International Posts

European Commission Road Safety Workshop

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Participants were asked to answer three questions proposed by
the Commission, on 27th November 2015.

The European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) asked its member organisations to respond. Cyclist.ie is the member for Ireland of the ECF. Our views are represented in this submission to the EU Commission.

  1. What further commitments/initiatives can your organisation make to contribute to the reduction of serious road traffic crashes?
  2. How could your organisation contribute to further raise awareness of local authorities about required action for urban road safety?
  3. How can the Commission support such efforts?

Some responses

Irish Posts

Great Southern Greenway

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Today (Saturday 7th Oct) marked the 25th anniversary of Great Southern Trail (GST); the occasion was marked by a gathering at the Desmond Complex in Newcastle West, at which a video was shown of the history of the development of the trail, followed by a walk along the trail itself. The trail currently extends from Rathkeale to the Kerry border beyond Abbeyfeale.

The Limerick mayor, Liam Galvin, announced that Limerick Council were officially taking over the trail from the GST

Cyclist.ie congratulates Liam O’Mahony and all the GST team on their work bringing this project to fruition

It is hoped that the trail can eventually be developed to reach Limerick City, to the east and Listowel, to the West, giving west Limerick and north Kerry a fantastic facility

Links: GST and Facebook

UK Posts

Cycle death case handling ‘may need to change’

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Cyclist.ie has been concerned about how cycling fatalities and serious injuries arising from road traffic collisions (RTCs) are handled in Ireland by the Garda-DPP axis. The report from The BBC below shows that there is concern about how the local constabularies and the CPS handle these cases in England.

The way cycling deaths are treated by police and prosecutors may need to change, the former Director of Public Prosecutions has said.

Sir Keir Starmer said there was a “very strong case” for the Crown Prosecution Service to make the final decision on whether to prosecute cases.

Currently, police forces decide whether to pass a case on to the CPS after investigating a cycling death.

The CPS said cases should be referred to a prosecutor as early as possible.

Department of Transport figures show 113 cyclists were killed in the UK last year.

Last year a Freedom of Information request by BBC’s Newsbeat found that between 2007 and 2014 there were 276 recorded incidents where a cyclist was killed in an accident involving a motor vehicle.

Of these, 148 – 54% – resulted in the driver of the vehicle being charged with an offence. Of those found guilty, fewer than half went to prison.

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UK Posts

Why are London cyclists so white, male and middle-class?

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A fascinating study of why some Londoners cycle and others don’t illuminates cultural obstacles Boris Johnson’s cycling plans must overcome.

Among the several good objectives of Boris Johnson’s Vision for Cycling in London, produced in 2013, is an increase in the variety of Londoners who travel by bicycle. As Johnson himself puts it on page 5: “I want more women cycling, more older people cycling, more black and minority ethnic Londoners cycling, more cyclists of all social backgrounds – without which truly mass participation can never come.”

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Formerly Cyclist.ie