Are Ireland's roads safe for cyclists?

Wishbone Ash

ThisRegard wrote: »

Is it not when they're on a call, so they can claim they're on their way to collect a passenger when driving an empty car in the bus lane?

Hence the reason they all have a piece of paper with a name, address and contact details at the ready!

Chips Lovell

The letter writer is mistaken. They're allowed use them if they're on duty, i.e. going to pick up fares and looking for fares, in addition to carrying passengers.

Chuchote

A taxi can use a normal (with-flow) bus lane only while it is operating as an SPSV – carrying a passenger, on the way to pick up a pre-booked customer, or plying for hire. Taxis must not use bus lanes if they are not operating as an SPSV – for example, driving home at the end of a shift, travelling on personal business, or transporting only goods and not passengers.

Taxis are not allowed to use contra-flow bus lanes (in which traffic travels in the opposite direction to the traffic beside it) under any circumstances.

Hackneys and limousines are not permitted to use bus lanes.

(From Jeff's link)

So if you've got goods (a hard drive, say) in your taxi, but also that useful addressed envelope…?
How do you tell a hackney from a taxi?

Wishbone Ash

Chuchote wrote: »

..How do you tell a hackney from a taxi?

Hackney doesn't have roof sign or side panel stickers. AFAIK also they must not have a radio and must be pre booked. Can't lift of street either.

tomasrojo

On reversing out (in the UK):

It is not illegal to reverse into a main road but it is not advisable - this is for safety reasons. The main road is likely to be very busy and there will be an increased chance of an accident due to the presence of more cars on the road. If an accident occurred due to you reversing onto a main road from a minor road then there may be the possibility of you being prosecuted for driving without due care and attention.

https://www.askthe.police.uk/content/Q390.htm

tomasrojo

And the Irish SI:

(2) A driver shall not reverse on to a major road from another road, or whenever his vision is such that to reverse would be likely to endanger other traffic or pedestrians.

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1964/en/si/0294.html

Seems open to interpretation with regard to reversing out of driveways. I guess it hinges on what "likely" means.

tomasrojo

More up-to-date SI:

Reversing

12. (1) Before reversing, a driver shall ensure that to so reverse would not endanger other traffic or pedestrians.

(2) A driver shall not reverse onto a major road from another road.

(3) A driver shall not reverse from a place adjacent to a public road onto a public road save where it is clear to the driver that to so reverse would not endanger other traffic or pedestrians.

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1997/en/si/0182.html#zzsi182y1997a12

tomasrojo

(I found those SIs referenced here:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057111780 )

Roadhawk

I dont think Irish roads are safe for any road user. It would help if the Gardai actually policed the roads correctly.

Wishbone Ash

....save where it is clear to the driver that to so reverse would not endanger other traffic or pedestrians.

This bit leaves it up in the air. Many drivers consider their manoeuvres to be safe or that they are 'safe' drivers yet the opposite is often true.

Pompous

Regarding the consistency issue for submitting incidents to create a heat map of Dublin:

Users could vote on the legitimacy of the incident based on a description. This way the community can police itself, much like Reddit does. If set up correctly and with a large enough user base it could work.

It would also take a lot of effort though. I may take it on as a fourth year project in 2018. It's an idea anyway.

2RockMountain

Pompous wrote: »

Regarding the consistency issue for submitting incidents to create a heat map of Dublin:

Users could vote on the legitimacy of the incident based on a description. This way the community can police itself, much like Reddit does. If set up correctly and with a large enough user base it could work.

It would also take a lot of effort though. I may take it on as a fourth year project in 2018. It's an idea anyway.

It's already been done, I think;

http://www.dublininquirer.com/2015/10/20/bicycle-collision-tracker/

Chuchote

It might be worth putting up a warning sign with an instantly recognisable symbol (if you can get permission from the council, which is another question) in places where there have been a lot of collisions with bicycles.

retalivity

Some absolute clowns out there again today. As well as angry drivers, Shoutout to the unsteady cyclist doing 10kph on a cruiser with massive handlebars blocking everyone behind her, then ploughing thru 3 red lights on the canal, as well as the mother with 2 kids in a bucket bike in the middle of the road in ballsbridge - presumably turning right, but the junction was still 100m away, so decided to block 2 lanes instead and push cars into the cycle lane

Chuchote

retalivity wrote: »

Some absolute clowns out there again today. As well as angry drivers, Shoutout to the unsteady cyclist doing 10kph on a cruiser with massive handlebars blocking everyone behind her, then ploughing thru 3 red lights on the canal, as well as the mother with 2 kids in a bucket bike in the middle of the road in ballsbridge - presumably turning right, but the junction was still 100m away, so decided to block 2 lanes instead and push cars into the cycle lane

Yeah, the latter's happened to me (as the offending cyclist) on the right turn into Kevin Street from New Street, it can be hard to see exactly where to change lanes.

boardbeer

Chuchote wrote: »

Yeah, the latter's happened to me (as the offending cyclist) on the right turn into Kevin Street from New Street, it can be hard to see exactly where to change lanes.

Hard to say without seeing the situation, but generally it is safer to get into the position to turn early, when you get a gap say, rather than try to cut across aggressive traffic at the last minute.

SixSixSix

Chuchote wrote: »

By the way, according to a letter in The Irish Times today, taxis only have the right to use bus lanes when they're carrying passengers! I never knew this!

While the IT may be reliable for the most part, they may not be 100% correct.

NTA says:

A taxi can use a normal (with-flow) bus lane only while it is operating as an SPSV – carrying a passenger, on the way to pick up a pre-booked customer, or plying for hire. Taxis must not use bus lanes if they are not operating as an SPSV – for example, driving home at the end of a shift, travelling on personal business, or transporting only goods and not passengers.

Taxis are not allowed to use contra-flow bus lanes (in which traffic travels in the opposite direction to the traffic beside it) under any circumstances.

Hackneys and limousines are not permitted to use bus lanes.

It would be very difficult to visually scope if an empty taxi was in breech of the regulations/laws

Chuchote

boardbeer wrote: »

Hard to say without seeing the situation, but generally it is safer to get into the position to turn early, when you get a gap say, rather than try to cut across aggressive traffic at the last minute.

It's just a bit unclear because there are two roads coming in on the right (both called Kevin Street on Google Maps); the first is one-way inwards. But when you're cycling it's easy to get confused and get into the right-hand-turn lane when coming up to that, rather than when past it and coming up to the actual right-hand turn.

SixSixSix wrote: »

While the IT may be reliable for the most part, they may not be 100% correct.

Ah well, this was a letter rather than editorial.

CramCycle

Chuchote wrote: »

Ah well, this was a letter rather than editorial.

Alas the letter was wrong, if they have a passenger or their light on or are on the way to get a passenger, they are perfectly entitled to be there. I did used to think the same as the letter but was corrected.

Carawaystick

retalivity wrote: »

the mother with 2 kids in a bucket bike in the middle of the road in ballsbridge - presumably turning right, but the junction was still 100m away, so decided to block 2 lanes instead and push cars into the cycle lane

Fair play to that woman, able to cycle with her children and push cars at the same time... I'm usually only able to push cyclists when I'm on a bike...

Maybe if the people driving cars took a bit of responsibility and didn't drive in the cycle lanes the roads would be safer. Cars don't move by themselves, or from cyclists pushing them.

Dermot Illogical

Carawaystick wrote: »

Fair play to that woman, able to cycle with her children and push cars at the same time... I'm usually only able to push cyclists when I'm on a bike...

Maybe if the people driving cars took a bit of responsibility and didn't drive in the cycle lanes the roads would be safer. Cars don't move by themselves, or from cyclists pushing them.

To be fair, I once forced a woman to overtake me on a blind bend. At least that's what she told me. Perhaps the lady in this delightful anecdote has similar powers to mine?

CramCycle

Dermot Illogical wrote: »

To be fair, I once forced a woman to overtake me on a blind bend. At least that's what she told me. Perhaps the lady in this delightful anecdote has similar powers to mine?

Ah, that wonderful phrase in relation to road safety and unsafe maneuvers101 . For those who use the English language correctly, here is a handy translation note for when you next get shouted at:
What was said : What was meant
You forced me : I chose
He forced me : I chose
She forced me : I chose
They forced me : I chose
Ye forced me : I chose

Other phrases include:

I had no choice : I had several choices
They are dangerous : I have no self control or care for anyone else
There was no avoiding them : I don't think about others and hitting the brake and waiting never occurred to my small mind
Get out of the way : I didn't leave in time
**** you : I didn't leave in time again
Oi you shower of c*nts : No-one loves me and deep down I know it but just can't face upto it yet