Cyclists have their say: ‘I was hit from behind without warning and knocked off the bike’

Following a recent article by columnist Sarah Moss recounting a frightening experience she had with an SUV while on her bike, we asked readers to submit stories about their experiences of cycling in Ireland. There were scores of responses, and the selection of accounts published here broadly reflect the experiences of many readers who contacted us. The authors of the responses below were contacted and verified by an Irish Times journalist. Where names were requested to be withheld, the writer is known to us.Leah McNulty (Co Dublin)Every day. Every. Single. Day. Someone tries to unalive me as I cycle to and from work. And it’s not just motorists. It’s other cyclists and pedestrians too. It’s become a running joke at work. “Who tried to get you today?” The only reason I’m still alive is because I assume everyone is out to get me. I have the lights. Helmet. Reflectors. Everything. I now have a helmet cam, and post my lucky escapes. Drivers don’t look properly. Some are just angry and threaten me. I follow the rules – why can’t they? Near misses regularly happen at mini roundabouts. My mantra is, if I can’t see their face, then they haven’t seen me properly.Fred Tuinstra (Co Dublin)I grew up in the Netherlands, I have been on a bike for 60 years. After moving to Ireland, I managed to keep up my cycling routines, but I have rarely encountered the level of hostility towards cyclists that seems to be common in this country. In the Netherlands there is much more awareness, and by law if an crash happens between a bike and car, the cyclist is protected. In the last two weeks, I had two near misses – incidents I was able to avoid through “live and learn” anticipation. READ MOREWhen pointing out the problem to the affected drivers, I was met with strange and very erratic confrontational language.In the first instance, unsolicited, I got an earful from an elderly driver who was observing what happened, saying it was my fault. He yelled through an open window, pointing out that I was at fault – which was objectively totally wrong. Days later, I cycled through Gorey main street, between cars at a halt, and a line of parked vehicles. Not unexpectedly, a door swung open in front of me (a classic); the driver clearly had not even considered that a cyclist might pull up. Here, too, I pointed out that what she was doing was not very clever – which landed me another tirade of swear words, stating “you better watch where you’re going”. It’s very sad having to put up with this kind of stuff coming from people who clearly have no idea what they’re talking about, and instantly see the cyclist as “the bad”.[ Women in Ireland are half as likely as men to cycle. A new report explores whyOpens in new window ]Claire Ryan (Co Dublin) I have been hit by the wing mirror of a taxi coming from behind me on D’Olier Street on the Luas tracks, I didn’t fall off, but I got a dreadful fright because it was on the tracks. Due to the fright, I loudly questioned what the driver was doing and subsequently ended up in a screaming match with him – him shouting that I came from nowhere and hit him, me screaming that I was in front all along. He said he had it on video but when I asked him to show me, he moved on. I’ve seen cyclists “left hooked” with the driver driving off, and while driving I have seen drivers buzz past cyclists and overtake them on bends. Every time something bad happens, I’m unsurprised. I’m a female cyclist and I can understand why women are reluctant to cycle – it’s because I’m stubborn that I continue. The infrastructure is getting better, but still very poorly thought through and most drivers think badly of cyclists. Being a cyclist has made me a better driver and also means one more car off the road.Dr Kelly Fincham, media lecturer at University of Galway in Bettystown, Co Meath. Photograph: Sean McPhail Dr Kelly Fincham (Co Meath) I was cycling the last hundred metres or so on my way to the cemetery with a bunch of flowers and a vase on the back of the bike a few hours before the annual Blessing of the Graves. A black Range Rover came around the almost-blind bend completely on my side. The driver’s head was down, I assume looking at a phone. Or maybe their driving glasses had dropped to the floor. I had a hedge on my right and a tonne of their SUV filling the road ahead. I screamed. At the last possible second she looked up, yanked the wheel, and lurched back into her lane, so close that the wing mirror brushed my shoulder. The slipstream nearly knocked me off my bike completely. I stopped at the side of the road because I couldn’t pedal as I was shaking with fear (fury?), and just listened to the silence until my hands stopped trembling. The flowers were still there. My sense of safety had fled. Don Healy (Co Cork) I spend winters in Spain and summers in west Cork. The attitude of drivers and cyclists between the two countries is black and white.Here in Ireland it’s close passes, horn blowing, etc. In Spain there is very little of that, and the cyclists stop at red lights and at pedestrian crossings.Jennie O’Hara (Co Leitrim) I am a confident cyclist and make almost all of my journeys by bike, even though I live in a very rural location. I find drivers to be mostly considerate. I am an assertive cyclist, ensuring I cycle in a way that keeps me safe and deters drivers from driving dangerously around me (eg: if the road is too narrow to overtake, I cycle in the primary position). In Carrick-on-Shannon, I was nearly knocked over on a roundabout. I entered the roundabout, made eye contact with a car in the lane to my left, and the driver drove out as if there wasn’t already a vehicle on the roundabout, missing me by centimetres. I was very shaken, but not deterred. I felt like an invisible road user. I no longer rely solely on eye-contact, and now wave at drivers at junctions and roundabouts to make sure they have seen me.Hugh Mc Laughlin (Co Donegal) I was cycling along a wide, good surfaced road, with clear sight lines, when I was involved in a collision. It was a bright summer evening and I was wearing my hi-vis jacket. I was hit from behind without warning and knocked off the bike.A passerby called emergency services. Thankfully I had no life-threatening or life-changing injuries. I returned to cycling eventually, and I have fitted a rear-view mirror, which is a game-changer for me as a road-user... a simple €10 addition that would save lives. Driver behaviour is really poor at the moment and needs to be addressed urgently. There is a compulsion by drivers that they have to pass cyclists and then turn left immediately, cutting off the cyclist. This has happened to me many times. Irina Spangenberg (Co Dublin)I’m originally from Germany, but have been living in Dublin for the past 25 years. I cycle almost every day, mostly commuting from north Co Dublin to the city centre and back. I sometimes describe cycling in Dublin to non-cyclists as like taking part in a war video game. There is danger around every corner and, especially on roads without cycle lanes such as Dorset Street, you feel like you’re taking your life into your own hands. I was once cut off by a driver at a roundabout, even though I had the right of way. After making my own way to the hospital, I was told I had broken my arm. When I contacted the driver to begin the insurance process, she texted me to say that she didn’t think it looked that bad, and then stopped answering my calls. I am routinely cut off by drivers turning left, particularly those driving SUVs or lorries, where the higher seating position seems to make it easier for them to overlook cyclists. I have also been squeezed onto footpaths by drivers passing too closely. I do find that drivers in Germany generally have much more respect for cyclists and are more mindful of sharing the road. That said, I also believe in obeying the rules of the road (some German cliches are true). I’m usually one of the very few cyclists who stops at every red light, wears high-visibility clothing, and always has lights on when it’s dark. Name withheld – female (Co Wexford)Almost 20 years ago I was a student cycling to college, because it was quicker than walking and cheaper than the bus. Now I am a mother cycling with my child in a busy Irish town. Sometimes [my child] rides her own bike and sometimes she is in my cargo bike. Things have changed a lot in that time. There are many more cars, the cars are much bigger, and people are more distracted and less patient. Often, people will overtake where it’s really unsafe to do so, like on a blind bend or the brow of a hill. I always meet them again queuing at the next traffic lights, so these dangerous manoeuvres don’t even save time.I have been shouted and beeped at, something I can’t remember happening before Covid. It’s always when I am taking the road position I am supposed to – like in the centre of the lane near junctions and roundabouts. Often it’s a question of “Do I take the position that’s safe, or the one that’s unsafe but means I won’t get shouted at?” Phone addiction is another issue that has worsened. I often see people texting or even watching movies on their phones. The technique that has helped me to stay safe all these years is to assume that drivers are going to do the most stupid and dangerous thing possible. [ Women in Ireland are half as likely as men to cycle. A new report explores whyOpens in new window ]Even though most drivers are brilliant, it only takes one reckless one to change your whole life. It’s not all negative. The vast majority of people drive very carefully and patiently around us. Despite all the challenges, cycling has huge benefits for my mental and physical health. I wish more people could enjoy it, but a lot needs to change so more people, especially women, feel safe on the roads. Shaun O’Shaughnessy (Co Louth)I’m both a commuter and leisure/racing cyclist, as well as a driver. It’s very rare when I’m on my bike that I don’t have at least one close pass per journey – drivers are oblivious. I’ve had numerous counts of drivers overtaking me while braking just to turn left in front of me, and overtaking just to get to a red light and then stop in front of me.[ The aggressive speed and silence of cyclists is a cultural problem that needs tackling in IrelandOpens in new window ]I now run front and rear cameras on my commuter bike, and a rear camera on my road bike, but I feel it is a waste of time even going to the gardaí with some of the footage.Michael Barry (Co Dublin)Dublin is a hostile city for cyclists. Driver attitudes, infrastructure, policing and enforcement are all seriously lacking. Stand on a street and watch cyclists have to contend with buses, trucks and cars. It’s like being transported to a developing nation where road safety simply isn’t a priority. I stick almost exclusively to fully off-road infrastructure like the Royal Canal. And I’m a man in my 30s. Women, children and the elderly are even less likely to want to share the roads with cars. Meanwhile, check social media after a cyclist is killed. The vast majority of commenters will blame the cyclist or joke about their death. It simply doesn’t happen when a pedestrian or driver is killed. Plus from Road Safety Authority/Garda statistics, we know drivers are usually the ones who make a mistake when in a collision with a cyclist. It’s very hard to continue cycling with such hostility. Yes, bike lanes are being built, but the quality is atrocious, and the timelines are insanely slow.Steven Skeldon (Co Westmeath)The Government has invested significant funds in the Royal Canal Greenway in Co Westmeath, but there has not been investment to where people live and work. Kinnegad is just 3km from the greenway, but the local community has to apply for small grants in phased work to build sections at 1km apiece in order join up with it.People cannot cycle to work or school because there has been no investment in the old Dublin-to-Galway road. There have been a number of deaths on this road, particularly motorcyclists. The Government needs to invest significantly in cycling infrastructure on the former national roads across Ireland. A tiny stretch of cycle lane built here and there in towns without any joined-up thinking seems to be the approach. The national strategy has failed.Aidan (Co Dublin)In May 2026, I was on my bike in Dublin city. I had the green light to proceed straight. A car in the lane to my right had the intention of turning left but had a flashing amber light, meaning they had to yield right of way to me. They failed to do so, we collided, resulting in me breaking a bone in my right hand. The driver told me I had “come out of nowhere” and that I may have been going too fast. The attending gardaí said no one was at fault because I may have been in the driver’s blind spot. Checking blind spots is the driver’s responsibility. [ ‘Cyclists have become a nightmare in Dublin’: Judge reduces €50,000 damages award by 80%Opens in new window ]The motorist refused to pay for my medical bills because the garda said we shared the blame. The dangerous type of junction which I believe is the fundamental root cause of the crash is being proudly rolled out and promoted by Dublin City Council. A quick look at The Dublin Inquirer’s collision tracker shows that this is the third crash matching the same description on the same junction in recent years. The design is fundamentally flawed. The problem is not just caused by poor driver behaviour, its also caused by poor design choices which leave vulnerable road-users at risk, and by a police force which fails to enforce basic rules of the road.Name withheld – female (Co Dublin)A car pulled out from parking without [the driver] looking, and almost hit me. I moved in time and lifted my hand up as if to signal “hey, watch out”. Driver (a man) snarled at me and bared his teeth, like he was threatening me. This made me very frightened, and I kept wondering for a while if he would follow me. My heart was racing. This is not an isolated incident of intimidation. It seems I am not allowed to indicate they might have done something unsafe, as they get offended.[ Cyclists and e-scooter users 11 times more likely to be seriously injured on roadsOpens in new window ]Daniel (Co Dublin)I cycle to work every day (about 3km), as well as into the city from home (about 6km) on a frequent basis. I’m an experienced and extremely diligent cyclist of about 20 years, who never breaks red lights and cycles carefully. My experience is that approximately one in 10 drivers become extremely irritated and angry when they are slowed down by a cyclist. In the last year, I have been pushed off my bike by a van driver who cut inside me on the left while I was waiting to safely take a right turn; have been passed within inches by cars overtaking into oncoming traffic (and through unbroken white lines), and have been beeped at for cycling in the middle of the lane (always for safety reasons). I’m also shocked at and frightened by the many drivers who speed through red lights at pedestrian crossings (which I often use to cross dangerous roads). I can’t say for sure whether drivers have become more careless – cycling in Dublin has never been especially safe – but I do know that the probability that I will be seriously injured and possibly killed while cycling is not negligible. I hope that doesn’t happen as I have three young children – but I fear that it will. Deirdre (Co Dublin)I’m both a driver and cyclist, but spend more time cycling than driving. Living in Dublin, cycling can be hazardous, but while many times I’ve managed to avoid near-crashes with drivers, I’ve only had one minor incident where I was cut off in traffic by an ignorant driver, and my wheel ended up buckled, with me falling onto the path. The driver drove off either not noticing or wanting to avoid conflict – I dearly hope I did some damage to the car and they reflected on it. I reported it to the guards who asked me more questions about what I was wearing, lights on my bike, and about the car that did the damage. This felt exhausting and unfair. I do a lot to be visible, but it’s so evident that a large amount of drivers don’t keep their eyes open to cyclists. Bike lanes are useless if they’re only a separate colour on the road. Cycling in many other cities including New York, London and Barcelona has felt safer than I often feel in this city.Mark Stewart (Co Dublin)I have been taken out a couple of times in recent years. I am an experienced cyclist and I love it, but having spent years commuting through Dublin city centre, I always, always follow the mantra... expect the unexpected. That means I am anticipating the child/dog/football up the street to come onto the road. I am expecting the driver to do something stupid and not to use their indicators; I know that taxis will do crazy moves to overtake me, and to then come to a stop right in front of me, where they shouldn’t be stopping. Enforcing stricter rules is pure nonsense and will be counterproductive. There can be tinkering around the edges of rules, but that is not going to change much. We need a mind-shift in Ireland. And physical changes to roads. The mind-shift needs to be through a sustained education campaign that it is a privilege for drivers to be on the road with such dangerous machines at their disposal. They do not own the roads, they do not have more of a right to be there than other road-users, and they also need to recognise they are the most dangerous, least respectful road-users. Physical infrastructure such as narrower road and carriage widths, especially through towns to reduce speed and aggression, are needed. Deliberate chicanes, bollards and reduction of numbers of cars in all cities and towns are required.Cormac Macgearailt (Co Wexford)I have been cycling to work for a number of years. I also cycle to school with my two kids. I have had drivers jump out of their cars in front of a school at 9am to abuse me, and I have been followed home by a driver to abuse me. I have been hit by a car on Wexford bridge – the driver got out and abused me with foul language. I rarely go out on the bike without seeing drivers on their phones, being dangerously overtaken or being abused. Even when my kids are with me, drivers still feel entitled to be nasty. Yet the media, political and Road Safety Authority message is relentless... it’s implied that cyclists are the problem. You weren’t wearing hi-vis, you weren’t wearing a helmet, etc. High-ranking gardaí regularly “plead with motorists to show down”, even though we know the evidence shows this doesn’t work. We need proper political support, and segregated infrastructure. However, this Government seems only interested in rolling back environmental laws. I am sad for my kids, and their future. [ Greater safety measures needed for cyclists, says woman left paralysedOpens in new window ]