Safer cycling, we can make a difference /MPDL thread

expectationlost · 07-01-2018 01:04PM

onmebike wrote: »

Robert Troy's proposal...

https://twitter.com/RobertTroyTD/status/942700493905768448

thats an amendment to a bill not a bill

How is it going to work to support Robert Troy's amendment to a bill that Robert Troy doesn't support?

Moflojo · 27-01-2018 11:07AM

The Minimum Passing Distance Law is coming before an Oireachtas Committee on February 7th. Cycling campaigners are making a coordinated effort to ask all cyclists to contact their local TDs immediately and ask them to support this law.

The proposed law will legislate for a 1.5 metre overtaking distance when passing a cyclist on roads with a speed limit >50kph, and 1 metre where the speed limit is <50kph.

You can find more information on how to contact your TD and a sample letter of what to send them on Dublin Cycling Campaign's website here: http://www.dublincycling.com/cycling/minimum-passing-distance-law-urgent

I Bike Dublin is also running a Google Doc tracking which TDs and Senators have pledged support for the law: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vSfR6joM1DOpg67eHBtn2kx7p3QiloguEelMwg4_nQ6Tm1h7ReL6ATv35TrFK_Gfl4KEv_HS_amSN9g/pubhtml?gid=0&single=true

adrian522 · 27-01-2018 12:40PM

Emailed the TD's in my area. Interesting that the only party voting against the law en masse is Sinn Fein. I won't forget that at election time

Moflojo · 27-01-2018 12:54PM

adrian522 wrote: »

Emailed the TD's in my area. Interesting that the only party voting against the law en masse is Sinn Fein. I won't forget that at election time

I don't know if that's entirely true. All party members have sent the same response when questioned about MPDL and it appears to be a non-committal holding position.

Corca Baiscinn · 27-01-2018 01:21PM

Moflojo wrote: »

I don't know if that's entirely true. All party members have sent the same response when questioned about MPDL and it appears to be a non-committal holding position.

True but they mention takng advice re enforcability from the Garda while only today someone is tweeting re Greater Manchester police #opconsiderate where members of the public can upload video of various infractions and they act on it quite quickly. Phil Skelton has also posted the graph from Queensland re reductions in fatalities after MPDL introduced v increase in Irl. There's more SF could find if they looked

expectationlost · 27-01-2018 02:37PM

Moflojo wrote: »

The Minimum Passing Distance Law is coming before an Oireachtas Committee on February 7th. Cycling campaigners are making a coordinated effort to ask all cyclists to contact their local TDs immediately and ask them to support this law.

The proposed law will legislate for a 1.5 metre overtaking distance when passing a cyclist on roads with a speed limit >50kph, and 1 metre where the speed limit is <50kph.

You can find more information on how to contact your TD and a sample letter of what to send them on Dublin Cycling Campaign's website here: http://www.dublincycling.com/cycling/minimum-passing-distance-law-urgent

I Bike Dublin is also running a Google Doc tracking which TDs and Senators have pledged support for the law: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vSfR6joM1DOpg67eHBtn2kx7p3QiloguEelMwg4_nQ6Tm1h7ReL6ATv35TrFK_Gfl4KEv_HS_amSN9g/pubhtml?gid=0&single=true

still no mention of the original intents of the bill.

Breezer · 27-01-2018 04:45PM

It doesn't help when you have the Gardaí actively encouraging cyclists to ride in the gutter. I was coming up Lower Bridge St in Dublin towards Christchurch today in the left lane (steep hill for those who don't know it, two lanes for going straight and 1 for turning right, no cycle lane). On a Dublin bike, so not doing huge speed, but there was a queue of traffic 100 m ahead of me at the lights at Christchurch, which I ended up filtering through, so I wasn't holding anyone up. I was also almost at the top of the hill and clearly making an effort to move at as fast a pace as I could. I took up primary position to discourage a pointless close pass

Traffic Corps Garda on a motorbike pulls up beside me and motions me over to the gutter.

I told him no and he drove on (and I promptly caught up with him in the queue 10 seconds later)! Not good enough though.

Macy0161 · 02-02-2018 09:39AM

Well my (Wicklow) responses have been support from my FF TD's (I feel a bit dirty), stock answer from the FG TD's (pretty much word for word about enforcement/ RSA research - currently preparing my reply), and SF bs-ing about the FF motion and Dáil procedures without answering the question.

I did notice Ross has posters up around Clonskeagh flagging a "road safety meeting" on the 19th in Kilmacud if that suited anyone.

Corca Baiscinn · 02-02-2018 01:40PM

Macy0161 wrote: »

Well my (Wicklow) responses have been support from my FF TD's (I feel a bit dirty), stock answer from the FG TD's (pretty much word for word about enforcement/ RSA research - currently preparing my reply), and SF bs-ing about the FF motion and Dáil procedures without answering the question.

I did notice Ross has posters up around Clonskeagh flagging a "road safety meeting" on the 19th in Kilmacud if that suited anyone.

That breakdown of responses is par for the course around the country afaik. Interesting question is 1 Soc Dem on Transport Committee (Catherine Murphy), 1 solidarity (Mick Barry) 1 Independent FF appointee Senator (P Ó Céidigh) as well as FF, FG and SF & don't think all of those have declared their position either.

Committee was due to meet next week but has been pushed back to 28th so hopefully by then S R/FG and SF will have their answers re enforcability

robyntmorton · 02-02-2018 02:00PM

Enforcement can work!

https://twitter.com/MetCycleCops/status/959410628543868928

sy_flembeck · 02-02-2018 11:52PM

Macy0161 wrote: »

Well my (Wicklow) responses have been support from my FF TD's (I feel a bit dirty), stock answer from the FG TD's (pretty much word for word about enforcement/ RSA research - currently preparing my reply), and SF bs-ing about the FF motion and Dáil procedures without answering the question.

I did notice Ross has posters up around Clonskeagh flagging a "road safety meeting" on the 19th in Kilmacud if that suited anyone.

Same constituency, one reply. And it sounds like the same one you got. That said, I only emailed 4 of the 5 sitting TDs as I refuse to request assistance from the other one no matter how serious an issue it is.

beauf · 03-02-2018 11:16AM

Teen who left cyclist with hairline fracture after Dublin hit-and-run avoids jail http://jrnl.ie/3831533

What enforcement

Averagevegan · 03-02-2018 03:43PM

Moflojo wrote: »

I don't know if that's entirely true. All party members have sent the same response when questioned about MPDL and it appears to be a non-committal holding position.

I emailed my local SF TD asking if the party had any polices to do with cycle safety etc...... I got a PFO... so I think we know where SF stand on cycling.

magicbastarder · 28-02-2018 01:31PM

https://twitter.com/IndepAlliance/status/968820344000864256

ted1 · 28-02-2018 05:42PM

magicbastarder wrote: »

https://twitter.com/IndepAlliance/status/968820344000864256

Warning. Do not look at TheJournal.ie comments

Arcade_Tryer · 28-02-2018 07:55PM

ted1 wrote: »

Warning. Do not look at TheJournal.ie comments

Warning. Majority of people are idiots.

MediaMan · 28-02-2018 11:36PM

A year on, I had lost hope that this would ever happen:

Minimum passing distance of cyclists to become law says Minister Ross

Ireland’s transport minister Shane Ross has said that he will bring forward legislation to have a minimum passing distance of motorists overtaking cyclists defined in law.

Here's hoping that it will indeed become law and it will make a difference to the safety of those who cycle bikes on the road. There's an awful lot more to do, but if this is backed by a strong campaign, I think it will actually have an effect. There's so much more to do with infrastructure, junctions, other behaviours, etc. but at least it's a step!

nilhg · 01-03-2018 11:43AM

A great result anda great achievement by those who worked so hard to get it on the statute book.

gmacww · 01-03-2018 01:14PM

It's not just cyclists who are part of this struggle folks:

http://waterfordwhispersnews.com/2018/03/01/dublin-skiers-call-for-own-traffic-lane/

Macy0161 · 01-03-2018 04:02PM

nilhg wrote: »

A great result anda great achievement by those who worked so hard to get it on the statute book.

It's progress, but not on that yet. Given the gardai Twitter feed, how arsed are they going to be about getting the equipment to measure, which was the caveat Ross threw into the mix?

Johnnio13 · 01-03-2018 04:19PM

the vitriol that is on the Irish Times facebook article about this is just unreal.

Thud · 07-03-2018 04:45PM

Post this in here too:
https://www.independent.ie/life/motoring/car-news/anything-can-happen-when-youre-riding-a-bike-new-tv-ad-response-to-50pc-increase-in-cyclist-deaths-36676482.html

expectationlost · 14-03-2018 07:52PM

RSA Report - Minimum Passing Distances for Cyclists http://www.dttas.ie/roads/publications/english/rsa-report-minimum-passing-distances-cyclists

doesnt recommend any law primary or secondary

average_runner · 14-03-2018 09:48PM

The tv add about minimum distance is a good start but it doesn't go far enough.

We need one showing a driver carelessly making a left hand turn but also need one showing a cyclists carelessly undertaking a car when the car was right distance ahead and indicating.

Pinch Flat · 15-03-2018 06:46AM

Johnnio13 wrote: »

the vitriol that is on the Irish Times facebook article about this is just unreal.

Lots of fustrated drivers out there who must be at breaking point. Traffic has reached crisis levels in Dublin certainly to the point where even a simple journey in rush hour in Dublin over a relatively short distance can be a nightmare. I see these articles as venting for those who are spending 3 or 4 hours a day stuck in their cars behind thousands of other cars on a journey that could in a lot of cases be taken by public transport, cycled or in some cages (gasp!) walked. We’ve become a fat, lazy and impatient when it comes to our love affair with the car.

The cyclist is seen as a focal point of this frustration. The antithesis of the above.

Macy0161 · 15-03-2018 10:10AM

Pinch Flat wrote: »

The cyclist is seen as a focal point of this frustration. The antithesis of the above.

This has always been the issue. Car drivers giving out about red light jumping was never a safety issue, it was always a frustration issue!

beauf · 15-03-2018 10:12AM

Macy0161 wrote: »

This has always been the issue. Car drivers giving out about red light jumping was never a safety issue, it was always a frustration issue!

Well maybe about 90% of the time.

Grassey · 21-03-2018 02:52PM

Spotted this on TV earlier. Hopefully the message sinks in.

AndrewJRenko · 22-03-2018 12:14AM

average_runner wrote: »

The tv add about minimum distance is a good start but it doesn't go far enough.

We need one showing a driver carelessly making a left hand turn but also need one showing a cyclists carelessly undertaking a car when the car was right distance ahead and indicating.

We need one showing a driver holding back and waiting if there isn't enough space to overtake safely.

22-03-2018 12:33AM

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

We need one showing a driver holding back and waiting if there isn't enough space to overtake safely.

+1 they could show a few situations, brow of a hill, blind bend on coming cars etc and maybe at the same time spell it out why 2 a breast is best for all rather than telling drivers we are entitled to do that.

Safer cycling, we can make a difference /MPDL thread

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