A public attitudes survey in Ireland has concluded cyclists are perceived among the most dangerous road users. Young male drivers emerged as the most dangerous overall, followed by eScooter users and then cyclists. When the respondents were grouped into particular categories - based on their age or where they live in Ireland - cyclists were regarded by many of those groups as the second most dangerous road users.
Yet the research also shows not many younger people see cyclists as a dangerous group, suggesting attitudes towards us cyclists are changing with the younger generation, which is great news. Only 8 per cent of people aged 18-24 years surveyed regarded cyclists as the most dangerous group on the roads. The research has been conducted by Aviva Insurance and it breaks down the categories of road users in unusual ways.
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For example, drivers are split into six different age categories in the questions put to respondents whereas cyclists of all ages are one group, as are eScooter users of all ages and pedestrians of all ages. But if we ignore how Aviva Insurance strangely splits drivers into age groups and, instead, combine all drivers into one group, the research shows 61 per cent of people regard drivers as the most dangerous road users.
That finding - that drivers are the biggest danger on the roads - is hardly surprising given the rate of serious offending by drivers and given the fact they are involved in all but a tiny number of fatal crashes and collisions that cause serious injury.
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1,000 people were asked which was the most dangerous group of road users:
- Young male drivers 34 per cent
- eScooter users 20 per cent
- Cyclists 17 per cent
- Older women drivers 10 per cent
- Older male drivers 8 per cent
- Middle aged male drivers 4 per cent
- Young female drivers 4 per cent
- Pedestrians 2 per cent
- Middle aged female drivers 1 per cent
When it came to female respondents, 18 per cent of them regarded cyclists as the most dangerous group on the roads while another 18 per cent said eScooter users were most dangerous - both ranked equal 2nd behind young male drivers.
Other categories who regarded cyclists as the second most dangerous group, behind only young male drivers, were: those in the 35-44 age group (17 per cent); those in the 55+ age group (21 per cent); people who live in Leinster, though not Dublin, (18 per cent); people who live in Munster (20 per cent).
Billy Shannon, Aviva's personal lines managing director, said the research results emerged at a time when road deaths were increasing again and as the Government was introducing legislation to regulate eScooters, which he welcomed. He described as "shocking" the 156 deaths on the roads last year, an increase of 19 fatalities on 2021.
"Behind each of these dreadful statistics are families and friends whose lives have changed forever following the untimely deaths of their loved ones," he said. "We can only hope that the doubling of fines for speeding and other traffic offences announced by the Department of Transport last October will have a positive impact and encourage drivers to abide by the rules of the road and in turn, help save lives."
