The Irish Times reports that Ireland is set to introduce a new law targeting unsafe overtaking of cyclists. The law was drafted after the Attorney General shelved a proposed law earlier this year imposing minimum passing distances for drivers overtaking cyclists. The law did not go ahead due to concerns about enforceability, and the difficulty of measuring passing distances for the purposes of prosecuting motorists. The new law does not specify a distance, but is intended to protect cyclists being overtaken by motorists.
The minimum passing laws shelved by Ireland’s Attorney General have been introduced throughout Australian states and territories in recent years. The issue raises some interesting questions about enforcement. It is not known exactly how police enforce the law, however according to The Canberra Times, it was not rigorously enforced last year. The Australian Federal Police in the ACT recently announced however that it was shifting its focus from education about the laws towards enforcement.
Responses to the Irish Times story on Facebook are conflicted, and there’s plenty of anti-cycling sentiment with many users claiming cyclists are overly entitled road users who break the rules and should pay registration.
On a lighter note, the Daily Mail UK reports that 32-year-old Davis Vilmus cycled every street in London over the course of four years, and tracked his progress using a colour-coded map. Originally from Latvia, Vilmus said that it made him feel ‘part of the city’.
Science Daily reports the results of a study from Rutgers University that show that despite an increase in cyclists on the road, the number of head and facial injuries have not increased. However “the rise in popularity of bike riding has led to an increase in more serious injuries, particularly among cyclists aged 55 to 64.”
Pedalling for Change 