Gardai fining cyclists on N11?

N

nuttlys

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Yesterday I drove past what looked like a garda checkpoint for cyclists on the N11. It looked like they were stopping cyclists without lights (fair enough), but talk about shooting fish a barrel. Anyone else see this?
 
They do the same with cars at checkpoints in terms of shooting fish in a barrel! So why shoudlnt they?
 
Cyclists are not immune from the law or it's punishments.

Fair play to the Gardaí.
 
Some people think that pedestrians and cyclists should be exempt from the law. It is time that pedestrians should have to wear safety vests and walk on the correct side of the road. It would appear that motorists are the only people who are being held to account when an accident happens.
 
nuttlys said:
Yesterday I drove past what looked like a garda checkpoint for cyclists on the N11. It looked like they were stopping cyclists without lights (fair enough), but talk about shooting fish a barrel. Anyone else see this?
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Of course they should stop them - cyclist with no lights on at night are just plain stupid and are a severe danger to themselves and the paintwork on my car.
 
As a cyclist, I fully agree with the Gardai stopping cyclists who are not visible.

I doubt if they were fining them though. They were probably just having a word with them.

A high vis jacket or vest should be adequate though. As a driver, I always see high vis jackets. Sometimes, on a road where there are plenty of lights and oncoming traffic with headlights on, you don't see a cyclist with a little red light very easily.

And it's much easier. I had a dynamo which used not to work in the rain. Sometimes batteries run out on lights while you are cycling.
 
I think some people don't realise that the effectiveness of hi-vis wears off after a while. I think hi-vis plus good lights is preferable to just hi-vis.
 
It looked like they were stopping cyclists without lights (fair enough), but talk about shooting fish a barrel.
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No fish will be hurt in the making of this checkpoint if they adhere to the law and have lights on their bike.
 
Brendan Burgess said:
...A high vis jacket or vest should be adequate though......
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Legally it isn't. You must have lights.

Also High Viz is mainly for the daytime visibility. Its the reflective strips and reflectors and light which are seen at night. Its not a good message to keep promoting hi viz, as you see too many with poor quality yellow vests which are useless at night with little or no reflectivity, and no lights. They aren't getting the "right" message.

Check out the difference in the lights in the test below.
http://road.cc/content/news/69237-big-roadcc-lights-test-2012

What noticable is how often you can't see the yellow hi viz. What you see is the reflective stripes. Also how poor cheap lights can be. How good some reasonably priced lights can be. So its not all about money either.
 
nuttlys said:
Yesterday I drove past what looked like a garda checkpoint for cyclists on the N11. It looked like they were stopping cyclists without lights
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IMO cyclists shouldn't be allowed to cycle on dual carriageways and motorways, full stop!

They are regularly out on the N11 and M11 and are a danger to themselves and to other road users.
 
The N11 is not a motorway until you get to Rathnew I think.
Its a dual carriageway, so its ok legally to cycle there. Anyway theres a cyclepath!!
I run on it ( home Im not done for speeding !)
 
runner said:
The N11 is not a motorway until you get to Rathnew I think.
Its a dual carriageway, so its ok legally to cycle there. Anyway theres a cyclepath!!
I run on it ( home Im not done for speeding !)
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The motorway begins at Loughlinstown hospital.
 
bazermc said:
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr I hate non cyclist being on cycle paths
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Are you in such a hurry that they annoy you that much? In the Park theres always someone on the path, only rarely do they not move over when I ring the bell.
 
bazermc said:
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr I hate non cyclist being on cycle paths
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I run on cycle paths regularly, and I have never, ever, ever encountered a cyclist on the cyclepath so I don't get too concerned. If I ever do, I will sure to get out of the way.
 
runner said:
delgirl said:
IMO cyclists shouldn't be allowed to cycle on dual carriageways and motorways, full stop!

They are regularly out on the N11 and M11 and are a danger to themselves and to other road users.
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The N11 is not a motorway until you get to Rathnew I think.
Its a dual carriageway, so its ok legally to cycle there. Anyway theres a cyclepath!!
I run on it ( home Im not done for speeding !)
Click to expand...

I've seen runners all the way to Bray. Are you that guy ? I was dying to roll down the window and ask you ''why good God why'' but I was traveling at 80 kmph. How can you run on a motorway ? Not only is it dangerous but my biggest problem is that as you will be breathing heavily you will be sucking unhealthy car exhaust fumes into your lungs which will eventually come back to hurt your health even in the long term. Surely it must be one of the unhealthiest places to get fit ? I find it hard to even roll down the window on that road sometimes due to fumes.
 
AlbacoreA said:
You're not allowed to cycle on a motorway.
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Tell that to the hobby cyclists who cycle on the M11 motorway and on the N11 dual-carriageway!

About a month ago I witnessed a near pile-up on the N11 near Enniskerry where about 8 or 10 hobby cyclists who were cycling on the hard shoulder behind one another proceeded to cross and completely block the mouth of the exit ramp in order to continue straight on the dual-carriageway while a number of cars were attempting to exit the N11 at this off-ramp travelling at close to 100kph.

The cars had to come to a complete standstill in the left lane causing other motorists behind them to brake hard and move into the right lane causing motorists in that lane to also brake hard to avoid a collision.

It was incredible that an accident was avoilded.
 
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