Laws that force cyclists to wear high-visibility clothes do nothing to reduce the number of road accidents involving people on bikes, a study has found.

The number of cyclists killed on Irish roads in 2017 so far has already matched the total amount of those who lost their lives on bikes last year.

The Government is facing calls to do more to protect cyclists, as the death toll of those killed on bicycles in 2017 has already reached half of last year’s total.

Cyclists are to renew their calls for proper funding during a demonstration planned for next week.

A group representing Irish cyclists has criticised the number of fines issued by gardaí to motorists who parked in cycle lanes — despite a more than twofold increase in the amount of tickets handed down.

The news that yet another cyclist was seriously injured in an impact with an HGV (Dublin on 23 March 23) serves as a reminder that these impacts should not be happening as they are essentially avoidable.

Just three fines a week were imposed on motorists who parked in cycle lanes last year, Garda figures have revealed.

A strong plea was yesterday made to An Taisce not to proceed with a judicial review in the High Court of a project to upgrade a major tourist route.

Plans to include cycle-ways in upgrades to tourist routes along the west and south coasts could be in jeopardy following An Bord Pleanála’s rejection of a €65m development on the Dingle Peninsula.

A cyclists’ representative group has expressed concerns about the use of cycle lanes replacing hard shoulders on rural roads.

IRELAND’S national cycling group has called for a moratorium on the Government’s €4 million plan to develop cycle lane schemes in up to 10 counties, claiming the projects could make facilities for cyclists worse rather than better.