A NEW SURVEY has revealed that up to 88 per cent of cyclists admit to sometimes breaking the rules of the road.

The report, published by a group of engineering researchers from Trinity College Dublin, University College Cork and the University of Hong Kong, found that the worst offenders were regular, confident and experienced cyclists.

Entitled ‘Perception of safety of cyclists in Dublin city’, the study suggested that increased compliance could be achieved through enforcement in the form of fines or a points system – as is implemented for motorists. However, the authors conceded that such a plan could decrease the attraction of cycling.

The survey of 1,954 city centre cyclists highlighted a number of problems that riders experience on the roads.

Analysis of the responses revealed that cycling is perceived as an unsafe mode of travel compared to driving – even by many existing cyclists. In particular, ‘careless and reckless attitudes’ from bus, taxi and car drivers have had a significantly negative impact on their safety experience.

“Campaigns to encourage cyclist-driver cooperation within the network may help combat Dublin’s ‘road rage’,” explained TCD researcher Dr Bidisha Ghosh.

Cyclists prefer less busy and quiet roads, roads with street lights, routes perceived as safe and routes with continuous cycling facilities. Respondents believed a lack of cycling skills and poor bicycle maintenance were common accident risks. About 80 per cent of cyclists thought the presence of pedestrians, cycle lanes on footpaths and poor road surface conditions are unsafe to cyclists.

“To make cycling an intrinsic part of Irish mobility, it may be beneficial to introduce cycling education at the primary school level, increase the awareness amongst drivers through safety initiatives and provide improved infrastructure to attract new cyclists to the network. Incentives like ‘Bike to Work’ scheme, cycle maintenance workshops and community initiatives all contribute to the increase in the regularity and number of the cyclists, which in turn leads to an improved safety experience,” concluded Dr Ghosh.