communities. And we don’t want tension – we’ve all got to come out of this the other side of this.”

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/apr/26/police-in-england-warn-rural-vigilantes-not-to-take-law-into-own-hands-coronavirus-lockdown

Curb Your Enthusiasm

'Frustrated, worried, stressed and anxious': The worst places in Ireland to be a cyclist

Be warned. Even on an article about deaths and injuries of vulnerable road users, the usual comments still pop up from the faceless dopes.

There's a very good map showing collisions/injuries/fatalities based on area, shocking to see it really.

https://www.thejournal.ie/part-one-bicycle-blackspots-ireland-5081804-Apr2020/

From Cork myself, I can see no effort in maintaining current infrastructure, let alone create any new infra, so the councils reply is laughable and just plainly untrue. Do you see any maintenance on the below cycle lanes? :rolleyes:

magicbastarder

Curb Your Enthusiasm wrote: »

the usual comments still pop up from the faceless dopes.

for the love of god, don't read below the line.

Mc Love

Those cycle lanes are much like the ones Limerick Council put down. Bit of paint - really shows they have no interest in pandering to people who cycle

magicbastarder

looks like ciara kelly will be talking to the author of that piece from the journal on newstalk on her lunchtime show.

Thelonious Monk

Cycling through Fairview for about 25 years now having gone to school there and passing through it for work. No improvements for cyclists in all that time and nothing looking likely to happen any time soon. Coming home on the way out of the city it's a miracle more people aren't killed on that stretch, it's a free for all, with bike lanes in between bus lanes and all over the place...
Surely with a road that wide they could put something in for cyclists? I know there's a plan for this but why isn't it happening already?

magicbastarder

magicbastarder wrote: »

looks like ciara kelly will be talking to the author of that piece from the journal on newstalk on her lunchtime show.

Was Pat Kenny talking about cycling this morning? He was scoffing at some cycling related texts when I tuned in.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

A man out on his bike, in his 60s, has been killed by a motorist in Kerry this morning.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/cyclist-60s-dies-after-road-collision-near-killarney-1.4238859

May he Rest In Peace.

Without speculating what happened, I think we can all admit noticing the quieter roads has led to a significant increase in speeding and other antisocial behaviour from some motorists.

Serious investment in safe cycling infrastructure is also needed country-wide, not just in our main cities.

Type 17

I’ve been on YouTube extensively over the last few weeks and, in keeping with this thread’s theme, here are some examples of video-journalism to demonstrate how good things can be (makes a change from the close-pass/road-rage stuff).

I wish one could post YT links in Journal comments, as I’d love to put a few of these up there, but in the meantime, here are some of the better-made/edited videos that are relevant to how Irish roads/cities could be improved.

Some of us may have seen these vids, but they will be new to others - everyone who cycles should try to plug videos like these whenever possible - people around the world have just experienced their city/locality with reduced noise/pollution, and many will be more open to the contents of videos like this.

A few of the most relevant from Streetfilms - a New Yorker who makes films about US and European cities’ approach to improving cycling facilities:

My favourite - Utrecht, NL (my wife & I had a cycling holiday booked for May in Ghent, Utrecht, Groningen, Amsterdam and Bruges, but we are going to re-book ASAP):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Boi0XEm9-4E

How Ghent’s traffic Circulation Plan was implemented:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEOA_Tcq2XA

How Ghent’s planners had loads of opposition to the Circulation Plan, but not any more…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgbIBIAFHXM

How Cambridge, UK demonstrates that a critical mass of cyclists makes a city safer for all:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-p30FJxoHA

Children have lost their freedom to roam (US-centric, but very relevant here too):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtBVY0q5DBs

Groningen introduced a Traffic Circulation plan in 1977, and look at it now:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fv38J7SKH_g

Another channel, BicycleDutch, who gives a local’s view of cycling:

Headcam (not helmetcam!) view of how a roundabout should be laid out, giving Right of Way to Peds/Cyclists over motor vehicles:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_JV2vCz5-M

How cycling benefits society as a whole, and also individuals:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayPDlDi9Ug4

His view of Dublin after Velocity 2019:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvyfW_1Gxi4

Designing safety into road facilities:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aNtsWvNYKE

Lastly, Not Just Bikes is a Canadian who has lived in many places, but now lives in NL, because bikes, but not just…

What makes a city great?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aNtsWvNYKE

Enough with the Stop signs (and the red lights):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42oQN7fy_eM

Subtle traffic calming without ramps - continuous footpaths:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OfBpQgLXUc

Almost car-free areas (and how Dutch planners received death threats, back in the day):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlXNVnftaNs

Finally, a bit of 'facilities-pron’ - Amsterdam’s newest luxury bike parking:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3-tUMgwCt8

Curb Your Enthusiasm

^ those are really good channels. Watch them regularly. Fascinating to see what we could have with some political will and expenditure.

Moflojo

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Cycling through Fairview for about 25 years now having gone to school there and passing through it for work. No improvements for cyclists in all that time and nothing looking likely to happen any time soon.

The detailed design for a segregated cycle route from Clontarf to Connolly Station, through Fairview and North Strand, is about to go to tender, with the preferred contractors already shortlisted. When it begins, it'll probably take around two years to construct.

Progress on cycling infrastructure has been slow and incremental, but we have to hope that we're approaching a tipping point. Every bit of new infrastructure, and every new person who decides to get on a bike, helps us inch towards that tipping point.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Wish I could report the same for Cork

Thelonious Monk

Moflojo wrote: »

The detailed design for a segregated cycle route from Clontarf to Connolly Station, through Fairview and North Strand, is about to go to tender, with the preferred contractors already shortlisted. When it begins, it'll probably take around two years to construct.

Progress on cycling infrastructure has been slow and incremental, but we have to hope that we're approaching a tipping point. Every bit of new infrastructure, and every new person who decides to get on a bike, helps us inch towards that tipping point.

Isn't that just crazy though, with the amount of cyclists that go through Fairview. With all the room that is there they should have done it years ago.
I am looking forward to the bridge thingy opening in north strand as it will mean i can skip amiens st, if I still have a job to go back to eventually!

Moflojo

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Isn't that just crazy though, with the amount of cyclists that go through Fairview. With all the room that is there they should have done it years ago.

The best time to build a cycle track was thirty years ago. The second best time is now.

Thelonious Monk

Someone died on Baggot st this morning, the driver of a car, not sure how it happened but it's funny that Journal commentors don't give a sh*t or start blaming the driver of the car when it's a motor accident, 2 RIP comments is usually about right.

zell12

'Is it time to give cyclists the right of way?'
Thurs Pat Kenny 9am Newstalk

tomasrojo

zell12 wrote: »

'Is it time to give cyclists the right of way?'
Thurs Pat Kenny 9am Newstalk

I have an uneasy feeling about this.

Duckjob

zell12 wrote: »

'Is it time to give cyclists the right of way?'
Thurs Pat Kenny 9am Newstalk

Just another opportunity to whip up the angry mob and give unchallenged voice to the usual simpletons to bleat on about hi-viz, helmets, road tax and Lycra.

dinneenp

Duckjob wrote: »

Just another opportunity to whip up the angry mob and give unchallenged voice to the usual simpletons to bleat on about hi-viz, helmets, road tax and Lycra.

We'll still tune in....