€120 fine and 3 penalty points for another Irish motorist unwilling to give cyclists space

Another motorist has been fined and given points under the ‘dangerous overtaking of cyclists’ law — introduced in November 2019 — which carries a higher €120 fine as well as the 3 penalty points standard for dangerous overtaking.

The incident happened in Ranelagh in Dublin when the person who was cycling moved into the general traffic lane to go around a taxi blocking the cycle lane.

“I’ve just been informed that this driver has received a €120 FCPN and 3 penalty points. Hopefully lesson learned,” said ‘knolan’ on Twitter while quoting a video they posted on January 13:

The case is a clear example of how stopping, parking and loading in cycle lanes endangers people who cycle.

As per best practice, the person cycling starts to move out before the obstruction:

Again, as per guidance and now supported by the Rules of the Road, they took the ‘primary position’ in the centre of the lane and away from the taxi’s doors which may be flung open:

But, despite the car on the oppsite side of the road having stopped to turn right, the overtaking motorist decided to overtake the person on the bicycle within what seemed to be inches of their bicycle’s handle bars:

The way the overtaking motorist was driving, the cyclist could have been killed if they were in close to the taxi and the driver or a passenger opened their doors:

There were two more vans parked in the cycle lane ahead of the taxi (at least some of this section of the street is now segregated by the council using plastic bollards):

The overtaking motorist was quickly slowed to a stop by a white-van-man crossing the road on front of her. The person who took the video said that she said “sorry, sorry, sorry” to him before she “sped off”.


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13 comments

  1. I am very interested to know if the gardai are interested in, or do anything with dashcam footage whether from cars or bikes, and if so, how it works.

    Reply
  2. Tell you what, that type of near miss happens to me every single day of every week. I’ve been hit on the hand or knuckles by side mirrors or nearly had my head cut off by Van mirrors daily. I have phoned 999 and Guards have said its not an emergency.

    Reply
  3. @Paul — if it happens every day, it might be worth investing in a camera and starting to report the dangerous overtaking with video footage to back it up.

    Reply
  4. Thank you Cian. You are 100% right. I have been planning to do that for YEARS but I just forget to do it and I am afraid I’l be sold the most expensive one by traders, as I dont know what to buy. I am hopeless with Tech’. If anyone can recommend a good weather durable model thas not expensive I’d appreciate it.

    Reply
  5. Important to note that these successful outcomes only came about because the riders had video camera evidence to present to Garda.
    The Garda are failing everyday people who cycle by widespread ignorance among members and officers of the real road safety needs of us trying to arrive home alive.
    They do not have our backs!
    They do not directly interdict reckless drivers who endanger cyclists.

    Reply
  6. @Paul: If you report to Traffic watch instead, it goes to the local superintendent and is given to a Garda to follow up. This avoids the tendency of Gardai at the front desk trying to dissuade you from reporting. Best used in conjunction with cameras.

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  7. The video shows that three vehicles had pulled into the cycle lane in the space of 500 meters, and serves as a perfect illustration of why unsegregated cycle lanes are almost completely useless in the real world. They may even be more dangerous than no lane if they are adding to a sense of complacency.

    The offending driver doesn’t appear to have been as malicious in intent as others frequently are, but any lack of concentration can prove fatal if cyclists are forced to move out on to the road to avoid parked cars every few hundred meters.

    Reply
  8. Where would one find the statistics and the break down the offences Garda have issued infringments for in prior years
    . As a cyclist and pedestrian It is very common to see the Garda letting illegal acts unfold in front of them all the time.

    Reply
  9. People will continue to park in cycling lanes unless dissuaded by fines. Dangerous parking is a primary cause of fatalities. Try parking in a cycle lane in Copenhagen and there’ll be a ticket on the window before you get out of the vehicle!

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  10. Thanks for that info Steoller. Appreciate it. I thought that hotline had been discontinued. I have just had a look onn Google, The Garda website mentions it and the below excerpt from “Dub Cyc Campaigns website has this to say about it:

    “Dangerous Driving
    If you see an incident of dangerous driving, such as speeding, dangerous overtaking or erratic driving, get the registration number of the vehicle and report it to:

    Garda Traffic Watch – 1890 205 805

    The Gardai will contact the driver and may caution them. If you wish to pursue charges you will need to be willing to appear in court.”

    I phoned just now but a message from my mobile phone provider said the number cannot be reached. o, its either my mobile phone provider dosnt serve o89 numbers or it has indeed been discontinued?

    Reply
  11. Lads I’m all for shearing the road but I works 2 ways that solid line on the bike lane is not ment to be crossed by car or bike and as for headphones and not looking each bike should have something to identify it so there responsible

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  12. David, You poor man, you sound like George Hook on a bad day. Did you actually bother looking at the evidence provided? The cyclist cant get into THE CYCLE LANE because of Cars parked in THE CYCLE LANE (DAW). What part of that cant you see or understand? And if it works both ways then I have had car drivers rare up on me if I brush their mirrors-but when their mirrors hit me AND DAMAGE MY HANDS OR MY BIKE they leg-it and I cant even shout at them. They have car number plates but the Guards are not interested.

    I have had my bicycle literally physically moved by car drivers who think it is inconvenient to them. On one occasion the bike was then stolen as it was left in a vulnerable position. It was done by the owner of an internet shop that I was in. I complained to Guards, they said it was “outrageous but oh Nothing we can do sorry”, despite the fact that the culprits internet shop had CCTV which would have shown everything. On other occasions my bikes locks or cables have been damaged after drivers have interfered with my bike to fit-in their cars. If I was to push your car up the road to put my bike in that spot – what would you do?

    For the record, I am 100% against headphones and cyclists on footpaths (usually either drivers trying out cycling or – for reasons that baffle me – fit healthy students. But no ordinary, average cyclist cycles on the path).

    if one car driver blocks the cycle lane then I am afraid his fellow car drivers must facilitate the discommoded cyclist until drivers stop doing this.

    Reply

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