CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Cycling News
BBC How safe is cycling?
(18 posts)-
Posted 10 years ago #
-
No mention of correlating mortality and morbidity with cycle use. Big Dutch meta-study that I keep losing demonstrated clearly that both are reduced by almost any amount of cycling;
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2920084/
Concentrating on accidents and ignoring strokes, suicide and heart attacks amongst drivists is odd, very odd.
Posted 10 years ago # -
It is at this point I look at the statistic which demonstrates how much longer average life expectancy is in Holland & Denmark ;-)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_life_expectancyPosted 10 years ago # -
Loving the language here.
It's worth bearing in mind that the statistics show they need to be extra careful around heavy goods vehicles.
HGVists definitely don't need to be careful.
Posted 10 years ago # -
I saw a peice on the Breakfast New this morning. They put half a dozen HGV drivtrs on bikes to show them the cyclists view of the road. They all rode along with flimsy yellow highviz vests and without helmets. Given how much emphasys the news gave Chris Bordman's defence of his personal choice on yesterdays peice, over the actual content of his peice, I wonder if the helmet brigade are mounting their high horses?
Posted 10 years ago # -
Another delightful piece that claims to weight up all the pros and cons of PPE for cyclists. And then ends by telling us to wear everything available "just in case" and aw rat.
Posted 10 years ago # -
The politically correct view eh? Cover all bases! Much like the mass of signage which has sprung up all over the UK's roads which funnily enough is coming full circle with a lot of 'decluttering' to make driving simpler*.
* apparently.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Saw the piece on this on breakfast just now. They were talking about what could be done to get more people cycle and had a bit prerecorded about more safety gear they hadn't mentioned yet (green laser etc)
Then they cut to some people riding around outside the studio getting cycle training to give them more confidence. Then when they went back to the studio, they had a bit reminding people of the abovementioned safety gear wearing article as, despite all the prompting, none of the cycle trainers they interviewed mentioned it. :-D
Posted 10 years ago # -
Oh, and a small child faceplanted on camera.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Without wishing to turn this into another debate on helmets, yesterday - by virtue of this stuff being on TV - a couple of colleagues were talking about my cycling to work - you know 'how brave I was' etc?
Then one of them asked where I stored my helmet - I showed my cycling cap which prompted comedy gasps 'you are not seriously telling me you cycle without a helmet' etc etc ad infinitum.
The other person - total non-cyclist - then piped up, 'Yeah, but helmets are only any use in very small collision'.
Had to leave, so dont know where THAT came from, but I wonder......is the message getting through that safety equipment is not the answer and only serves to confirm ill informed opinion as 'fact'.
Wonder what the effect would be on public perceptions if we were all given a (totally pointless) parachute on the steps of a commercial aircraft?
Posted 10 years ago # -
@Nelly - strangely I had a similar conversation the other day at work with a cyclist and a non-cyclist - the cyclist couldn't believe I didn't wear a helmet, but the non-cyclist believed wearing one was more likely to cause a neck injury. Neither were inclined to listen to my societal arguments… a bit frustrating.
Posted 10 years ago # -
@Nelly, your "colleagues" are just indulging in a bit of Othering: you Are Not One Of Them, so they feel entitled to mock you, even if gently.
Naturally, motorists or public transport users are beyond reproach in such a "discussion", as they are Normal, and you are NOT.
End of.
Posted 10 years ago # -
@crowriver
That doesn't sound like othering to me. Sounds more like the kind of gentle curiosity that leads us to make changes in our lives and ideas. You think X is good idea? Really? Tell me more...
Posted 10 years ago # -
Its a bit annoying though that focus on cycling safety is always put on the cyclist - must have high viz, helmet blah blah etc. When are they going to tackle the real issue though of dangerous and inconsiderate driving by a growing number that know they will get away with it.
Posted 10 years ago # -
@WICGF - that's Chris Boardman's point exactly. The focus shouldn't be on personal protective equipment, it should be on safe systems.
One thing I think is interesting from the discussion above is that two people have reported conversations where a non-cyclist says something along the lines of 'I understand that helmets aren't effective'. This is interesting, and is presumably a result of the BBC article that mentioned the limitations of helmets and appeared to do so in bold because it hyperlinked elsewhere.
It's striking how influential the right words in the right place can be.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Just you wait, Nelly - that'll be the next thing they implement here at work for cyclists. No walking your bike across the car park without wearing a helmet; they know drivers won't be looking when they drive around it, so the only safe option is helmets for those on foot with their bikes ;-)
Posted 10 years ago # -
That'll be fair if it's for pedestrians too (including those who have just parked their cars).
Posted 10 years ago # -
Mixed opinions on the BBC Breakfast cycling week,
Good that it was on.
Good the helmet was aired.
Disappointed that not more was done to dispell the "dangerous" tag.
Disappointed that not more was done to show the wider economic and health benefits of more cycle commuting.So next week they will be showing how to drive considerately...doubt it.
Posted 10 years ago #
Reply
You must log in to post.
posts
