A motorist who used a bus lane to pass other drivers on the left at speed, then close passed a cyclist, and, following that, ran a red light has been given a two-year driving ban after the incident was captured by camera on a bicycle, according to an account of the case posted on Twitter.
The motorist had been given an option of a fine and penalty points, but when they didn’t engage with that process the incident was escalated to more senior officer. The case was reviewed and more serious changes were brought against the motorist.
A Cork-based Twitter user who uses the handle @byjoeb said that they were posting the video of the incident to Twitter “in the hope that it might make motorists think about their behaviour”.
He was told that the motorist was being prosecuted under section 53 of the Road Traffic Act, which is dangerous driving.
He said that it was his first time ever inside a courtroom after reporting the incident in 2022.
“Videos speak for what happened but doesn’t convey is the sheer speed involved or the closeness of the pass. Offences — undertaking in the bus lane, speeding, close-pass and ran red light. Motorist received a conviction and a 2 year driving ban, a large fine and court costs against them,” he said.
They said that they avoid using Skehard Road as much as possible but there were works on the greenway at the time and it was blocked.
He said: “Skehard Road is appalling infrastructure design — designed for speeding. It was actually safer before they redesigned it.” He told IrishCycle.com that he lives nearby and “hear cars flying along there now” compared to before the road was redesigned.
He said that the Court is a strange place to wait as a witness and you get “a snapshot of the ongoings in the city while you wait”. He said: “Crazy shit going on and a lot of bad driving shit. Lonely place on the stand giving evidence as their purpose is to blame you for existing in these events. Video evidence essential to proceedings.”
A “long-drawn-out and stressful process” could have been avoided if the motorist had accepted penalty points and a lesser charge, he said, but the motorist “decided not to engage and felt the consequences of their decision in Court”.
He said that the Garda and Garda Inspector involved were “absolutely brilliant all the way through the process”. He said: “The amount of information a Garda has to deal with in court is incredible as well as questioning witnesses and defendants on the stand. Just incredible. Huge admiration for the amount of crap Gardai have to put up with in their day-to-day. From solicitors and from motorists.”
He said: “Since this happened I have had numerous close passes. Since my kid started school about 3 weeks ago there’s almost a daily or twice daily close pass on our bit of the route to school that is not greenway.”
After he was criticised for crossing the road while cycling, he added: “People are allowed cross roads. Motorists hold everybody outside their cage to exacting standards but their low standards are allowed. The outcome would have been the same if I’d been in the shared bus/cycle lane all along.”
Finally a judge who will use public evidence
Hopefully this will result in that driver not being on the road for at least two years. Banned drivers who keep driving is far from unknown. Good also the video evidence was used.