#vc19

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Velo City the incredible international cycling conference is been hosted in Dublin in the Convention Center. The centre is a couple of minutes from the spot my sister Donna Fox was killed instantly while cycling to work on September 6th 2016.

While I am very much in favour of the conference been here I think it whitewashes the refusal by government to act on its duty of care to cyclists. Since Donna's death I've campaigned for the introduction of a safe passing distance law when overtaking a cyclist as I truly believe my sister's chances of being alive today would be far greater had we had such a law.

I am in regular contact with The Minister for Transport Shane Ross, who at our last official meeting in late March told me that the hold up on introducing the "dangerous overtaking of a cyclist legislation" should have been sorted by end April. And still nothing. It defies logic given that RSA, IRVA, even some Ministers most especially Regina Doherty and Ciarán Cannon back the need for legislation ASAP.

Conferences and media events are wonderful and have their place, and I really welcome the new greenways announcement from Minister Ross. However, it does absolutely zilch to save lives on our roads. We need road safety laws not grandstanding and window dressing.

I've been reasonable and patient for close to 3 years now, but enough is enough, our government must act now. The proposal for minimum passing distance legislation by Regina Doherty, Ciarán Cannon and campaigner Phil Skelton had began before Donna was killed. Its law in many countries since 1973 so its not exactly rocket science.

I am aware of the legal reasons why Attorney General wouldn't sign off on the proposed Minimum Passing Distance legislation, while I think they are ridiculous I accept them, but with the newly proposed "dangerous overtaking of a cyclist legislation" this is very doable under our law and should have been fastracked as a matter of urgency. There is a steady increase of people cycling in our cities especially, its encouraged and rightly so by government, yet it is not matched by providing a basic duty of care to these vulnerable road users.

The focus on cycling helmets and hi vis (my sister had both, and was in cycle path, going at normal pace...) has been a lazy distraction from the real life saving and transport transforming measures needed, the law I'm pleading for to criminalise dangerous overtaking of a cyclist and ramp up campaign about it to increase awareness and safety. The other been infrastructure. The infrastructure has slowly began thankfully, the site Donna was killed at will never be the same again as work finally began on it, that's a really positive thing.

Recently the first ever study on cycling helmets safety when in collisions with motor vehicles was carried out by Volvo in Sweden. I think the average person would be appalled to hear it was the first such study, even aside from the results.

I know for myself I was haunted by the recollection of witnesses that Donna's cycling helmet was in smithereens across the road. She acted in good faith, like most of us thinking that they were properly tested etc. The Volvo study results found helmets were no protection in event of collision with a motor vehicle.

I'm an advocate for change in attitudes towards cyclists as well as for greater safety and infrastructure measures for those cycling. Aside from my own cycling campaign, I now am a Spokesperson and board member of Irish Road Victims Association and just got back from Victims Support Europe conference in European Parliament Strasbourg last week representing road victims needs and interests.

Ireland won an award in Brussels in the last week for our road safety initiatives which have seen a reduction in overall road deaths, my view is this needs to be a spur on to do more, not merely a cause of celebration. I do think it's a fantastic achievement. But the needs of cyclists basic safety is so blanked its hard for me to see beyond this. Strasbourg City itself inspired me, its incredibly cycling and pedestrian friendly infrastructure is as achievable here. We need the vision and the guts to make real changes.

Donna was 30 when she died that Tuesday morning as she cycled towards the convention centre where this huge event is on. She never got there. She never got to her job in Meaghers pharmacy on Barrow Street next door to Google.

Life has altered beyond description since two Gardaí told me Donna was in the City mortuary. A sentence that changes you forever. Her loving kind nature blessed all our lives who knew her, her hard working conscientious attitude and sporting spirit made her amazing person to be around. My one consolation while poignant obviously, is that she died at a time in her life when she was so happy and at peace.

As ever I must point out I have no anger towards the driver but that doesn't mean I should just shut up and go away, no, it's about preventing deaths and injuries, sparing others. That man and his family were nothing but gracious to me when I met them. A change in law, proper infrastructure and more balanced public opinion is what I see as Donna's legacy. I won't give up.

Neil.