Dublin Cycling Campaign was delighted to be part of an event held in Trinity College Dublin on Thursday 17th November all about improving cycling safety. The focus was around bus – bicycle interactions, and Dublin Bus brought one of its brand new 162-D double decker beasts onto the campus!

Dublin Bus drivers have recently been receiving additional instruction on how to interact more safely with cyclists – particularly in regard to safe over-taking distances (at least 1.5 metres), movements near bus stops and manoeuvres at junctions. Their recently produced ‘Urban Jungle’ video aims to instil in bus drivers a greater appreciation of cyclists’ vulnerabilities on the city’s roads, some (or even many) of which are in poor physical condition requiring cyclists to duck and dive around potholes. At the event in Trinity, staff and students watched this video on board the bus, an excerpt of which can be seen here. They also had the opportunity of hopping into the driver’s seat to get a proper sense of the blind zones in front of and next to the sides of the bus. The buses’ blind zones are not as extensive as those of heavy goods vehicles, but still significant in size. It is wise to hang well back behind buses on approaching junctions.

Dr. Damien Ó Tuama from Dublin Cycling Campaign – and Cyclist.ie – gave a short talk to the staff and students gathered on what everyday cyclists need to know about road positioning, communication with other road users, and understanding the most common types of bicycle collisions.

Well done to Trinity College Dublin and Dublin Bus on a well organised and attended event…on a bitterly cold and wet November day!