Riding through red lights , on footpaths, one way streets ,3 abreast on roads ,dark clothing no lights, riding wrong way on cycle lanes ,no helmets , headphones on oblivious to what’s going on around them give me a break

The haters will be along soon. Just note that all road users break red lights, pretty much every footpath in Ireland is covered in cars driving and parking on them, it isn’t cyclists that killed 41 pedestrians last year, and cyclists aren’t being arrested all the time for driving under influence of alcohol and drugs and speeding.
I could never understand why motorists cause all the chaos and pollution and traffic and death and misery on the roads but everyone hates cyclists, it’s like some kind of collective psychosis.

I was driving my elderly mother to the shops the other day. Leaving her estate there is a cycle lane which crosses the road. It is dotted. In order to get a clear view of oncoming traffic you need to sit on it before pulling out. A cyclist verbally abused us for impeding his lane. He had to go around us.

I’m not anti cyclists, but oh my God, how there isn’t at least one or two Just Eat/Deliveroo delivery cyclists killed every night is beyond me. They all break red lights, no high vis vests, headphones on, no lights etc, it’s frightening.

Love the idea of a tax credit for Kms cycled, I’d save myself a fortune. Personally I find it great fun cycling around Dublin, though I also recognise that it can be pretty dangerous and really off putting for anyone thinking of taking up cycling for transport reasons. Ive also experience the momentary certainty that I’m about to die after being hit by a car and to be honest I’m pretty lucky to still be here. I think it is incumbent on anyone driving a car to recognise they are basically driving a lethal weapon and regardless of what you think of cyclists going through red lights or pedestrians jaywalking or whatever, if you are in a car and you hit someone you have a pretty decent chance of killing them or worse leaving them needing lifelong care. I drive a car that weighs nearly 1.7 tonnes, if I knock down someone who momentarily steps off a narrow path or hit a cyclist because I can’t be bothered waiting a couple of seconds until it’s safe to pass then I’m quite likely to kill them. Slow down people and wait a few more seconds. And go cycling, it’s one of the most positive things you can do to change the misery of life in a car

Stop preaching and trying to take over the roads – your halos slip with every mirror you deliberately hit, each light you break, each time you nearly hit a pedestrian or over use your bell.

I love cycling but its disingenuous to write a glowing article about cyclists, the benefits, the demonising of cars and cyclists behaviour when they are by far the most visible offenders on the road. Because it is bike week I cycled to work every day, and saw countless cyclists and scooter users breaking lights, with some giving the finger to drivers despite clearly being in the wrong. I even shouted at a cyclist twice “ITS YOUR FAULT!” for breaking a light, causing a minor collision and the cyclist then having the neck to bash their hands on the car that had to stop.
Stop sugercoating it; Many cyclists are dangerous road users and need to cop on far more if we are to be respected on the road. Its to be shared, not to be owned by any one user. I agree that we are too car dependent and its great to have more people on two wheels, but it needs to be less one sided than this opinion piece.

Driving standards in this country are the pits. Van drivers are the worst. Run you off the road, scream out windows at you and worse. Cycling in Irish towns are city’s is a death wish with the abandonment of cars.

Calm warning, hmm – doubtful! I’ve seen quite a few cyclists reactions and they are far from calm. Perception differs enormously.

Sometimes roadways get blocked for a myriad of reasons … maybe just wait till it clears .. I’m sure if the van driver was asked they may have had a different perspective …

I had a bad experience blah blah blah. Oh and climate change blah blah blah. Honestly at this point would it even matter if an Ai wrote this drivel? God almighty.

I cycled for 10 years in Dublin and now live in the Netherlands which is obviously incomparible. Cycling infrastructure can’t simply be lain down on top of exisiting roads. Both have to be designed in tandem in such a way that cyclist and drivers are never given the chance to patronise each other as is described in this article. Unfortunately, it took several child deaths on the road in the 1970s for the Dutch to realise this.

Long passed time to reg, tax and insure all bicycles. Bit that one mr green.

If you look at cycle lanes in Dublin you will see many drivers have issues avoiding driving on them. The many broken wands on cycle lanes and the worn out paint lines from drivers on them. Many drivers can’t avoid stationery items so it isn’t cyclists the drivers can’t see and avoid.

Calm warning? Not appropriate. If i get out of my truck & gove you a calm warning over your lack of road craft then thatz road rage. Your calm warning is the same.

Pedestrian: My calm warning to a cyclist to cycle on the nearby cycle lane instead of the footpath was met with a barrage of abuse.

In fairness in the past 15 years things have improved a lot. There are more facilities and most drivers are more kind and aware of cyclists.

Unfortunately there is still a small number of bad, frustrated drivers which still think they have a right to endanger a person life just because they are not driving a 2t+ vehicle.
But we must pity them: they are in debt because someone sold them the dream of riding at speed in sunny, empty, country roads. And now they are stuck for hours a day in traffic, impotent and raging. While countless people with cheap bicycle zip past them to their destination, which they’ll reach in half the time and at zero costs.
Really the government should open a help line to offer some psychological support.

What media organisations promote an anti cycling culture?

As usual, a divisive article. Purpose is to sell ad space by getting clicks, if you want people to cycle more you need to win hearts and minds not scold and shame.

Well. I think all you cyclists and all you drivers are wrong and evil. The only righteous and moral way of transport is, was and always will be cart-wheeling. Shame on all of you.

Why can’t we adopt the Swiss way of travel? Most of them have two bikes, one for short trips and the second for road cycling on long distance. Even though they have more cars per capita than Ireland they are less likely to use them to travel to work or school. The cyclist is king as most drivers use bikes frequently and are tolerant of other cyclists.

Not quite sure what the title “Doctor” has to do with Emma Howard’s article about her impressive ability to ride a bicycle without stabilisers. I wonder if she was a docker rather than a doctor whether the Journal would have headlined her views on the matter?

Cyclists blame Drivers, Drivers blame cyclists and everyone else blames the English, the Russians or the Americans circle of life

At least from what i see in London, cyclist behaviour on the roads is ridiculous but of course there are loada of Twitter posts about drivers and pedstrians make their lives harder.

Walking with my kids i always feel much more at risk of an accident with a cyclist than a motorist.

In Vancouver there is a dual cycle lane running alongside all the main roads. The cycle lane is treated by cyclists as their dual carriageway. Nobody veers into the motorists lane or vis versa. But should you dawdle in the overtaking cyclist lane you will be met with a barrage of bike bells. It means you can cycle anywhere in Vancouver safely. But then, unlike us, they follow the rules.

It freaks me out when I am walking on a footpath, and alongside the footpath is a cycling lane, and I get beeped at while I am walking on the footpath. What was the point of marking out a cycling lane if some people are still using the footpath. If I was walking in a cycling lane they be murder.

90% of the cyclists are total bellends.
They will probably tell you all about bad car drivers but no wearing any high visibility vest, no lights or no helmet will just get you killed.

I almost killed a cyclist who was wearing full black without light on a road without lights, it’s almost impossible to see him.

It’s all good that people want to positively impact the environment by bicycling, but the infrastructure (cycle paths) has to be there all the way.

Also, where there are cycle lanes, not to mention cycle filter boxes at the traffic lights, motorists need to respect these. That means stopping *behind* the filter box when the light is red, as well as not park in the bicycle lane where these are located. By not adhering to these simple rules, we motorists are doing ourselves a disservice.

You shouldn’t engage with strangers, especially to chastise or “warn” them. You don’t know what will set them off. If there’s a vehicle in the cycling lane, notify the authorities.

In Vancouver there is a dual cycle lane running alongside all the main roads. The cycle lane is treated by cyclists are their dual carriageway. Nobody veers into the motorists lane or vis versa. But should you dawdle in the overtaking cyclist lane you will be met with a barrage of bike bells. It means you can cycle anywhere in Vancouver safely. But then, unlike us, they follow the rules.

Am too old to cycle anymore but when I did enjoy cycling I kept the rules of the road. So many cyclists now overtake on the inside, go through the red lights, cross over in front of my car without using indication. And they don’t have to pay road tax for the privilege. I pray I don’t hit a cyclist with my car.

The world, very much including Western nations, desperately needs to behave smarter with vehicular fuel consumption, therefore all need to forgo purchasing the most gratuitously environmentally hazardous of vehicles.

I notice numerous parked vehicles idling for many minutes, even in quite moderate weather temperatures. I’ll also see the odd choking-thick-exhaust-spewing vanity vehicle, a metallic beast with the signature superfluously very large body and wheels that don’t at all appear used for work or family transport.

They’re the same gratuitously huge monsters that when parked roadside hazardously block the view of short-car operators turning or crossing through stop-signed intersections. They appear as though they might get about 25 gallons to the mile. Inside each is the operator, typically staring down into their lap, probably their smartphones.

I couldn’t help wondering whether they’re some of the people posting complaints onto various social media platforms about a possible gas tax/price increase, however comparatively small. Notably, the carbon tax — though it’s more than recouped via government rebate (except for the high-incomed) — induces much pastime complaining.

Throughout my life, I’ve found that a large number of owners/drivers of superfluously over-powered thus gas-guzzling vehicles consider their machines to be an extension of their phall-c ego.

It terrifies them to even contemplate a world in which they cannot readily fuel that extension. And comparatively quiet electric cars are no substitute.

I love it, another article blaming everyone but themselves on the woes of cyclists.
Millions spent and the numbers have gome up, it is summertime.
Yet nowhere near was was said it was going to be. DCC said 300%, I was at the meeting, couple of months later it was 200% and now they dont say anymore.
Cyclists do need better facilities but not at the expense of pedestrians and other vuilnerable pedestrians.
Tjat is what has happened.
DCC and the minister and the NTA all know that wht they arre doing will endanger pedestrians but they just do not care.

Our work car park (central Dublin) is full every day with cars driven from less the 10kms away. You’ll never get the Dubs from their cars, maybe focus on other commuters for a bit.

As a motorist and of course a pedestrian I’m now looking forward to cycling and being a cyclist.
New cycle ways and fenced off paths should make it easier

Like many people I drive a lot, and in many settings, country side, city, town etc. Cyclists everywhere, no issue with this, many make wrong decisions and display poor judgement. Same for motorists, many terrible ones, most are ok. What cyclists need to be better at is making better decisions around cycling on some dangerous rural roads, there should be a ban on this. It’s simply impractical for drivers to move at 20/30kph just in case there’s cyclists around the next bend. In my area there are more bends than straight stretches and it goes on for miles, yet it somehow seems to make sense for cyclists to get on the spandex and spend most of their spare time on these roads, sometimes solo, but usually 2 – 3 abreast. I’ve installed 2 cameras in my car, front and rear, as I’ve had abuse hurled at me in the past, and was simply for asking cyclists to not wave me on when they think it’s safe for me to pass, but I’m the driver, it’s my responsibility to make a decision to overtake when I can see it’s safe. The abuse I received that day was shocking. For me, if I have to go anywhere on the weekends, I need to get out of the house well before 8am otherwise forget about it, that’s not always practical for my circumstances. I know there was recently an injury to one with a tractor, from what I know the bike came out the worst, the cyclist seemed to have been only slightly hurt, but this could have been a death. Not all drivers hate cyclists, we do not want the grief and certainly do not want to harm anyone, but many cyclists do themselves no favours and probably make a bad name for most.