The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has published its latest “Cyclist Spotlight Report: Fatalities and Serious Injuries”, providing an overview of cyclist fatalities and serious injuries on Irish roads between 2021 and 2025.

The report was prepared using data from the Irish Road Traffic Collision Database, which is based on collision records transferred from An Garda Síochána to the RSA.

The analysis shows that more than half (55%) of cyclists who were seriously injured were aged between 26 and 55 years, while men accounted for the majority (78%) of serious injuries.

The report also highlights when and where serious cyclist injuries are most likely to occur. Almost four in five (79%) cyclists were seriously injured between 8am and 8pm, with the highest proportion of injuries occurring between 4pm and 8pm (31%). High proportions of serious injuries occurred between Tuesday and Thursday and during the months of May to September.

Dublin accounted for over half (52%) of all serious cyclist injuries recorded during the period. Nearly half (48%) of serious injuries occurred at junctions, while the majority of injuries (83%) occurred on straight roads.

In terms of collision type, 20% of cyclists were seriously injured in single vehicle collisions, while 11% were injured in hit-and-run collisions. The majority (69%) of seriously injured cyclists were involved in multiple vehicle collisions, most commonly involving a car or light goods vehicle.

Michael Rowland, Director at the RSA, said: “This report provides important insights into the circumstances surrounding serious cyclist injuries and fatalities on Irish roads. The findings underline the need for all road users to remain vigilant and to share the road safely. We know that cyclists are among our most vulnerable road users, particularly in urban environments and at junctions, and these findings will help inform future road safety interventions, education and enforcement activity.”

The publication of the Spotlight Report follows the release earlier this month of a separate RSA study incorporating hospital data. That study found that between 2020 and 2024, 3,305 pedal cyclists were admitted to hospital with injuries following road traffic collisions — significantly higher than the number of serious injuries recorded by An Garda Síochána over a similar period.

According to the study, several factors may explain the discrepancy between hospital admissions data and Garda collision data, including incidents not being reported to An Garda Síochána and differences in how injuries are classified.