Cycling is, umm, safe

[TimberWolf]

Every now and then I get this darn fool idea that cycling is an insanely stupid thing to do. So for no partuclar reason tonight I thought I'd have a quick look on the interweb to see if I could find some bycycle related stats to get an Internet factoid based view on the risks rather than one based on preducies I have gained from cycling and seeing cyclists cycling. I found that cycling is only about 10 times more dangerous than a driving a car per distance travelled, which is a relief, and also that the average cyclist only gets injured every 3 years, with a serious accident occuring only once every 15 years. So feeling much better about cycling I go on to read this guys web page that is filled with lots of statistics relating to how safe cycling is, and he certainly seem to know his stuff and does a lot of cycling. So I feel a lot better now.

P.S. He was killed while out riding his bicycle, but it's still a good web page and cyling is safe, probably

[pzz76077]

Every now and then I get this darn fool idea that cycling is an insanely stupid thing to do. So for no partuclar reason tonight I thought I'd have a quick look on the interweb to see if I could find some bycycle related stats to get an Internet factoid based view on the risks rather than one based on preducies I have gained from cycling and seeing cyclists cycling. I found that cycling is only about 10 times more dangerous than a driving a car per distance travelled, which is a relief, and also that the average cyclist only gets injured every 3 years, with a serious accident occuring only once every 15 years. So feeling much better about cycling I go on to read this guys web page that is filled with lots of statistics relating to how safe cycling is, and he certainly seem to know his stuff and does a lot of cycling. So I feel a lot better now.

P.S. He was killed while out riding his bicycle, but it's still a good web page and cyling is safe, probably

A bike is always one of the first things I buy when away on a gig to save costs and keep fit for free. Have one now that I bought from an Aussie going back home for 20 euros, runs just great. Never had an accident or anything bad happen to me so far.

PZZ

[PRC1964]

This morning I was driving down a reasonably steep hill in slowish traffic (20 mph).

I was overtaken and undertaken simultaneously by two cyclists who were doing a fair bit more than 20.

I often move slightly to one side to give cyclists/bikers more space. Had I done that today I would have hit one of the two.

[Francko]

I found that cycling is only about 10 times more dangerous than a driving a car per distance travelled

Isn't distance quite unfair? Shouldn't time be measured for a more accurate estimation?

[minestrone]

My brother nearly killed himself coming off a bike at 40 mph, landed face first on a pile of gravel just after the road had been relayed. Cut his face and hands to hell and spent a week in hospital where it was touch and go if they had to do skin grafts on his face and hands. Scars healed quite well after a couple of years.

To be honest I am not that keen on bikes since that and would resist my children having a bike.

[TimberWolf]

Isn't distance quite unfair? Shouldn't time be measured for a more accurate estimation?

Yeah, maybe. In terms of deaths per distance, the space shuttle starts looking good.

[VectraMan]

I've been going cycling virtually every day for the 2 weeks I've been on the bench in a bit of an effort to get less unfit, but I stick to the cycle paths through the park, and the minor and country roads. I wouldn't go near a major road.

It's the sitting duck nature of cycling that gets me. Cars and lorries probably are going to see you, and probably are going to avoid you (although often by not as much as you'd like), but you have no control over it. I'm not averse to doing risky things if I'm in control (I've driven the Nurburgring lots of times), but sitting there hoping today isn't your day to die doesn't appeal.

Pleanty of cyclists are idiots, it's fair to say, and worse they have a "holier than thou" attitude that they don't have to take any resposibility for their own safety because it's the car driver's fault.

[Shimano105]

Ah, Ken Kifer.

One of those really inspirational cyclists that make you just want to ride a bike for the sake of it. Up there with Sheldon.

Both dead now, but the freak nature of Ken's death somehow doesn't seem to put you off. After all, Fleety bit the dust in a car didn't he and none of us have hung up our keys as a result have we?

Is cycling dangerous? Probably. But it seems more dangerous when observed from a car. If you love it you can never stop.

[dang65]

My brother nearly killed himself coming off a bike at 40 mph, landed face first on a pile of gravel just after the road had been relayed. Cut his face and hands to hell and spent a week in hospital where it was touch and go if they had to do skin grafts on his face and hands. Scars healed quite well after a couple of years.

To be honest I am not that keen on bikes since that and would resist my children having a bike.

So, uh, how are you going to react the first time you witness a car accident? Or the first time a relative gets hit by a bus while crossing the road? I take it you will then resist your children having a car, or walking anywhere??

Very odd logic.

In fact, one of the main arguments against making cycling helmets compulsory is that they have the effect of putting people off cycling because they don't look cool. And the benefits of cycling far outweigh the risk of banging your head in an accident.

It does take a couple of years to get properly experienced as a cyclist out on the road, but once you've figured out the usual dangers you can predict most of them instinctively and pretty much eliminate risk, leaving you with just the totally unpredictable, which is so small a risk that it pretty much comes down to good or bad luck.

[dang65]

Plenty of cyclists are idiots, it's fair to say, and worse they have a "holier than thou" attitude that they don't have to take any resposibility for their own safety because it's the car driver's fault.

I seem to remember there was a safety campaign aimed at motorcyclists a couple of years ago which concentrated on educating them to look out for themselves, to be prepared for dangers and the actions of other road users.

The response was for bikers to get very wound up that something wasn't being done to educate the other drivers.

Everyone on the road - drivers, bikers, cyclists, pedestrians - should consider all other road users to be blind, insane, drunk, incompetant, drugged up, half asleep and completely untrained. Then you stand some chance of defending yourself against them. Putting faith in the law and other road users is a suicidal policy.