DUBLIN, Ireland - Twelve per cent of Irish drivers have had a collision or near miss with a cyclist in the past two years, according to a survey of 12,500 drivers. The figure is almost double the number of incidents recorded involving motorcyclists.
Male drivers and Dublin drivers were the most dangerous but the level of incidents and near incidents involving cyclists was worrying throughout Ireland. 14% of the male drivers polled said they'd collided or had a near miss with a cyclist, compared to 11% of females. 17% of drivers in Dublin said the same, with 14% of drivers in Galway and 13% in Wicklow the next most dangerous.
5% of the Irish drivers surveyed said they have either hit or almost hit a motorcyclist while 0.7% said they'd done the same with someone on horseback.
The AA Motor Insurance study looked at incident rates by county and by light and weather conditions. The highest number of incidents, 17%, occurred when raining while 4% occurred during fog or mist according to poll results. "Naturally road surfaces are slicker and visibility can be affected during downpours, cyclists may swerve to avoid a puddle you won't necessarily see, and pedestrians will be anxious to get out of the rain so motorists should exercise extreme care and expect the unexpected,” said Conor Faughnan, Director of Policy for AA Ireland.
48% of incidents occurred during daylight, 20% at dusk and 28% during darkness. "Given that the peak traffic volumes occur during daylight hours, the number of incidents occurring after dark is disproportionately high,” said Faughnan. "Cyclists travelling after dark should make sure to wear reflective clothing or accessories and have lights at the front and the rear. Pedestrians should also stay visible after dark with reflective and light colored clothing, stick to footpath where possible and avoid distractions such as texting while walking.”
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