Front Tyre Stuck in Dublin Luas Track - has this happened to anyone else?

MurrayMint · 01-04-2011 08:53AM #1

Hi,

My front tyre got stuck in the luas track when I was crossing it last Friday. The bike stopped dead; I landed on my face, smashing all my front teeth, badly dislocated my left shoulder and have a break in my arm. My first accident on a bike and it's been such a nightmare.

I won't know the extent of the damage that's been caused for some time.
I've been looking online at the warnings for bikes on the luas tracks - there isn't much. I'm trying to get numbers together of people who have also gotten stuck to be see if I have a case. I need to able to demonstrate that there is a danger there; it's happened before and people need to be warned.

Everything is going to cost me a small fortune to get fixed. If I can't get compensation for it I'd at least like to have brought into effect better warnings for cyclists on Dublin luas lines.

If any one has a story or knows of someone please, please contact me.

Thank you,

Ingrid

coolbeans · 01-04-2011 08:57AM

...but, it's a tram system, a really obvious tram system. Isn't it common knowledge that trams use tracks? How were you not aware of this? I know this is harsh but you should have known that a bike wheel and tram rails make poor bed fellows. How you think you are not at fault for this is beyond me.

PS: I am sorry to hear of your injuries.

Jawgap · 01-04-2011 09:00AM

Yes it happened to me, but I'm not sure my story would help.

Just before the lines opened there were ads and signs up warning cyclists not to cycle close and parallel to the tracks. At the time I was using a mountain bike with fairly chunky tyres and thought they'd never fit in the track. I decided to test the theory and found they did and over the handlebars I went- thankfully it was only a few bruises nothing as bad as your injuries.

Since then I've seen two accidents (one involving a DB) but both affairs were fairly low speed and the riders were dusted up and bruised rather than bloodied and injured.

Hope you're feeling better soon and make a full recovery.

blorg · 01-04-2011 09:15AM

Sorry to hear about your accident, but I doubt you would have much of a case. Your best bet is probably to consult with a solicitor on a no win, no fee basis, who could advise. Note that if you lose a case, even on a no win, no fee basis, you can be liable for the other party's legal costs (which could be substantial.)

Dublin Cycling Campaign have also been involved and may have a record of accidents on the tracks so maybe contact them to find out what has happened in other cases.

This is the warning sign for cyclists, was it there?

MurrayMint · 01-04-2011 09:18AM

I've cycled for years and never had anything happen before. I crossed them at a 45 degree angle - or so I thought. With so many people on bikes these days I'd like it if they could put better warning signs up / ban cyclists altogether. The comment in James hospital was "another Luas victim" Surely that's not right?

If that stops this happening to other people is it not worth it?

langdang · 01-04-2011 09:20AM

Sorry to hear about your teeth, other stuff fixes easy and cheap enough but teeth are a bugger...... BUT....
a) Don't think you will get or deserve compo for this
b) There are certain obvious hazards on our roads, tram/train lines being one of them. I am very much anti nanny-state extreme H&S stuff, I really think the consequences of cycling in such a way that your wheel would drop into a hole like that are obvious and easily avoidable.
Sorry to be harsh like...

Lumen · 01-04-2011 09:29AM

Teeth damage is a right PITA, and can be expensive to get fixed. I knocked all my front ones out as a teenager, but luckily none were actually broken and my braces held them all together like a gruesome set of living dentures and they set back in fine.

I had thought that cyclists were not allowed along those tracks, perhaps I'm wrong. Crossing them at right angles is obviously OK.

There are lots of cities with a much greater tram infrastructure than Dublin, so I'm not sure that making them whatever-proof is the right way to go.

MurrayMint · 01-04-2011 09:30AM

Thanks - I'll check out Dublin Cycling Campaign. It's not money that has me looking into this - I've always paid my way - pay my taxes and I've never signed for any benefits. It's hearing about how many other people this has happened to and making it safer that's the issue. I'm sure the hospitals would be happier if they'd less people to treat if cyclists where to stay off the tracks altogether.

el tel · 01-04-2011 09:35AM

Sorry to hear about your accident, your injuries sound terrible.

I would think the duty of care owed by the luas operators only goes so far and probably not to the extent that they'd be liable for bikes getting caught in the tracks. If that were the case there wouldnt be a tram line or level crossing in the country.

Personally I try to cross lines at closer to 90 deg. where possible as 45 leaves little room for error for example if the line is wet or if you have to adjust your steering for some reason.

Though sometimes falling off is the lesser of two evils. Imagine getting both wheels stuck and having to ride all they way to Tallagh to get free :eek:

opinion guy · 01-04-2011 09:38AM

Wasn't a cyclist killed by a luas after getting stuck in the tracks a few months back ?

TinyExplosions · 01-04-2011 09:41AM

Losing teeth suck (ba doom tish!) I had my front ones knocked out a couple years ago coming off at a roundabout and the expense and number of trips to the dentist wasn't fun at all.

I've also come off a couple of times on the LUAS tracks, most recent being late on a Friday night a couple of weeks ago (I'll let you speculate on what was the main contributor to that crash), and while I think caution is needed around them, most of the other posters on this thread are correct -it's an obvious danger that doesn't really need much signpostage.

Sorry to hear about the accident though, hope everything heals ok

Chips Lovell · 01-04-2011 09:54AM

I work next to the Luas line on Harcourt St. You wouldn't believe how many people I've seen going down there.

Where did you come off OP?

MurrayMint · 01-04-2011 09:58AM

Thanks - I appreciate peoples thoughts on this

el Bastardo · 01-04-2011 09:59AM

Yep, happened to me too a few years ago on one of the very few times I've been cycling around Dublin city. Had a mountain bike with slicks and while crossing the tracks at an angle, I somehow lodged the front tyre in the track but kept moving (in a verrry straight line). I managed to maintain balance for long enough to brake a bit and jump off (before falling off).

MurrayMint · 01-04-2011 10:05AM

I came off at Harcourt Street by D2 nightclub. Since it happened there seems to be someone who knows someone who has done the same thing.

Chips Lovell · 01-04-2011 10:08AM

You do know you're not meant to cycle up Harcourt Street along the tracks?

kdobey · 01-04-2011 10:20AM

What an unfortunate accident - and on the 1st of April too !! Wow!

manwithaplan · 01-04-2011 10:25AM

If this is something that happens a lot (and it appears to be), I think it merits some sort of response by the authorities. There is unlikely to be any engineering solution to this that isn't either unpractical or prohibitively expensive. This means the options are limited to regulation (ban cyclists away from streets with Luas tracks or something), awareness raising and public information or increased signage. I don't favour the first of those options. I know the Luas operators went on a charm offensive with cyclists when it opened. While the effect would probably be marginal, maybe it would be worth renewing that effort and having another look at the signs.

nerraw1111 · 01-04-2011 10:37AM

Cyclist's are not allowed cycle on the tram lines. Do you actually need a sign to tell you that?

Just as well you weren't killed as you would've been up for a Darwin Award.

I was pulled over by a motorbike Garda while cycling on the tram lines. After asking me if I was tram, he then told me to get off the tram lines. I knew the risks, i.e. avoid the massive tram lines.

TinyExplosions · 01-04-2011 10:40AM

nerraw1111 wrote: »

Cyclist's are not allowed cycle on the tram lines. Do you actually need a sign to tell you that?

Just as well you weren't killed as you would've been up for a Darwin Award.

I was pulled over by a motorbike Garda while cycling on the tram lines. After asking me if I was tram, he then told me to get off the tram lines. I knew the risks, i.e. avoid the massive tram lines.

It depends where you are... there are some streets that it is perfectly legal to cycle along the tram lines -for example along Steeven's Lane if you want access to St Patrick's hospital, Benburb St etc etc

opinion guy · 01-04-2011 10:42AM

nerraw1111 wrote: »

After asking me if I was tram, he then told me to get off the tram lines.

Brilliant!:D

Lumen · 01-04-2011 10:43AM

TinyExplosions wrote: »

It depends where you are... there are some streets that it is perfectly legal to cycle along the tram lines -for example along Steeven's Lane if you want access to St Patrick's hospital, Benburb St etc etc

There must be an amazing number of cyclists needing access to St Patrick's hospital, given the amount of traffic. How ironic...

steve9859 · 01-04-2011 10:45AM

Sorry for the OP (Ive bashed my teeth before and its not good), but I dont think there are any grounds for compensation. that would be nanny state gone mad!

Where the Luas lines are dedicated to the Luas (ie. not part of the road, such as from Heuston to Connolly stations), cycles are not allowed on them. You take your chance.

Where they are part of a road, and a cycle would be required to cross the track at less than 45, maye 60, degrees, cycles will be directed away on a route which will cross then them at greater than 45 degrees. Outside of St James' hospital travelling west is a good example - a cycle lane takes you away from the track for a few metres to a safer crossing point. If you continue on the road and get stuck, it would be the cyclists own fault.

And if you have to drift across them, if taking a right turn or something, I think it is only common sense to get off and push the bike. The day that we need signs to tell us to do that will be a sad day!!

alejandro1977 · 01-04-2011 10:48AM

as part of motorcycle training/testing it's emphasised that tram/rail lines are dangerous - if there are non-perpendicular tracks you have to make an effort to increase the angle. Not because you get stuck - you'd just slide - I did my test in the US where rail lines on road are surprisingly common (in the city where I lived anyway).

When the Luas was launched there was publicity around this danger for cyclists though frankly I'd have though it was common sense, but as pointed out above cycle lanes direct cyclists away from Luas tracks.

Sorry for your misfortune OP

TinyExplosions · 01-04-2011 10:50AM

Lumen wrote: »

There must be an amazing number of cyclists needing access to St Patrick's hospital, given the amount of traffic. How ironic...

It is a little bit

Was just the first 'legal' part that came to mind... there's also up by St James.... hang on, is there a pattern here.... legally allowed cycle by lethal tram tracks near a hospital..... /me gets tinfoil hat

petethedrummer · 01-04-2011 10:52AM

nerraw1111 wrote: »

Cyclist's are not allowed cycle on the tram lines. Do you actually need a sign to tell you that?

Depends where you are. I cycle past James' hospital every morning.

A cycle lane starts beside trams lines.

No signs forbidding entry.

muckwarrior · 01-04-2011 10:52AM

Never mind tram lines, I think canals are the real danger! I see bikes in the canal all the time, obviously left there by victims who didn't have the benefit of a sign to tell them they couldn't cycle in it.

opinion guy · 01-04-2011 10:55AM

petethedrummer wrote: »

Depends where you are. I cycle past James' hospital every morning.

A cycle lane starts beside trams lines.

No signs forbidding entry.

Actually I got stuck in the rails her eone day. Managed to pop the wheel back out again but was pretty scary with a tram not to far off!

mrbike · 01-04-2011 10:55AM

Of all the cyclists I know, petty much everyone one has had a run in with the Luas lines. Most people are lucky and don't get badly hurt.

I've had a fall once, and I've learnt my lesson. It's pretty common knowledge how dangerous the tracks can be for cyclists.

steve9859 · 01-04-2011 10:59AM

petethedrummer wrote: »

Depends where you are. I cycle past James' hospital every morning.

A cycle lane starts beside trams lines.

No signs forbidding entry.

That cycle lane takes you away from the tram line so you cross it at a better angle.

You are not allowed on 'dedicated' luas lines. Where the line is part of a road, that is clearly different!

Cookie_Monster · 01-04-2011 11:01AM

once again the comparison to Amsterdam comes to mind... however do they manage with all those lines everywhere

@muckwarrior
:pac::pac::pac:

Front Tyre Stuck in Dublin Luas Track - has this happened to anyone else?

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