Gardai say cyclists must change attitude

ThisRegard · 12-04-2017 07:41PM

tayto lover wrote: »

I have come across many a cyclist with no visible clothes.

There's a whole ride dedicated to those guys, sure you weren't in the middle of that perving?

andy69 · 12-04-2017 07:42PM

XsApollo wrote: »

Roads are dangerous.

no, roads are not dangerous - road users are, especially the ones driving too quickly in large metal boxes without due regard to other users' safety (such as driving too quickly on an L-Road and expecting the road to be clear)

XsApollo wrote: »

Roads will always be dangerous, there are vehicles traveling at speed...everybody should be paying attention to me

Well slow down please - there are other people walking/running/biking/horse-riding etc. The attitude of drivers needs to change. Slow down!

XsApollo wrote: »

Accidents happen...

Glad someone mentioned this - accidents do not 'happen', they are 'caused'.

Beasty · 12-04-2017 07:43PM

Moshe Nervous Hairstylist wrote: »

Everybody knows that all road users within proximity of high viz wearer automatically obey the rules of the road, we just need to saturate the streets with high viz and then there will be zero RTA and all the hell that goes with it.

Careful now - we'll all start blending in with the back of Garda and other emergency vehicles, along with numerous other vehicles with those yellow and orange stripes. What the hell do we do then? Start wearing black so drivers can see us??

Sorry, but I think I'll stick to using working lights....

tayto lover · 12-04-2017 07:45PM

ThisRegard wrote: »

There's a whole ride dedicated to those guys, sure you weren't in the middle of that perving?

You'd surely have spotted me.

ThisRegard · 12-04-2017 07:46PM

tayto lover wrote: »

You'd surely have spotted me.

I couldn't possibly have unless your car was painted highvis.

tayto lover · 12-04-2017 07:49PM

ThisRegard wrote: »

I couldn't possibly have unless your car was painted highvis.

I was walking with my dog. He had a high viz.
Seriously though be safe, be seen.

tomasrojo · 12-04-2017 07:53PM

Beasty wrote: »

Careful now - we'll all start blending in with the back of Garda and other emergency vehicles, along with numerous other vehicles with those yellow and orange stripes. What the hell do we do then? Start wearing black so drivers can see us??

magicbastarder · 12-04-2017 07:57PM

i've been having great fun on the irish times facebook post about this, but each time this happens, it has me thinking - are cyclists letting the framing of this issue be dictated too much? how would you go about framing this issue so it's not such a reactive approach all the time?

and i mean on a much lower level than actual political lobbying, etc.

Chuchote · 12-04-2017 08:00PM

magicbastarder wrote: »

i've been having great fun on the irish times facebook post about this, but each time this happens, it has me thinking - are cyclists letting the framing of this issue be dictated too much? how would you go about framing this issue so it's not such a reactive approach all the time?

and i mean on a much lower level than actual political lobbying, etc.

Demand proper cycling facilities
Demand that phones in use in cars be confiscated

rollingscone · 12-04-2017 08:03PM

tayto lover wrote: »

I have come across many a cyclist with no visible clothes and no lights on many a night. They give you some fright on a narrow and dark country road.
That gives me the right to air my views.
They give you some fright.

Lights are mandatory and essential.

Almost never promoted by the civil authorities.

RSA gave out puny unfit for purpose lights a few years ago further muddying the waters.

People gather at stupid extremes of no lights/ stupidly powerful off-road lights because there's next to no direction (e.g. ad campaigns, school campaigns ) about lights just about magic jackets and foam hats

I love Sean nos · 12-04-2017 08:04PM

Unknown Soldier wrote: »

They are just saying "be as visible" as you can or make some effort to be.

I'd be fine with that if it was a statement that made some sense. Like, when it's dark, have lights. That's already the law.

But this dressing up like a builder in order to ride a bicycle in daylight is *********.

magicbastarder · 12-04-2017 08:07PM

and it's a hoary old chestnut, but aren't these vital items we're supposed to use - lights and helmets - charged at full VAT rates?

Kaisr Sose · 12-04-2017 08:08PM

It's just depressing to read this lame attempt to be seeing to make roads safer for cyclists. While they are at it its a wonder they dont call for a total ban on cycling to decrease the risk of motorists hitting cyclists.

Alternatively how about calling for an effective and robust strategy/policy for dealing with all incidents of bad / dangerous driving? That's where the road safety battle will be won / lost .

I love Sean nos · 12-04-2017 08:21PM

Deleted User wrote: »

I live out in the country and am often horrified...

I know exactly what you mean.

Hold on, there's more.

Deleted User wrote: »

...to round a bend and come upon either cyclists or walkers

Can you imagine? Other road users that can cause you no harm whatsoever. However do you cope?

Deleted User wrote: »

We may all poke fun at the Gardais suggestions

Not exclusively. We also have yours.

Deleted User wrote: »

but people have to learn to take responsibility for themselves and make allowances for the eegits they share the road with

Like maybe not getting an attack of the vapors every time you encounter another road user.

12-04-2017 08:25PM

I love Sean nos wrote: »

I know exactly what you mean.

Hold on, there's more.

Can you imagine? Other road users that can cause you no harm whatsoever. However do you cope?

Not exclusively. We also have yours.

Like maybe not getting an attack of the vapors every time you encounter another road user.

Coming around a blind bend, being aware that you may come across another road user only to find said road user hogging the ditch while out walking with two young children, out of my line of sight, in dark clothing scares the bajazus out of me. Almost as bad as his missus pounding the road with her earphones in, totally oblivious to the coming traffic. Poke fun all you like, but if I had to hit that man and his children or his wife, who would have to live with the outcome?

I love Sean nos · 12-04-2017 08:28PM

Deleted User wrote: »

aware that you may come across another road user

I stopped reading at this bit.

jimmycrackcorm · 12-04-2017 08:33PM

To be fair to AGS, they're wearing hi viz gear and their marked cars are also striped. It's not a car of them preaching what they don't practice

Lemming · 12-04-2017 08:34PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Coming around a blind bend, being aware that you may come across another road user only to find said road user hogging the ditch while out walking with two young children, out of my line of sight, in dark clothing scares the bajazus out of me. Almost as bad as his missus pounding the road with her earphones in, totally oblivious to the coming traffic. Poke fun all you like, but if I had to hit that man and his children or his wife, who would have to live with the outcome?

Maryanne, if you are coming around a blind bend at speed and you hit someone who is - to quote your own expression, 'hogging the ditch' - then you are a) driving beyond what the conditions safely allow and b) driving beyond either and/or both you and your vehicles capabilities to be able to react, gauge speed, and stop if necessary.

What you described above, if reading between the lines, implies that you are rounding blind bends routinely at speed. Your faux concern for the well-being of others comes across as patronising because if it really is a genuine issue, then you are going to hit them regardless of whether or not they are or are not wearing hi-viz, in a car, or lit up like a christmas tree. You cannot see around corners; it may as well be a parked truck for all that matters. It might even be a tank coming the other way (true story ... )

Next time you're hammering it towards that blind bend you know so well, think about having to live with the "what if" scenario that you are trying to lay at everyone else's feet instead of accepting some personal responsibility for your own actions and trying to guilt others for your own peace of mind.

magicbastarder · 12-04-2017 08:35PM

magicbastarder wrote: »

i've been having great fun on the irish times facebook post about this

currently having a disagreement with a woman who said she actually saw cyclists stay in lane going round a blind bend (rather than pulling in to the hard shoulder to let her past) and then started quoting RSA guidelines about not cycling 2 abreast if it means you'll become a rolling roadblock.
and i've just found out she's an engineer in donegal CoCo!

there wasn't even a hint of 'i was stuck behind them for 7m, joe!'. just the one bend.

tomasrojo · 12-04-2017 08:35PM

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

To be fair to AGS, they're wearing hi viz gear and their marked cars are also striped. It's not a car of them preaching what they don't practice

Do they drive home after work in hiviz cars?

I love Sean nos · 12-04-2017 08:45PM

Deleted User wrote: »

totally oblivious to the coming traffic

Out of curiosity, what exact action do you expect this hypothetical lady to take when she finds herself on a collision course with you?

Baron Kurtz · 12-04-2017 08:52PM

Do taxi drivers still own the road? Despite what any cyclist wears or does surely they still do

Jimoslimos · 12-04-2017 08:54PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Coming around a blind bend, being aware that you may come across another road user only to find said road user hogging the ditch while out walking with two young children, out of my line of sight, in dark clothing scares the bajazus out of me. Almost as bad as his missus pounding the road with her earphones in, totally oblivious to the coming traffic. Poke fun all you like, but if I had to hit that man and his children or his wife, who would have to live with the outcome?

Errr....you don't have to hit anyone.

Your attitude reminds me of the driver in this video

Silly horse riders not wearing hi-vi....actually no....

dbagman · 12-04-2017 08:55PM

I love Sean nos wrote:

But this dressing up like a builder in order to ride a bicycle in daylight is *********.

Yeah. Coz imagine dressing up like a builder does. In all that high vis rubbish they have to wear during their day to make them more visable while they're surrounded by potential dangers. Ridiculous.

Never ceases to amaze me how up in arms cyclists get about any notion of them being safer. Kind of backs up the garda's comments about a change of attitude being needed.

I love Sean nos · 12-04-2017 08:56PM

I was doing quite a bit of driving around parts of Surrey in 2015 and I would frequently come across horseriders on certain roads. They did wear high-vis.

Perched atop a horse the size of a garden shed and they still wore high-vis.

Ridiculous.

Cabaal · 12-04-2017 08:59PM

dbagman wrote: »

Yeah. Coz imagine dressing up like a builder does. In all that high vis rubbish they have to wear during their day to make them more visable while they're surrounded by potential dangers. Ridiculous.

So a car is equal to a digger, cranes, scaffolding etc then?
Even more the reason why if a motorist causes death or injury the book should be thrown at them then.

Never ceases to amaze me how up in arms cyclists get about any notion of them being safer. Kind of backs up the garda's comments about a change of attitude being needed.

Its the motorist driving round in a big metal box can be very easily kill people, yet many, many motorists don't drive with due care and attention.

Drink driving, speeding, driving while texting or while on the phone. All very common issues and yet so many motorists are lax about speeding and mobile use.

I say all this as a motorist!

As a motorist I have a duty of care to other road users and especially other vulnerable road users such as cyclists, walkers, runners, horse riders etc.

They don't have another large metal box with airbags to protect them if I was to hit them so the onus is on me to be more careful.

Ray Palmer · 12-04-2017 09:02PM

tayto lover wrote: »

I'd also make flashing lights. front and rear, compulsory.
They are great and easy to see.

They make it hard to judge the actual distance of something moving and can make you blend into suburban lighting. They should only be secondary lighting only

tomasrojo · 12-04-2017 09:02PM

dbagman wrote: »

Yeah. Coz imagine dressing up like a builder does.

People don't like dressing up like this. Nobody wants to do it, though plenty do it because they think it's safer. If you want to have more people cycling, you can't have them even thinking that this is necessary, let alone making it compulsory.

dbagman wrote: »

Never ceases to amaze me how up in arms cyclists get about any notion of them being safer.

More objecting to the notion that they're actually invisible in broad daylight, and that decent lights just can't be seen at night. It's not being oversensitive to well-meaning advice. It's outrage, or at least bemusement, at what is, essentially, bull****.

PeadarCo · 12-04-2017 09:03PM

dbagman wrote:

Never ceases to amaze me how up in arms cyclists get about any notion of them being safer. Kind of backs up the garda's comments about a change of attitude being needed.

As has been pointed out countless times there's no definite statistical evidence that high vis makes people safer. Good lights which are legally required do a far better job. Maybe instead of thinking up stupid laws maybe they should just start enforcing the current ones.

It never ceases to amaze me how people pontificate about cycling while not having a clue and relying exclusively on anecdotes instead of hard evidence based research. This is what cyclists get up in arms about.

Baron Kurtz · 12-04-2017 09:04PM

Why don't the people in the tonne (or two) vehicle drive with proper care when there are cyclists on the road? There will always be cyclists. This needs to be understood. I get the feeling that cyclists are the additional nuisance on the road, the second class entity on the road. That mindset had to change by drivers. And just because you attempt an overtaking move around a cyclist at speed doesn't mean it'll be completed quicker, it just means that you've aggressively passed and generally it's far too close. Just wait a bit, and pass at a reasonable speed please. Not like some animal at the wheel.

Gardai say cyclists must change attitude

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