TD Ciaran Cannon hit by SUV, suffers serious injury

seanin4711

Has anyone seen the CCTV of the incident?

Ciaran cycled up the inside of a line of stationary traffic at a crossroads,car coming from the opposite direction turning right into his path, driver never had a chance to react.

you could be lit up like the coca cola truck,wouldn't have made any odds.

glad he recovered fully.

WJL

Hope he has a speedy recovery.

wheelo01

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119324045#Comment_119324045

Driver had time to react ~ before he made the manoeuvre. Always assume there are cyclists on the inside, experience tells me that anyway. Ensure the way is clear for the manoeuvre you are about to undertake, it's simple really!

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119324052#Comment_119324052

It happened a year ago, he has just cycled 500km around county Galway.

9320

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119324045#Comment_119324045

Driver drove too quickly across the opposite lane giving himself no chance of reacting, he should have crawled through and then he would have had a chance to react. How do you think Ciaran should have cycled in that situation, you're coming very close to victim blaming.

John_Rambo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119324045#Comment_119324045

Driver couldn't react cause they floored it. Only morons drive like that across oncoming lanes with traffic stopped impeding views without proceeding slowly and checking if there's cyclists approaching.

WJL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119324789#Comment_119324789

That's good. Didn't read the OP date properly.

seanin4711

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119325330#Comment_119325330

hindsight is a great thing.

Love the assumption of "victim blaming".

i am not on here to apportion blame.

drivers will never tippy toe through a junction when they are getting flashed to take the turn -real world scenario.

if it was me i would have slowed & crawled through,but each to his own.

Galway traffic and lack of cycling infrastructure is notorious.

Want to live on the edge,get you bike and come on over!

I experience daily near misses.

no point in being right if your 6 feet under.

Weepsie

Nah seanin. Youre way off here. It was completely and utterly **** driving. Even going at a crawl that driver was hitting something.

Drivers should always be cautious. He was no more than a car length behind when the car stopped and let the driver cross him.

CatFromHue

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119324045#Comment_119324045

Here's the footage.

He has the right of way so it's the vehicle crossing over's fault. It is also one of the situations that I look out for most when I'm out cycling or driving.

Ciaran Cannon on Twitter: "It’s time to put in place specially trained Gardai who will adjudicate expertly on road traffic violations using video evidence submitted via an online portal. This is my video evidence (local CCTV) and our DPP has decided it’s not sufficient to secure a prosecution. #RoadSafety https://t.co/enVQyWT9tO" / Twitter

Tombo2001

Why does he place onus on gardai - when its the DPP who has made a decision on it?

On the contrary - now any garda can show a cyclist the ciaran cannon footage, and shrug their shoulders and say there is no point in following up.

Tombo2001

Wonder where the blame would be (from DPP) if it was a Bus coming along a bus lane that collided with the car.

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119353998#Comment_119353998

Possibly he's getting at the manner in which evidence is collected and presented to the DPP by the Gardai. The DPP can only decide whether to prosecute based on the strength of the evidence presented, and gathering of evidence is role of the Gardai, AFAIK.

This is just a general comment, not speaking to the facts of this particular case, just to the suggestion that the fault always lies with the DPP where no prosecution if taken. TLDR: he's suggesting that the Gardai need training in order to ensure proper prosecution of these types of offences?

Tombo2001

Understand the point - but in this case surely the video evidence is the evidence; there is nothing material apart from this, maybe witness statements could have supplemented it but not materially so.

The DPP looked at this video - saw a motorist turn right in the face of oncoming traffic - and decided there is no case against the motorist.

Short of not providing the DPP with the video evidence, I dont see how the actions of the Gardai would have affected the outcome.

Former Former Former

The DPP looked at that video and decided a conviction wouldn't be forthcoming. I'd agree tbh

seanin4711

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119349656#Comment_119349656

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119324364#Comment_119324364

Driver didn't look, on repeated viewing, and was flashed/beckoned to take the turn.

Driver at fault no doubt.

Always murphys law when cycling in Galway - anything that can happen,will happen

sincerely glad he made a full recovery.

This should have been taken further for both drivers,the one who beckoned and the driver who hit him.

Large bottle small glass

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119354025#Comment_119354025

Then driver would be crossing two lanes of traffic; I can't see a bus or cycle lane in CCTV footage so it's not a valid comparison.

Undertaking up the inside of stopped vehicles adjacent to an entrance isn't smart.

An experienced cyclist familiar with location should know better.

In most Irish urban areas( which most don't have a big modal share of cyclists) a very significant number of driver's aren't going to even consider a cyclist there.

So Cannon is entitled to undertake without caution but it isn't smart, especially 1m from inside of stopped traffic where he is difficult to see until it's too late.

Former Former Former

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119355010#Comment_119355010

should have been taken further for both drivers

What crime did the second driver commit?

Padre_Pio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119355049#Comment_119355049

It's well established that cyclists take a road position to the left of the road. Cyclists do not have to line up behind cars. Filtering and undertaking in this scenario are allowed.

Being on the left is safer since you're not at risk of oncoming traffic.

I do feel for the turning driver because I've often had cars stop to let me cross. You want to be as little obstruction as possible, but I think someone in a SUV with the advantage of height should be on the lookout for cyclists and e-scooters. It was 100% preventable if the driver was more cautious.

EDIT: I don't think there should be a conviction. The driver wasn't dangerous or reckless, just ignorant of their surroundings.

I'm sure their insurance covered damages and medical bills.

magicbastarder

The driver wasn't dangerous

tell that to ciaran cannon's knee.

he hit a cyclist, and it was the driver's fault. that qualifies as 'dangerous' in my book.

Weepsie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119355049#Comment_119355049

It's not undertaking. It's overtaking on the left. It's an important distinction that is allowed for in the road traffic act

Large bottle small glass

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119355969#Comment_119355969

That's a fantastic detail when assessing the risk. The entitled bit in my post made it clear he was allowed to in case you missed it.

Since you quoted my post you might answer the question, is it smart to undertake a stopped car at an entrance where there's a gap in front? If you are familiar with the route would that be an area to be cautious? Should a cyclist be on alert when brake lights illuminate in such a scenario? Would you advise a loved one to overtake on left and not control speed where a car is stopped with a gap in front at a junction/busy entrance? Is it good roadcraft

Keep it to the risks involved we'll leave the law to the lawyers as it seems they have looked at it and made their decision.

Weepsie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119356212#Comment_119356212

The turning car should as equally be aware that they're may be traffic on the inside, there may even be a pedestrian that they haven't accounted for. They didn't have a clear view and shouldn't have gone just because they were flashed.

Turning because a car has flashed you to say, go ahead mate, is piss poor driving and giving away any responsibility for your own driving.

Cannon was overtaking very slow moving trafffic. Brake lights would have been going on frequently.

Bass Reeves

One thing that would have helped here ( and this is not blaming Cannon) is if he had a high visibility top. Cyclists can buy these now that are skin tight. A motorist would a way better chance of catching his movement with such a top. It's could be even in the form of a fluorescent helmut.

Before anyone jumps down my throat visibility is now a requirement for a lot of traffic during daytime. For instance slow moving vehicle such as agri and construction vehicles are required to have flashing beacons. Even though they are slow moving and seldom are in the wrong in an accident they are still required to be visible.

Cars as well are required to be lit up. Many are not aware of it but cars are supposed to have there dimmed lights on after 5pm I think from September to May and from 8 pm during the summer. I notice in that video most had not and if both driver and cyclists are more visible to each other it will reduce accidents.

It's not about being in the right it's about being safe.

CramCycle

A driver pulled up beside me recently after I waved him past and he pointed out that he would decide when it was safe to overtake. It was a shock but the driver was 100% right, it is not up to another driver to tell you when to go and more fool the driver for blindly believing a stranger. Both drivers were incorrect but only one caused an accident. Several motorbikes, runners and cyclists could have been in cannons position. He wasn't going fast and was given no time to react. If the driver had moved more cautiously, it would have been fine. I am not sure why this is difficult to see, and I am not sure those who can't see it should be driving, but I understand its a mentality in this country. I have had drivers blast me out of it on country roads because I have slowed to walking pace as there pedestrians on a blind bend or there was a cyclist I couldn't comfotably get around in the space I see to be clear. It adds on a few seconds, who really cares.

buffalo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119357460#Comment_119357460

What sort of top was Cannon wearing at the time of the accident? Was it not brightly coloured?

CramCycle

MOD VOICE: There is already one warning in threa about Hi Vis. There is a dedicated thread, it had no affect on this collision as far as anyone is aware (it certainly hasn't been reported as a factor). Next person to introduce it or reply to it gets banned form the thread. Any queries via PM only.

boardlady

I witnessed a child being knocked down once, because the car in front of me waved her out to cross the road. Just as the oncoming traffic moved off. I never wave anyone on unless I have done the job of checking for them that it is safe to do so. It is still their responsibility to double check though I guess. Unfortunately, that responsibility doesn't really lie with a child ..

[hi-vis comment edited out - mb] I don't cycle anymore, but I try to operate on the basis that it doesn't really matter who has 'right of way' in the grand scheme of things - I am the one in the dangerous weapon (my car) and the cyclist is going to come off worse regardless of right/wrong. I can be furious and curse the cyclist, but at least I didn't kill him!

Tombo2001

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119355049#Comment_119355049

The debate about whether its 'smart' or not for the cyclist is irrelevant to the discussion on DPP ruling, and to be honest victim blaming - implies fault is with the cyclist.

The only issue is whether (i) cyclist is entitled to cycle alongside stationary traffic and (ii) whether cyclist in question is obliged to yield to oncoming car turning right or whether oncoming car turning right should yield to cyclist. This part is clear cut to me. I see no reason why the cyclist should yield here, when examined from POV of Rules of the Road.

Pawwed Rig

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119357484#Comment_119357484

I saw a trucker gesticulating wildly this morning as there was no space for him to overtake an OAP cycling. This level of anger and frustration hardly makes them make good decisions. Unusual for a trucker ime. Not so much for taxis and buses unfortunately (all being professional drivers).