Cycling is one of the most relaxed things I do during my day.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!
Cycling is risky
(44 posts)-
Posted 12 years ago #
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Hmm, changing a couple of words above gives;
"Driving is not dangerous, in that it rarely poses a real (as opposed to psychological/territorial) threat to others (though many non-drivers percieve 'fast' drivers to be a danger to others, close passes, etc.). "
Would we agree with that?
Posted 12 years ago # -
I would. If you look at any of the data, it's true.
Posted 12 years ago # -
"Driving is not dangerous, in that it rarely poses a real (as opposed to psychological/territorial) threat to others..."
"If you look at any of the data, it's true.
"So if it's not dangerous, how come apparently according to numbers quoted previously on this forum between 1998 and 2008, 425 people were killed on the roads in Lothian and Borders (sorry can't remember the source).
How many people have to be killed and maimed before it is classified as "dangerous"?Posted 12 years ago # -
"How many people have to be killed and maimed before it is classified as "dangerous"?"
By that reckoning cycling must be risky?
Posted 12 years ago # -
I in general find that the cycling I do every day is the most relaxing part of my day - SINCE - I stopped trying to race everyone all the time. That is part of my journey through the various stages of Cycling maturity.
Posted 12 years ago # -
"SINCE - I stopped trying to race everyone all the time"
I think this is particularly true (for some people) at commute time.
I have always considered that I am racing the traffic - keeping up with it, if possible, as it's generally safer - but more in the sense of being quicker point to point.
This notion was easier before there were quite so many bikes on the streets of Edinburgh!
No doubt I'll be accused of ageist genderist stereotyping, but I think all this applies (more) to young(ish) males...
Posted 12 years ago # -
Cycling is risky, being a pedestrian is risky, being a motorist is risky, all for the fact that you are mixing media of transport, who go at different speeds, and have different levels of vulnerability. Peds and cyclists are more at risk from large objects, weighing tons possibly, which are going fast(er) and should they hit you being one of the former you are likely to come off the worse(t). However @chdot as you so rightly state your environment is in a state of flux and constantly shifting and changing as a cyclist at a faster pace than a pedestrian, and you can have a catastrophic mechanical failure just to add to that equation. Things you can do to ensure that you are safer is to regularly check you bike (the "M" check done very regularly), fix things that need fixing or replace worn components/parts that may fail (all identifiable if you do your regular bike check)and don't leave it if there is a problem. Be alert and looking ahead in traffic and try to second-guess what someone might do, i.e. pedestrian step off/fall off kerb, doors opening by looking to see if people are in parked vehicles etc. All things @chdot suggested. Try to avoid really awful roads if you know they are bad and that the surfaces are absolutely lethal (like outside EBC and Gillespie's - has this been reported do you think because I rate this as possibly one of THE worst stretches of road in Edinburgh) on Whitehouse Loan. Be happy to impart your knowledge of such things to others if they are receptive, we can all learn from one another.
Posted 12 years ago # -
I took out a "returner" last weekend on her bike...you do not realise, if you are a regular cyclist, just how hard it is, having a certain level of fitness. She struggled and had to get off on the first incline (uphill), as well as being a bit frightened going downhill and on the brakes constantly, let alone taking hands off handlebars to indicate. This was without taking her out on the road to get to cyclepaths. She was also inclined to hang onto the handlebars like grim death and was complaining of sore wrists after only a short time out on the bike. Plus the bike was from a large automotive/bike supplier, whose staff are not reknown for knowing how to set up a bike properly, and I would suggest that the bike was also rather heavy it being a hybrid with suspension, all making cycling rather harder than absolutely necessary...She was also inclined to hug the pavement/gutter and this was probably the hardest thing for her to stop doing, simply because she was afraid of traffic/cars, and was worried about the drivers getting annoyed. One particular car driver we encountered was a classic believer in cyclists belong in the gutter, tooting at us, and waving for us to move over, indicating we were taking up too much of the road, riding two abreast, in her opinion, we were turning left and she went right...she would not have done the same to a learner driver I don't think...perhaps returners/beginner cyclists should wear L-plates and a P-plate when they have done some cycle training!!
Posted 12 years ago # -
In Scotland the rate of drivers being killed or seriously injured, in 2010, was 0.03 per million vehicle kilometres. One death or serious injury every 33.4 million kilometres. That tells you about the risk to drivers, which I accept isn't the same as "it rarely poses a real threat to others" but it's very low. Even if I included all the cyclists and pedestrians killed or seriously injured into the calculation, assuming them to have been involved with a car, the total risk would be 0.05 per million vehicle kilometres. One death or serious injury every 20 million kilometres.
Of course, even though an event is rare among participants, if the participation rate is high and the accumulated exposure is high there might still be a large absolute number of events.
I'm not saying that the risk is low enough and I don't forget that each death and serious injury statistic is a real person but still, low risk.
Posted 12 years ago # -
But what do you usually do during the day which carries a greater risk?
Posted 12 years ago # -
Stay in bed?
Posted 12 years ago # -
I took out a "returner" last weekend on her bike...you do not realise, if you are a regular cyclist, just how hard it is, having a certain level of fitness.
Although "Ride like your Gran" day sounds tongue-in-cheek, of course it has quite a genuine and powerful message. Everyone should try riding with a speed cap of 10mph to help understand why normal people struggle to ride in town and get put off so easily.
There are places I wouldn't ride if I wasn't a thrusting young thing, cycling city or not.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Stiltskin, if you really want to know, visit Understanding Uncertainty.
Your homework is estimate Instography's age if Instography's risk of staying in bed is higher than travelling 100mi in a car.
You'll also notice that the risk of travelling 100mi on a bike is lower than walking that far but 10x the risk in a car.
Caveat: These are the risks associated with a given activity and do not take account of other factors such as health-through-fitness etc.
Posted 12 years ago #
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