One would like to say that the death of a cyclist on the south-side of Harold’s Cross Bridge yesterday morning is a wake-up call for the drivers, cyclists and other road users in Dublin city, but it’s difficult to say this is the case.
Personally, the event made me more careful when cycling home last night, made me act more kindly towards other cyclists and motorists, and made me feel kind of melancholy about being an urban cyclist.
I know the bridge well, and often head across it on my way up to Rathfarnham. The problems for a cyclist are identical to motorists’ problems: the bridge is too narrow. Two lanes of traffic on each side of the road compete for space on a bridge that is essentially only two-lane. Often buses (and in this case, fatally, a truck) complicate matters with their extra heft.
My solution when joining the traffic there is usually to err wholly on the side of caution and just sit behind vehicles, in plain sight, until the lights change, and then edge into the cycle lane on road on the south side of the bridge.
Is the answer to limit the number of lanes approaching the bridge, or to widen the historic bridge? Should we educate drivers of heavy vehicles in looking out for cyclists? Should cyclists be more aware of their own visibility, especially when close to large vehicles?
I’m not sure, but I know that the next time I cross the bridge it will be with some sadness.
Unfortunately HGVs are also a major problem for cyclists in London; lack of awareness by drivers, ignorance on the part of cyclists in terms of their own visibility, as well as badly-designed junctions all contribute to the problem. Even experienced cyclists can be caught out by drivers who don’t signal or long vehicles turning on tight corners. It’s always sobering to read of these kind of incidents, and makes us aware of how vulnerable we can be.