Think you're out by a few orders of magnitude there!
Jogger taking a private criminal prosecution against an eBike who knocked him down on a footpath
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So with the cycle lane you have shown, you should cycle along the road until the start of the cycle lane and then move into the cycle lane.
Ah, it's a two way cycle lane - so the cyclist should dismount and cross a busy road without the benefit of lights? Come on, no cyclist is going to do that.
There is one like that on my way home from Blackrock. I do cycle on the footpath on my pedal bike but will dismount if there are pedestrians where the path is very narrow. In general though, I will just cross the road a lot earlier and not bother with those contra-flow cycle lanes.
Ah, it's a two way cycle lane - so the cyclist should dismount and cross a busy road without the benefit of lights? Come on, no cyclist is going to do that.
There is one like that on my way home from Blackrock. I do cycle on the footpath on my pedal bike but will dismount if there are pedestrians where the path is very narrow. In general though, I will just cross the road a lot earlier and not bother with those contra-flow cycle lanes.
People should be contacting the relevant Minister, to press him to take action - you'll find his contact details on the page, below:
Sweeping childish generalisations aside, theres lots of shared use pavements with mixed use and cycle paths where you have to (directed to) cross pavement to use the cycle path. Anyone who claims otherwise simply has no experience and is ignorant of the realities (layout) of the infrastructure.
It's also hypocritical considering how many cross pavements to reach a driveway or such or indeed park wheels up on them in a car.
People walk in cycle paths all the time and collision are minimal because most people aren't going to cycle into pedestrians due to the risk of falling of and serious injury. It's self preservation and common sense.
In this case it's someone on a electric motorbike who is deliberately riding an illegal vehicle dangerously. It's ludicrous to compare this (or anyone deliberately riding dangerously) with the vast majority of people.
It's also hypocritical considering how many cross pavements to reach a driveway or such or indeed park wheels up on them in a car.
People walk in cycle paths all the time and collision are minimal because most people aren't going to cycle into pedestrians due to the risk of falling of and serious injury. It's self preservation and common sense.
In this case it's someone on a electric motorbike who is deliberately riding an illegal vehicle dangerously. It's ludicrous to compare this (or anyone deliberately riding dangerously) with the vast majority of people.
I don't think many people deliberately ride dangerously. Or deliberately drive dangerously for that matter.
No idea no stats on it.
I think it's hard to buy or ride an electric motorbike by accident. Not impossible though. But I have seen people cycle aggressively and actually at people or other cyclists. Not many but you do see it.
I doubt that anyone who ends up in court on a dangerous driving or dangerous riding charge gets there accidentally!
They make a conscious decision to behave in a certain way that leads to the charge.
Like a conscious decision to ride on the footpath? But not "deliberately"?
In fairness we have no idea if the ebike rider ran into the jogger, or the jogger stepped into the path of the ebike. Or even if the ebike was riding at speed or dangerously. Maybe there were factors like other pedestrians or dog walkers.
But the layout of that cycle path is a nonsense. People will complain if a rider is on the cycle path or on the road. But look at the layout it's abysmal, it's going to cause conflict by it's very layout.
But the layout of that cycle path is a nonsense. People will complain if a rider is on the cycle path or on the road. But look at the layout it's abysmal, it's going to cause conflict by it's very layout.
That reminds me of Withnail and I: "We've gone on holiday by mistake!".
They are like the SUVs of the cycling world. For me these are not in the spirit of an ebike. They are closer to a moped or motorbike just designed to circumvent the law.
There was one of these folding monsters on the train blocking the doorway yesterday. A motorbike might have been smaller. They should have weight limits these bikes.
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They will claim ignorance of the law/rules. In fairness it's been poorly communicated and enforced.
It is against the law to cycle along a footpath. There's no circumstance where an adult should do so. Crossing a footpath in order to gain access is different, obviously. The same applies to walking along a road; you can walk across it but don't walk along it if there's a footpath available.
In my experience pedestrians are very inconsiderate of cyclists and frequently walk on cycle paths, allow their children to walk on them or, worst of all, have their dog walking on them. That's why there is no legal obligation for a cyclist to use such a cycle path.
There is a legal obligation to use a cycle path where one is provided.
S.I. No. 182/1997 - Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) Regulations, 1997
The electronic Irish Statute Book (eISB) comprises the Acts of the Oireachtas (Parliament), Statutory Instruments, Legislation Directory, Constitution and a limited number of pre-1922 Acts.
www.irishstatutebook.ie
* in some cases:
irishcycle .com/2025/03/10/compulsory-use-of-cycle-tracks-still-very-limit-confirms-department-of-transport-as-member-of-public-says-garda-sergeant-claimed-otherwise/
@Páid, as James points out this is not the case. Many cycle lanes, especially the ones which are just a marked line on a footpath, are dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians alike. This is mainly due to the recklessness and stupidity of pedestrians (as I outlined above). If I'm cycling at 30Kmph in a cycle lane marked on the same plane as a footpath and I hit a child which their parent has allowed to walk in the cycle lane I could be seriously hurt (the child is the responsibility of the parent).
irishcycle.com
Link:
Compulsory use of cycle tracks still very limited, confirms Department of Transport as member of public says Garda Sergeant claimed otherwise
A vast majority of cycle tracks — the legal name for most bicycle infrastructure in Ireland, from painted cycle lanes to fully segregated cycle paths — are not compulsory to use, the De…
irishcycle.com
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Technically it's not a cycle path
That's not accurate.
irishcycle.com
That's not accurate.
Compulsory use of cycle tracks still very limited, confirms Department of Transport as member of public says Garda Sergeant claimed otherwise
A vast majority of cycle tracks — the legal name for most bicycle infrastructure in Ireland, from painted cycle lanes to fully segregated cycle paths — are not compulsory to use, the De…
irishcycle.com
Besides which this incident wasn't on the cycle path section (I assume) and even if it was there's no legal signage making it a cycle lane that I can see. It's just paint on a path.
The common sense rule is don't hit anything or anyone. If you hit someone you've kinda failed at step 101.
That said I've had people step out with no warning. So it depends on the situation.
The common sense rule is don't hit anything or anyone. If you hit someone you've kinda failed at step 101.
That said I've had people step out with no warning. So it depends on the situation.
There is a reason cycle lanes cannot be always compulsory. Often they are unusable due to poor condition, there is an obstruction,or you need to make a manoeuvre that requires coming out of the lane..
Also such a rule encourages inexperienced cyclists to go inside of vehicles where it's dangerous to do so, rather than getting in lane with other traffic.
It also engenders aggressive behaviour from some motorists often who are ignorant of the rules or of cycling. Coming into lane can mitigate such tendencies, such as cutting off cyclists.
Also such a rule encourages inexperienced cyclists to go inside of vehicles where it's dangerous to do so, rather than getting in lane with other traffic.
It also engenders aggressive behaviour from some motorists often who are ignorant of the rules or of cycling. Coming into lane can mitigate such tendencies, such as cutting off cyclists.