‘E-scooters are part of the solution’ – Green councillor says cycle lanes have helped prevent road deaths
Dún Laoghaire has seen fewer serious cycling fatalities and injuries since 2020, according to a new report.
New data from Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council’s (DLR) road safety team shows that “fatal and serious injuries” fell from 28 in 2020 to 19 between 2021 and 2023, and dropped to eight in 2024.
A Green Party councillor said that improved cycling infrastructure in the county had helped avoid “unnecessary” road deaths.
“With 185 road deaths last year, communities across Ireland have been left grieving and searching for answers. Those losses require empathy and demand that we learn, so that the same tragedies are not repeated,” said Conor Dowling, councillor for Blackrock.
“Bike improvements are saving lives. We had horrific collisions in Dún Laoghaire last year, we need to learn from the evidence in front of us, so that we continue to reduce the number of incidents in our community."
Speaking about Grace’s Law – a total ban on scrambler bikes introduced by Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien after the death of 16-year-old Grace Lynch in Finglas last month – the councillor said it was important to look at the causes of such incidents.
“We should be looking at what actually causes the danger. You can see over the last week that the government have come out very strongly after the tragedy in Finglas,” said Cllr Dowling.
"It was very important to ban scramblers but they’re also looking at e-scooters and e-bikes which are actually part of the solution.
"I don’t know why they are being vilified – this data shows that they are improving safety and making it better for everyone.
“I was at a vigil recently, and afterwards, the parents told me to not give up on the work we’re doing around cycling – it’s very powerful to hear something like that. People don’t want things to change just because something happened, they want the system to be safer and we need to make sure it happens.”
Cllr Dowling added that the new data aligns with the delivery of segregated cycle lanes in the county – including the Coastal Mobility Route between Dún Laoghaire and Blackrock.
“What we’re seeing locally is about choice. Parents feel comfortable letting young children cycle to school, and that’s a powerful indicator of safer streets,” he said.
"People feel like they have an alternative choice to driving everywhere. Our local primary schools are now bustling with bikes in the mornings, and many are expanding their bike parking as demand is growing.”