#BeTramAware pic.twitter.com/TFBXf82jx5
— Luas (@Luas) July 21, 2017
The Luas campaign urges members of the public to share this video to cyclists they know and show them the impact of their irresponsible cycling.
Video: Astonishing new "irresponsible cyclists" Luas campaign
Dublin’s light rail operators Luas have posted a questionable campaign about cyclists on their social media accounts.
The campaign centres on a video clip showing cyclists having near misses with Luas trams in the city.
Posting the clip at this time has merit. Urging cyclists who are breaking the rules and putting themselves in danger seems like a good idea to us.
This is especially so as the Luas expands and cyclists, like all road users, get used to the new system.
But the message that went with the Luas cycling video perhaps oversteps the mark.
Interestingly, it is completely different to the messaging used in recent Luas videos targeting pedestrians and motorists.
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Following complaints, Luas has withdrawn its initial Tweet which told the public cyclists could be to blame the next time they were on a tram and it braked suddenly.
But its Facebook message was still online at the time of writing. It reads:
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“Have you been on a tram that stopped suddenly? Have you ever wondered what a Luas driver sees and why they pull the emergency brake?
“One of the reasons trams stop suddenly is avoiding collisions with irresponsible cyclists.
“To see what the Luas drivers see check out this video of CCTV clips from the tram showing cyclists colliding or nearly colliding with trams.
“Please share this post so everyone you know who cycles can see the impact cycling irresponsibly can have on your Luas journey.”
We've put together the headings and messages used by Luas in their three video campaigns which separately target cyclists, motorists and pedestrians.
Linking cyclist behaviour to emergency braking by Luas drivers seems to present cyclists as a nuisance.
Do pedestrians and motorists never cause the need to brake suddenly?
And it is only in the cycling video that those who view the clip are urged to seek out the cyclists they know and show it to them.
There are no such tactics encouraged for motorists and pedestrians, for whom very neutral and straight messaging is used.
Have a look and let us know what you think of the very different messages Luas is sending out about cyclists, compared to motorists and pedestrians.
Spot the difference
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