Journalism and cycling

tomasrojo

The helmet laws in Australia predate bikeshare schemes, but, yes, it's fairly well accepted that bike share schemes don't prosper in helmet-law jurisdictions. Israel and Mexico City rescinded their laws so that their bike-share schemes wouldn't be hobbled.

Apart from Australia, Seattle's scheme is being wound up. Same problem; helmet law (though, of course, usually any place with a helmet law is cycling-hostile to begin with, with the exception of maybe Vancouver).

Pinch Flat

Pat Kenny thinks it okay to cycle 3 abreast on country roads, apparently

tomasrojo

I'm a bit apprehensive about this latest proposal, but it's a good thing that we got our bike-share schemes in place before AGS started looking around for a surefire distraction from their current controversies. Not saying they won't get somewhere with this, but the probability of any law applying to adults being passed is a lot lower once the urban transport networks have bike-share as an important component.

rubadub

If they are so against unenforceable laws for pedestrians, helmets and/or high viz, then I wonder if any of them have recommended repealing the largely unenforced/unenforceable "jaywalking" laws.

The garda already indirectly spoke of it, as there are so many pedestrian lights in the city centre a huge amount of street crossing is illegal.
"If you are cycling around the city centre . . . you see people daily stepping out"

cdaly_

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Pat Kenny thinks it okay to cycle 3 abreast on country roads, apparently

It is, while overtaking...

Dr Crayfish

This hiviz and helmet nonsense seems to be gathering momentum. Front page of the Daily Fail today, and the Journal page is 75% in favour of putting the blame on cyclists and not cars.
I've never even had a scrape in 15 years cycling in and out of work, here and in London, and I don't intend to ever wear a helmet or high viz.
It's going to happen though isn't it

tomasrojo

I have to hand it to AGS: nobody is talking about breathalyzer discrepancies now.

(Balanced against this apparent momentum, is that Fine Gael said before the last election that they regarded such measures as not helpful, mainly because of the bike-share schemes. But the Gardaí have never thrown their weight behind such a move before.)

magicbastarder

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Pat Kenny thinks it okay to cycle 3 abreast on country roads, apparently

As in, he thinks it's legal, or he approves of it?

tomasrojo

Another problem with the proposed laws, if they depress cycling numbers, is that Ireland is doing very badly on its CO2 commitments.

https://twitter.com/transenv/status/852508126901305345

Transport-related emissions set to increase over 10% in the next five years, even before depressing cycling.

Generally, we're so far away from our commitments, and fines are in the offing:
https://twitter.com/think_or_swim/status/852518822905098240

EDIT: not only person to think of this:
https://twitter.com/DermotTcd/status/852517169158139905

Fighting Tao

From Facebook.

Tune in to Matt Cooper this evening at around 5:20 debating the issues with the sergeant behind the 'initiative' as we posted earlier.
Damien O Tuama from Cyclist.ie - The Irish Cycling Advocacy Network will be explaining this from a bicycle rider's point of view.
Be sure to tune in and text in your support.

ThisRegard

He's playing a blinder against the doctor from the Acquired Brain Injuries organisation anyway, plenty of factual evidence thrown out.

schemingbohemia

Amazing the coverage this has got. What was the last recommendation for a legal change by the AGSI that was actually implemented? Have any of our wonderful journalists actually bothered doing any research on this?
They were calling for the death penalty and arming of all garda a few years ago.
Deflect, Dissemble, Do not do your job - the AGSI mantra.

CramCycle

I have to say this is incredibly unfair (IMO) and is no different than the way the general cycling population is treated. There are some terrible Gardai out there but there are also some great ones as well. I imagine the latter out number the former by a wide mark.

It happens with cyclists as well where the awful few, give the rest of us a bad name. Just saying, maybe not tarring them all with the same brush maybe an idea.

Chuchote

Deedsie wrote: »

Shane Ross should come out and dismiss it.

You're a funny fellow!

Seweryn

rubadub wrote: »

Has any country with similar schemes to dublin bikes got compulsory high viz and helmets?

Australia....

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

magicbastarder

ThisRegard wrote: »

He's playing a blinder against the doctor from the Acquired Brain Injuries organisation anyway, plenty of factual evidence thrown out.

not up online yet, unfortunately.

mr spuckler

magicbastarder wrote: »

not up online yet, unfortunately.

it is now, it's the second one here

actually, this link should get you straight there

magicbastarder

fair play, and he got the last word in too.
he didn't mention though - not that he might have had time - one of the biggest retorts to the point matt cooper raised, 'they made seatbelts mandatory so why can't they make helmets mandatory' one - that seatbelt laws have no impact on the number of people driving. you don't have to carry the seatbelt around with you when you're finished driving.

tomasrojo

Deedsie wrote: »

Shane Ross should come out and dismiss it.

They mentioned bringing the proposal to the Minister of Justice, rather than Transport. Bit surprised by that. Maybe think there's more chance of action, but doesn't seem to be her brief.

tomasrojo

Seweryn wrote: »

Australia....

Don't think they have mandatory hiviz anywhere in Australia though. Think Ireland would be the first place to have universal mandatory hiviz and helmets, if this were to become law. Hiviz really doesn't seem to be such a big deal outside the UK and Ireland. I mean, it is used and recommended elsewhere, but it's used a lot less and the authorities really don't go on and on and on about it.

Seweryn

tomasrojo wrote: »

Don't think they have mandatory hiviz anywhere in Australia though. Think Ireland would be the first place to have universal mandatory hiviz and helmets, if this were to become law. Hiviz really doesn't seem to be such a big deal outside the UK and Ireland. I mean, it is used and recommended elsewhere, but it's used a lot less and the authorities really don't go on and on and on about it.

True. The hivis thing only exists here and a bit over in the UK. But Australia is cycling "paradise" with their helmet law. Interestingly, their bike scheme in Melbourne (taking population into account) is about 70 times (!) less successful than our one in Dublin. Obviously that is mainly to do with their law.

Tenzor07

Didn't want to start a new thread on this but... apparently these have appeared around Howth head! Madness! :eek: :mad:

Pinch Flat

Motorists 4 abreast?

rubadub

Tenzor07 wrote: »

finally! sad to see it took some vigilante posting illegal posters (classed as litter) to highlight the epidemic of illegal car horn usage.

robyntmorton

Don't know about anyone else, but I have a sudden urge to cycle to Howth tomorrow!

ThisRegard

rubadub wrote: »

finally! sad to see it took some vigilante posting illegal posters (classed as litter) to highlight the epidemic of illegal car horn usage.

It's obviously the seals from the harbour on a hijacking spree.

Chuchote

Good letter in The Irish Times

http://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/letters/clamping-down-on-cyclists-clothing-1.3047882

Brian McArdle of Ashtown writes:

I find the attitude of An Garda Si­ochana laughable (Gardai say cyclists must change attitude and wear safety gear, April 12th). They believe the roads are "dangerous for cyclists", but their solution is to change cyclists’ clothing.
No mention of the need to crack down on widespread speeding and mobile phone use by motorists, or traffic light ignoring by all road users.
Perhaps they could enforce the current set of laws before seeking to introduce new ones.

CramCycle

I may be recalling incorrectly but I remember a story hear about mandatory hi vis for prostitutes somewhere in Spain, so we won't be the first (but I could be recalling that wrong).

Chuchote

CramCycle wrote: »

I may be recalling incorrectly but I remember a story hear about mandatory hi vis for prostitutes somewhere in Spain, so we won't be the first (but I could be recalling that wrong).

Now there's an idea - a little side job to pay for all this expensive hi-viz and helmetry

http://metro.co.uk/2015/08/20/prostitutes-told-to-wear-high-vis-jackets-so-theyre-visible-in-the-dark-5351723/

Prostitutes in Italy are going to be made to wear high-vis jackets.
Not so that they can be easily spotted at bunga bunga parties, but so that they are safer after dark.
The sex workers have been told to cover up their mini-skirts as well after the deputy mayor of the town of Spino d’Adda ruled they should be treated as ‘road workers’.
Luciano Sinigaglia said; ‘The sex workers should be treated as employees who work on road construction and forced to wear clothes that make them visible.

Chuchote

Fingal Council is taking down the signs:

http://www.thejournal.ie/posters-howth-cycling-strange-3339315-Apr2017/