Pedestrians and Cyclists with deathwishes in Dublin

[JP1234]

Maybe it's a common thing but I don't get up to Dublin much

I couldn't count how many times we saw people either on foot or bike darting out in front of cars/trucks/buses but the most alarming were:

The woman on Stillorgan Road as we were driving in who decided as the lights changed to green to cross in front of 3 lanes of traffic, made worse as a bus was stopped blocking her access to the pavement...thank god no-one was driving at speed!

The cyclist on Abbey Street who didn't seem to notice people standing on the pavement due to oncoming trams in both directions and stepped out directly in front of a tram. I assume they have some sort of immediate braking system, the driver stopped probably a foot away from her. We saw the same woman a few minutes later on another street step in front of a car, causing it to swerve, she simply didn't bother looking.

Another cyclist on Stillorgan Road on the way home merrily going along in the bus lane with a coach behind her....while a cycling lane sat a foot to her left!

I don't know how many pedestrians we saw running across the road to save a few seconds...

Is this normal? Have some people forgotten how to safely cross a road? And I have to wonder if any of the above had been hit, who would get the blame?

 

[Purple]

Maybe they are the other people who don't get up to Dublin much
On a serious note, I see as many dangerous drivers as pedestrians and cyclists.

 

[micmclo]

The worst of all are women with child buggies.
Pedestrian crossings are not for them, that wouldn't do

They shove the buggy out to "test" the traffic. And stroll across as traffic stops. Usually there is a pedestrian crossing just up the road but you can't expect them to use that.

It's a matter of time before a multi tonne Dublin Bus flattens a child buggy. And it'll be sad but it wasn't the drivers fault, just a wreckless parent.
Some people are not fit to be parents

 

[JP1234]

Maybe they are the other people who don't get up to Dublin much
On a serious note, I see as many dangerous drivers as pedestrians and cyclists.

I know... but down the country we can only dream of the day we get those roads and motorised vehicles you city slickers talk about

As for bad drivers, totally agree. The idiot who tried to overtake us, a large lorry and a slow moving horse box on a winding lane gets that award yesterday.

I spend most of my time with my eyes shut hoping for the best. Then Mr JP takes over the driving....

 

[horusd]

Spend enough time in Dublin and you will notice two things about our city drug addicts & tough nuts:

1. The number of them on crutches.

2. Their propensity to walk out in front of traffic and ignore lights. I think it some kind of macho culture thing. Run us over if you dare.

I kid you not.

 

[Sunny]

Sorry. Duplicate post.

 

[Sunny]

Spend enough time in Dublin and you will notice two things about our city drug addicts & tough nuts:

1. The number of them on crutches.

2. Their propensity to walk out in front of traffic and ignore lights. I think it some kind of macho culture thing. Run us over if you dare.

I kid you not.

You can't wait for lights if you have just mugged an old lady!

Every road used is guilty of ignorance and dangerous behaviour. The amount of cars that speed up when lights are changing to red and up breaking a red light always amazes me. Most cyclists just ignore lights altogether. And pedestrians are complete nutters sometimes.

 

[JP1234]

Going slightly OT but is it getting rougher or am I just noticing it more? I used to be up fairly regularly with the job I had but now I probably get up 2 or 3 times a year max.

Spend enough time in Dublin

I'll pass on that thanks

 

[Purple]

Going slightly OT but is it getting rougher or am I just noticing it more?

I don't see it getting worse but then again I seem to be lucky; I go into town at night about once every two weeks and have done so for the last 20 odd years and I've seen three or four fights in all that time.

 

[thedaras]

I agree with the stillorgan road issue that OP has,I see it happening all the time.Whites Cross juntion is a death trap,and many pedestrians have been killed /injured at this juntion.The main problem being drivers braking the red lights,and hundreds of school children need to cross those 3 lanes either side of the road,which includes,bus lanes ,cycle lanes and 2 traffic lanes.It breaks my heart to see kids trying to negotiate all of these vehicles evey day.
Re Dublin getting rougher,isnt it relative due to its population?
Have you ever seen Kilkenny on a fri/sat night?Its not confirned to Dublin.

 

[horusd]

I'm not sure Dublin is getting any rougher in the sense of outright violence. But what is noticable in Dublin is the often pervading "atmosfear". There is an aggressiveness in Dublin and perhaps elsewhere. Usually (but not exclusively) male "macho"ness + alcohol/drugs + attitude. This is evident even in driving. A distinct lack of courtesy is often the norm.

 

[TarfHead]

I spent some time this weekend using bikes from the Dublin Bike scheme - what a great system !

Any way, the nearest I came to an accident was yesterday in College Green. A cyclist behind me almost crashed into me cos I stopped at a red light !

 

[Mpsox]

There's an Irish tradition of just wandering out on to the road to cross and expecting the traffic to stop, it's not a Dublin thing, if anything, it's more prevelent down the country. As for cyclists, astonishes me the amount that won't wear helmets. In fairness to them though, the situation is not helped by councils painting ridiculous cycle lanes where the only way you can pass a cyclist is by crossing the white line into the next lane, Belgard Road has some of those.

 

[csirl]

Another cyclist on Stillorgan Road on the way home merrily going along in the bus lane with a coach behind her....while a cycling lane sat a foot to her left!

This sort of inconsiderate behaviour really annoys me. On my normal route to work there is a cycle lane on the footpath for much of the way. However, cyclists still insist on cycling slowly in the bus lane holding up bus loads of people. People will stop using QBCs if the buses are restricted to cycle pace.

 

[Complainer]

Have you ever seen Kilkenny on a fri/sat night?Its not confirned to Dublin.

That's all the Dubs down for the stag parties! (Speaking as a Dub).

As for cyclists, astonishes me the amount that won't wear helmets.

There is no evidence that cycle helmets do anything to reduce injury rates for cyclists (speaking as a cycle helmet wearer).

Another cyclist on Stillorgan Road on the way home merrily going along in the bus lane with a coach behind her....while a cycling lane sat a foot to her left!

The so-called cycle lane on the Stillorgan Road is a death-trap of broken glass, bus stop waiters, dog walkers (with the extendable dog lead stretched nicely across the full width of the cycle lane), pedestrians etc. See http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=67669725&highlight=stillorgan#post67669725 and [broken link removed] and you'll start to understand why the cyclists use the bus lane, as they are legally entitled to do.

 

[DerKaiser]

There is no evidence that cycle helmets do anything to reduce injury rates for cyclists (speaking as a cycle helmet wearer).

It's an interesting one - I've seen a discussion before about car drivers being more cautious of cyclists without protective gear, maybe some kind of invisible protection would be the best solution!!

As an aside, I saw an accident on Saturday where a guy on a moped got clipped by an overtaking car at very low speed. The guy was thrown off onto the road in what could have been a much more serious accident (as opposed to dislocating his shoulder, which was pretty serious I guess).

As far as I gathered, the accident arose because there was two lanes and the driver who clipped the moped was in the inside line and tried to get by despite there being cars outside of him. I see this type of thing the whole time, and have always thought it dangerous, but it's the first time I have seen it result in an accident.

Two things are needed:

First and foremost, the driver in the inside lane should show a bit of patience and wait as long as necessary before using the outside lane to overtake.

Second, if you are in the outside lane and see a car ahead trying to negotiate a cyclist/moped/motorcyclists, give some leeway. I've often seen the guy on the inside lane part of the way into executing the overtaking maneouvre when some inconsiderate bombs up outside putting everyone in a precarious situation.

 

[Firefly]

The so-called cycle lane on the Stillorgan Road is a death-trap of broken glass, bus stop waiters, dog walkers (with the extendable dog lead stretched nicely across the full width of the cycle lane), pedestrians etc.

Meals on wheels?

 

[Latrade]

There is no evidence that cycle helmets do anything to reduce injury rates for cyclists (speaking as a cycle helmet wearer).

Serious accidents, they do nothing, they are only effective against relatively minor falls. But those minor falls without a helmet could lead to fairly serious head injuries, with a helmet that risk is reduced.

Doesn't fill you with huge confidence, but then it's the same for all types of head protection, it is effective against the more common, lower impact situations so worthwhile on that basis.

 

[liaconn]

One thing I can never understand is when you want to change lanes, you're sitting with your indicator on, you see a large gap between two cars and start to move over and the guy at the back of the gap who was happily driving at a reasonable speed, suddenly speeds up like mad to close the gap and make sure you can't get in.
It's such a ludicrous thing to do.

 

[Complainer]

Serious accidents, they do nothing, they are only effective against relatively minor falls. But those minor falls without a helmet could lead to fairly serious head injuries, with a helmet that risk is reduced.

Doesn't fill you with huge confidence, but then it's the same for all types of head protection, it is effective against the more common, lower impact situations so worthwhile on that basis.

I've never seen any clear evidence that they are effective against minor falls. I wear one myself, it seems instinctively the right thing to do, but the evidence just isn't there afaik.

The same logic could be used to recommend helmets for all car drivers, and for all pedestrians too.