A new Road Safety Authority (RSA) report shows that there were 65 cyclists killed between 2016 and 2022, and another 1,636 seriously injured. Victims were most likely to be male, and the vast majority of collisions happened on a straight stretch of the road, not a bend or a curve. Over half of the incidents occurred in Dublin, and the next highest proportion was in Cork.
Professional cyclist Imogen Cotter, who was seriously injured in a head on collision in January 2022, is calling on motorists to slow down and share the roads safely with people cycling as part of a new safety campaign being led by the RSA and Škoda Ireland.
While training in January 2022, Imogen was hit by an oncoming vehicle that was attempting to overtake another person cycling on the other side of the road. She suffered serious injuries resulting in five surgeries, as well as hundreds of hours of physiotherapy. Since the collision, Imogen has documented her road to recovery and is now working with the RSA and Škoda Ireland on a safety appeal campaign reminding motorists to share the roads safely with those who cycle.
WORRYING TREND
A new report published by the RSA shows a worrying increase in people being seriously injured while cycling. The research found that between 2016-2021 there was an average of 239 people seriously injured while cycling each year, and four in five serious injuries occurred on urban roads.
Over three-quarters of people seriously injured while cycling were male, and almost half of serious injuries occurred at a junction, most commonly a T-junction or crossroads.
“I remember seeing the van coming at me and thinking I was going to die” said Ms Cotter at the launch. “I hit the windscreen really hard. It was horrifying for my parents to get a call like that. It felt so unfair, everything I worked for, for so long could have been gone in an instant. People need to slow down and see the impact not observing people cycling can have.
“My message is for people to slow down and realise there is a real person cycling on that road. They are people with whole lives and goals. If this campaign can make one person slow down that will be a step in the right direction to making roads safer for everyone,” she said.
The RSA is advising drivers to share the road, and to give the space to ride safe; cyclists can be thrown off course by sudden gusts of wind or when having to avoid uneven road surfaces. The RSA is also reminding drivers to check their mirrors regularly, remembering the cyclist could be in their blind spot, and to slow down: there is a 50% risk of death if a person is hit by a vehicle travelling at 60km/h.
Cycling should be a fun and safe pastime. People who cycle also need to make sure their bikes are roadworthy and in good working order to include brakes, tyres, chain, and have lights and reflectors.
 report shows that there were 65 cyclists killed between 2016 and 2022, and another 1,636 seriously injured. Victims were most likely to be male, and the vast majority of collisions happened on a straight stretch of the road, not a bend or a curve. Over half of the incidents occurred in Dublin, and the next highest proportion was in Cork.){kind=link}