Cyclists and sharing the roads

A chara, – Helmets and hi-vis jackets may give the appearance of increased safety for cyclists. However, research indicates that motorists are less likely to collide with a person walking and cycling if more people walk or cycle. You might expect an increase in collisions with an increase in foot and bike traffic but the reverse appears to occur. There is more to safe cycling than just helmets and yellow jackets; there is also the behaviour of drivers. – Is mise,

DERMOT O’ROURKE,

Lucan, Co Dublin.

Sir, – Once again The Irish Times shows itself to be the preferred medium for the carping of the cycling lobby (April 14th).

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As a pedestrian I would like to ask your letter-writers what they recommend I should wear to protect myself from members of their fraternity riding on footpaths, running red lights, cycling on the wrong side of the road and various other unlawful activities? These activities have reached epidemic proportions in Dublin.

Like your letter-writers, I am all for law enforcement, but I see no evidence of it when it comes to halting the dangerous behaviour of some cyclists. The cycling lobby’s normally querulous voices are quiet on this matter.

The Millennium Bridge and Sean O’Casey Bridge are both supposedly pedestrian thoroughfares and both prominently display signs forbidding cycling , but to no avail, it seems.

Even the once tranquil environs of St Stephen’s Green are no longer immune to this scourge. – Yours, etc,

MARK DUNNE,

Rialto, Dublin 8.