Gardaí should focus on drivers – not cyclists

THE gardaí recently announced they would be “clamping down” on cyclists who jump red lights or have no lights on their bikes, but their priority should be in pursuing motorists who break the law by endangering the lives of others.

Pedestrians and cyclists who cross roads against the lights do so when it is safe – it is only themselves who are at risk.

Anyone who cycles frequently encounters careless and aggressive motorists. However, most people get very irate about cyclists and pedestrians risking their lives and yet are quite indifferent to motorists risking the lives of others by dangerous driving.

Any attempt to make the roads safer for vulnerable road-users such as the 30km/h urban speed limit arouses mass hysteria. Despite the number of accidents and the poor standard of driving, when it comes to vulnerable road-users the AA/RSA, the gardaí, the courts and the media assume they are at fault and the behavior of motorists is impeccable.

With a lack of safe means of crossing roads, even in towns, the lack of footpaths on rural roads and the impossibility of negotiating roundabouts and junctions safely, even with the utmost care, there is nothing one can to do protect oneself from careless and dangerous drivers.

The RSA claims, despite obvious evidence to the contrary, that roads have become safer for cyclists on the basis of fewer casualties.

However, this is because far fewer journeys are made by cycle than in almost every other country and, in fact, cycling has fallen by 95% since its peak.

Cycling is cheap, available to everyone and should be encouraged to tackle obesity, ill-health, pollution, global warming, fossil fuel depletion and traffic congestion.

Michael Job

Rossnagrena

Glengarriff

Co Cork