Gardai to clamp down on unsafe cyclists
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CYCLISTS face the prospect of a day in court if caught running red lights or not having safety equipment, including lights and reflectors, on their bicycles.
And the head of the Garda Traffic Corps in Dublin warned any driver involved in a collision over the bank holiday weekend will be automatically breathalysed as part of a major crackdown on drink-driving.
The get-tough measures are part of Operation Lockdown, and gardai yesterday highlighted 16 key routes in Dublin's city centre that will be targeted over the next week.
And suburbs of the capital frequented by revellers, including Blanchardstown, Blackrock and Swords, will also be the focus of a major speeding and drink-driving crackdown.
Called Operation Surround, it will involve gardai mounting checkpoints to target young drivers leaving pubs and nightclubs who may have been drinking.
"The primary focus will be on speed reduction, particularly in the 50kmh zones, where vulnerable road users are particularly at risk from vehicles moving from high volume routes into urban areas," Chief Superintendent Reid said.
Offence
"It is an offence (for cyclists) not to have a light or to run red lights. Last November we ran six operations and used discretionary cautions, giving people a couple of days to appear at a garda station and show that their bike was roadworthy. The focus is not just on targeting cars but vulnerable road users themselves."
Campaigns involving stopping cyclists from running traffic signals and checking safety equipment will be carried out from 5pm to 8pm for the next week, Supt Reid said.
As the weekend approaches, a second enforcement operation will run from 7pm to 9pm where drivers will be checked for drink driving and speeding along 16 routes identified in the outskirts of the capital bounded by the Royal and Grand Canals.
Road fatalities have fallen by 12pc in the past decade in Dublin; but between 2001 and today, 329 people have died on the capital's roads.
But gardai are more concerned about vulnerable road users, particularly cyclists and pedestrians. These make up 61pc of those killed in the capital -- pedestrians are the most likely victims (36pc), followed by motorcyclists (16pc) and cyclists (10pc).
- Paul Melia
Irish Independent
