Connacht Tribune
TDs at loggerheads on proposals for overtaking cyclists
A Government Minister has hit out at legislation put forward by his fellow Galway East TD to impose stricter fines and penalty points on motorists who do not leave a metre and a half of a gap when overtaking cyclists.
OPW Minister Sean Canney described the plan as ‘extreme and unworkable’ and does not believe that it will become law – not least because so many TDs were opposed to it.
The Road Traffic Bill being put forward by Deputy Ciaran Cannon will, if passed, require motorists to obey the minimum passing distance of a metre and a half (around five feet) when overtaking cyclists.
Failure to comply with this will incur an €80 fine and three penalty points if it was passed into law.
But Minister Canney said that he could not understand where his fellow Galway East TD was coming from.
“If it was implemented to the letter of the law, then motorists would have to overtake cyclists while driving on ditches or in adjoining fields”, the independent TD added.
Minister Canney said that he did not believe that the Fine Gael TD had properly thought through this proposed piece of legislation and particularly when it refers to rural County Galway.
“Every weekend groups of cyclists gather at specific locations before embarking on cycles that could take them to various parts of the county. Invariably, they use the least trafficked roads to avoid any disruption for motorists.
“But most of these roads are no wider than ten feet and with two cyclists cycling abreast, it would be impossible for motorists to keep such a distance away from then when overtaking. They would be forced to drive on ditches or in fields in order to comply with such a law,” Minister Canney added.
Fine Gael’s Deputy Ciaran Cannon wants motorists to obey a 1.5 metre passing distance when overtaking cyclists or else face a hefty fine and penalty points. He said that this law would create a safe space on our roads in which cyclists would feel protected from passing traffic.
According to Deputy Cannon the proposed legislation is in the interests of children attending their local school or families out for their Sunday spin. He wants a designated space where cyclists can feel safe and protected.
However, his Government colleague Minister Sean Canney disagrees. “It is obvious that Deputy Cannon does not realise that the vast majority of cyclists use roads that are so narrow that it is nearly impossible to overtake.
“And even if they do, it is not possible to adhere to a 1.5 metre passing width. I cannot see this proposed legislation getting any further and if it does, it is not in the interests of motorists or any safety measures.
“Also, it hasn’t a hope in hell of being implemented because we do not have sufficient Garda resources to police every rural road where there is a presence of cyclists”, Minister Canney added.
But last week’s launch of the campaign also coincided with hundreds of cyclists gathering in Dublin city centre to highlight road fatalities involving people on bicycles.
Speaking at the event, Dr Mike McKillen, spokesman for the Irish Cyclists’ Advocacy Network, said he welcomed the publication of the Bill.
“This piece of legislation needs to be passed. We’ve got to change mindsets out there,” he said.
“The 1.5 metre rule is absolutely essential that drivers understand they have to change driving behaviour – we get comments in all the time from people saying drivers are coming too close and driving too fast, I won’t cycle.
“Virtually no children cycle to school now as parents understand that road traffic is hostile to cyclists. Traffic conditions must be managed to promote active travel for children and the 1.5 metre rule is so crucial here.”
Countries that have introduced the 1.5-metre minimum distance law include France, Belgium, Portugal and Australia, 26 US states and several provinces in Canada.
This campaign for a similar law in Ireland was spearheaded by Wexford cyclist Phil Skelton, who felt compelled to take action when two local cyclists died from injuries sustained in close passing incidents with motorists.
“If you are not a cyclist it can be very difficult to imagine just how intimidating it is to be overtaken by a vehicle too closely.
The creation of a virtual safety zone through the introduction of Minimum Passing Distance Law is not just for middle aged men in Lycra, this is aimed at all people who ride bicycles and especially those who are currently too scared to do so, he said.
Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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GARDAÍ and the IFA have issued a joint appeal to all road users to take extra care as the silage season gets under way across the country.
Silage harvesting started in many parts of Galway last week – and over the coming month, the sight of tractors and trailers on rural roads will be getting far more frequent.
Inspector Conor Madden, who is in charge of Galway Roads Policing, told the Farming Tribune that a bit of extra care and common-sense from all road users would go a long way towards preventing serious collisions on roads this summer.
“One thing I would ask farmers and contractors to consider is to try and get more experienced drivers working for them.
“Tractors have got faster and bigger – and they are also towing heavy loads of silage – so care and experience are a great help in terms of accident prevention,” Inspector Madden told the Farming Tribune.
He said that tractor drivers should always be aware of traffic building up behind them and to pull in and let these vehicles pass, where it was safe to do so.
“By the same token, other road users should always exercise extra care; drive that bit slower; and ‘pull in’ that bit more, when meeting tractors and heavy machinery.
“We all want to see everyone enjoying a safe summer on our roads – that extra bit of care, and consideration for other roads users can make a huge difference,” said Conor Madden.
He also advised motorists and tractor drivers to be acutely aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the summer season when more people would be out walking and cycling on the roads.
The IFA has also joined in on the road safety appeal with Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche asking all road users to exercise that extra bit of care and caution.
“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the look out for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” she said.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
