Campaign needed to halt cyclists’ deaths

I WRITE to express my shock and anger at the recent spate of tragic deaths of cyclists on our roads, including the hit-and-run of a 23-year-old in Co Monaghan this week, on the same day that a young female cyclist was killed in Northern Ireland. This followed the tragic death of a young 21-year-old cyclist in Dublin.

This follows a litany of such events in our cities and on our roads and, as a cyclist who has been forced off my bike on numerous occasions in Galway by arrogant taxi drivers, some of whom assume attitudes of total ownership of the roads, with cyclists having no rights whatsoever, I wonder where the future lies for cyclists in Ireland. In a power contest between a bicycle and a four-wheeled vehicle, the cyclist is always going to be the loser. I have no desire to become another statistic in the newspaper due to a lack of respect from motor vehicles, but neither do I want to stop cycling, which I enjoy.

Recently a campaign on television shows the change in attitude necessary to prevent motorcyclists being killed. I feel a similar campaign is now necessary to prevent the mounting list of cyclists killed.