‘Greatest danger on roads is from cars,’ says Cork city councillor

Cyclists and e-scooters are at considerably higher risk of serious injury on the roads than motorists, a new report has shown, with a Cork councillor saying that the issue is not with cycling or scooting, but with cars.

The Injuries Resolution Board, the State body for personal injury claims in Ireland, published a report on incidents involving cyclists and e-scooter this week.

The report explains: “An analysis of all assessments of compensation made by the Injuries Resolution Board in 2023 found that cyclists and e-scooter users were 11 times more likely to sustain serious or severe injuries in road traffic accidents compared to motor vehicle users.

“Specifically, 11% of cyclists and e-scooter users who were awarded compensation in 2023 suffered serious or severe injuries, in contrast to just 1% of motor vehicle users.”

Additionally it shows that one in five injured cyclists and e-scooter users required in-patient hospital treatment for their injuries.

“This data underscores the significant physical impact of road traffic accidents on these vulnerable road users,” the board said.

Oliver Moran, Green Party councillor for Cork City North East, told The Echo: “I think the framing of statistics like these is something that needs to change.

“When you drive, the greatest danger to you on the road is from cars. When you cycle, the greatest danger to you on the road is from cars. When you walk, the greatest danger to you on the road is cars.

“If, as the statistics show, cyclists and e-scooters are more likely to be seriously injured when in a collision with a car, the danger is not from bicycles or e-scooters. It’s from cars.

“It’s why segregation of the roadway is so important. It’s why we need safe and properly-sized footpaths as well as fully-segregated cycle lanes. It’s why speed limits in urban area are being reduced to 30km/h from next year.

“So that, as much as possible, cars don’t mix with other road users and when they do they are driven slowly and carefully, because it’s the car that’s the thing that’s most dangerous.”