Vol. 417 No. 9
243 Mr. Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment if his attention has been drawn to the considerable increase in the number of cycling accidents on our roads; if he intends introducing and enforcing legislation that encourages cycle safety; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
All available information on road accidents on Irish roads is contained in the annual report Road Accident Facts Ireland. The report for 1990, the last year for which full details are available, shows that the number of cycle casualties overall was slightly higher than the average for the past decade.
My Department are in consultation with the Garda with a view to the development of an appropriate statutory code for cycle priority measures generally. The Roads Bill, 1991, makes provision for the construction of cycle ways for the use of pedal cycles or pedal cyclists and pedestrians. Local authorities are reminded annually of the need to ensure that the surface of hard shoulders on roads is adequately maintained for the safety and convenience of cyclists.
The National Safety Council, which is responsible for the promotion of road safety, actively encourages safer cycling through publicity and educational campaigns.
