Gardai & Cycling

The flaw in your thinking is that its about skill.

Its about awareness (and experience). A driver who cycles maybe more aware (more experience) of cyclists and other road users. So may drive differently, arguably safer. That the stats show a differences, means there is a difference.

You can tell the different between someone who has this awareness and someone who hasn't. Even if they claim to be cyclist as some do to try add credibility to their viewpoint. Its obvious they don't cycle.

Wherever the hat fits...

If you took me on your walk, and I pointed out the majority of drivers using their phones while driving, and the high percentage of drivers breaking speed limits, and the large number of black or navy cars that are hard to see at night, and the substantial number of vehicles with one or more broken light (I spotted two vehicles with two broken brake lights each one day last week), all the things that you missed on your walk due to your own confirmation bias, where would that leave us?

People want facts. They are given the facts, then they don't want facts. Because the fact are inconvenient for their choices. The reality is they want to rant and swap anecdotes about accidents they almost had, but didn't. They seem to think they can make it true the more often they repeat it, and the more long winded and verbose they can it. It will some how become reality.

Well it won't, and you can't.

The question was asked do the Garda enforce the rules on cyclists, specifically red light breaking.

The answer is clearly yes, around half the the fixed penalty fines are for red light breaking.

You can choose to answer the above without reference to eScooters, eBikes, Cars, buses, trains, Granny with kittens, a long wandering story about your 200yrs of vast experience, on the road, on your Raleigh Burner, or umpteen nears misses you have every 10 mins, be it walking, cycling, driving, flying etc.

It's kinda funny that you refer to 'bias taking over from what is factual'. The whole premise of the OP is bias taking over from what's factual - relying on personal anecdote over decades of evidence that clearly shows the real, actual, factual sources of danger on the roads (which aren't cyclists breaking red lights, just ICYMI).

What statistics were pulled from thin air, btw?

Hope all goes well for you with the medics.

Well how can you trust any Garda figures after all the messing they've done. They are at best a guide and you'd hope are representative of reality. Accident and hospital stats are similarly a guide for various reasons.

Most of the studies people refer to have been transport or research studies. Some have been done by Luas. They generally use cameras then count them afterwards. There are also automatic traffic counters on some routes.

Not much credibility in criticizing the data if not familiar with it. The data is at least better than no data.

Live and let live.

There are indeed degrees of red light breaking.

There is red light breaking on a 10-15 kg bike doing 10-20 kmph.

And there is red light breaking in a 1-5 tonne vehicle doing 20-150 kmph.

I see 1.5+ tonne cars breaking lights every single day with zero consequences.

Cyclist however, as the data and facts back up, don't break lights as much as motorists do. There simply shouldn't be one responsible cohort and one that throws caution to the wind with heavier, faster and more dangerous vehicles.

Safety on the road is born from a culture and most cyclists are also motorists but most motorists aren't cyclists. It is imperative that motorists get out of the car and cycle for a length of time to experience the consequences of the actions of inexperienced or careless drivers.

It will also make them better drivers as studies have shown.

If you don't see many drivers breaking red lights, how come I've been able to produce a few videos each day showing exactly that happening? Are you suggesting that it ONLY happens in the vicinity of the small number of people who bother to record and share their content, or are you ready yet to face the reality that red light running in widespread?

In relation to 'one rule for one cohort', are you suggesting that the same rules apply to all road users, regardless of risk?

My observation is that more vehicles will go through red lights than someone on a bike, that's pretty much inarguable. At every traffic light in a city you'll have 1,2 or 3 cars go through a light at every cycle. It just doesn't happen with people on bikes. Primarily because someone on a bike can't barge their way through traffic like some motorists do.

The stats have been provided to you already, you just don't want to know about it.

If you're in the middle or back of a queue, you're less likely to see what actually goes on at traffic lights. If you're a cyclist normally at or near the front of the queue, you get a very clear view of the one or two or three cars that continue to push through when the lights go red.

But let's put that to one side for a moment - let's say you're right, on this one particular scenario - that a higher percentage of cyclists break red lights than motorists. The question is 'So what'?

In the context of all the issues, all the dangers, all the deaths, all the serious injuries we have on the road - so what if more cyclists break red lights than motorists? Are we having some kind of purity contest hear to see which group gets the prize from teacher for being good boys and girls, or are we actually trying to save lives and reduce serious injuries on the road.

If we're actually interested in 'safer roads for everyone' as you claimed, what is this obsessive, narrow, nitpicking focus on cyclists breaking red lights all about? Let's be honest here - it has nothing to do with concerns about safety.

You also got some roads where people jump the lights to turn right, across the oncoming traffic before it starts moving.

Which leads to other people jumping their lights so to prevent people (diving) turning dangerously across them.

(Funny how some with their vast experience on the roads never see any of this)

Well, you're a sneer, you've done nothing but sneer on this thread, then, when you asked for facts and stats you were supplied them through Transdev, An Garda Siochana and crash data from insurance companies by more experienced & more knowledgable road users than yourself. Then, when you were politely schooled you lost your temper and claimed you'd "better things to do than listen to a scaldy cyclist talk a load of shite"

Best thing for you to do now is head off and do those better things.

Really isn't. Its also relentless. Always the same pattern. Don't research the subject then post obsessively about it.

You'd think the hospitals would be overflowing as a result of all this danger and carnage.