Perspective on Cycling Safety

[Mr. Bloom]

latelate, you're right. We can't control WHAT HAPPENS, but we can INFLUENCE OUR ODDS.

Tonight, I had a late night at the office, leaving in the dark, 45 minutes after sunset.

At a congested intersection near campus, I saw a student, in full cycling regalia, even clipped in...without a single reflective fiber on his bike or his body. Can we say DARWIN AWARD CANDIDATE???

If we have a burglar alarm in our house, we tend to feel safer. Are we safer? NO! A stupid criminal could still rob us...but we've made ourselves a harder target by having the alarm. Likewise, in cycling, can bad things happen? YEP! But, we improve our odds greatly if we have CLASS:

• Courteous
• Lawful
• Alert
• Smart
• Sane

Good for you for getting back on the bike! After Silver's wreck last year, while she was still in the hospital, I bought her new Madone to show that I support her continued cycling, but also so she's have some motivation to get back on the bike!

[Melalvai]

We may be asking the wrong question. It's not about how many die on the bike or in the car. What about health benefits? I believe every time you get on a bike instead of in a car you increase the odds of experiencing quality life (independent of injury risk):
1. The health benefit will increase your lifespan and the quality of those years
2. It is just so much more darn fun to be travelling on a bike than in a car.

Of course #2 will only happen if we feel safe on the bike and that has a lot to do with how many people die on a bike or in a car, or how many of each we know personally. I personally know 5 people who have died in separate car accidents, all of them tragically young...9 yrs old...13...18...19...21.

[MomOnBike]

I've been thinking about this thread for a while. Thank you, Mr. Silver for starting it.

First, where I'm coming from. I work in a rehab hospital and ride a bike (duh!).

I have noticed that at any time there area multiple people on "my" units that have been severely injured by a car. Not all, by any amount of means, but a bunch. There was a particular period when Younger Daughter was starting driving that there were 4 rooms on one hall with teen driving victims.

In addition to the auto injuries, we also get our share of heart problems, diabetes, renal failure and lung disease, among other problems. The stroke victims go to other units. A good number of these problems are lifestyle induced. I've yet to talk to one of these people who are active athletes.

In the six years I've worked there, I know of exactly one person in the whole hospital who was injured on his bike.

Now, I know that the plural of anecdote is not data, but gee, it seems as though bikes are a pretty safe lifestyle. (Note that I didn't say perfect. If people do it, there will be disasters. File this under Sad but True)

One other thing. This group keeps its members informed of cycling deaths and disasters pretty much world wide - as do other online cycling groups. It can look pretty scary, but do we inform each other of random strangers killed by cars? Or heart attacks? Or, well, 'most anything else?

So ride like you're invisible, don't do things that defy the laws of physics, wear your helmet, keep the rubber side down, and know that as long as you are actively cycling, running, walking, kayaking, Moving Your Body, fer the love of Pete! you will be less likely to have a Total Hospital Experience - which is No Fun. But don't let an idiot driver in, say, Perth keep you from riding in, say, Minnesota.

Don't let yourself be ruled by fear.

Oh, and stay out of the way of cars. Seriously.

/lecture.

Thank you, I feel much better now.

[OakLeaf]

I read recently that after many years of slow but steady decline in deaths of motorcycle riders in bike/vs/car accidents, these past two years have shown a sudden alarming leap in deaths for motorcycle riders. The only guess they have so far is the sudden proliferation of car drivers talking on cell phones...

There's no comparison between bicycle accidents and motorcycles, except in one aspect: Most if not all of the jump in motorcyclist deaths has to do with repeal of helmet laws in several states.

I have no interest in discussing helmet laws. Zero. Don't start. Suffice it to say that I am alive right now because of a bicycle helmet I was wearing at 21 mph twenty years ago.

If the statistic is true that someone posted that more bicyclists are wearing helmets, that's a great thing. But the opposite trend is true of motorcyclists, and *that* is what accounts for the increase in deaths. Unlike a bicycle, a motorcycle has big rear view mirrors and much more power than a car - it also has more maneuverability than a car. Unlike a bicycle, a motorcyclist *always* has the last clear chance to avoid a crash with a car, no matter whose legal fault the initial problem might have been.

Incidentally, most present-day motorcycle fatalities are also single-bike accidents.

There's no excuse for not paying attention *whatever* your mode of transportation. Recently a pedestrian was killed in my area, running at night with her back to traffic and an iPod jammed in her ear. I cringe every time I see a bicyclist with earbuds in. But motorcycle wrecks have no place in a discussion of bicycle wrecks.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

There's no excuse for not paying attention *whatever* your mode of transportation. Recently a pedestrian was killed in my area, running at night with her back to traffic and an iPod jammed in her ear. I cringe every time I see a bicyclist with earbuds in. But motorcycle wrecks have no place in a discussion of bicycle wrecks.

Well, if we are talking about car accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents.....why the heck aren't we "allowed" to talk about motorcycle accidents as well?? They are all related in various convoluted ways, though they may have varied causes. Discussions here are open to many ideas.
I imagine more motorcyclists are now wearing iPod buds too, just like joggers and bicyclists do. More car drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, (and maybe motorcyclists too?) are talking on cell phones as they move in traffic. In fact, Manhattan was going to make it against the law for pedestrians to walk across the street while talking on a cell phone. (have they actually passed that law yet?) That would be interesting, as every 8th person walking down the street in manhattan seems to be talking on their cell phone these days. I see teenagers talking on cell phones while weaving through traffic one-handed on their bicycles all the time....with no helmets either.

[Grog]

I also don't see why all of a sudden there would be a policing of acceptable and non-acceptable topics to discuss. One can find another posters' words offensive (which doesn't seem to be the case here), but saying that entire topics should not be discussed?

Besides, cyclists and motorcyclists have in common that they're a lot less visible than cars on the roadway.

[mimitabby]

Unlike a bicycle, a motorcyclist *always* has the last clear chance to avoid a crash with a car, no matter whose legal fault the initial problem might have been.
.

sorry, i don't understand what you are saying here???

[mimitabby]

Besides, cyclists and motorcyclists have in common that they're a lot less visible than cars on the roadway.

and they are both exposed completely and go down the road on two (usually) wheels.

[tygab]

Here is an interesting link to consider:

http://www.nsc.org/lrs/statinfo/odds_dying.jpg

<ramblings>
I am interested in risk analysis (I am in network security so I think about this topic a lot), and recently have been reading a great deal on how humans are poorly equipped to assess risk. We greatly exaggerate the unusual or unknown types of risks in our minds, while underestimating the risks with events that are far more likely to happen, for example death by heart failure, cancer, or as a passenger/driver in a car. Given the scale of those risks, I will hedge that as a cyclist who is exercising and eating well, I am doing more to combat or defer the outcome of the first two or three categories than risking my life! And we all should be pressuring auto manufacturers or our local gov for safer cars and transit ways, as car drivers, passengers, pedestrians AND cyclists [if you are never a car driver or passenger, more power to you but most of us mix and match in these categories].

I think the cycling deaths strike so close to home for us because most of us fear the end - we fear we will not have gotten to do or be everything we wanted, we fear how it will happen. I know at times I do. And we relate to the cyclist killed. So we imagine, this could be me! every time there is a new report on the board of a serious cyclist killed, and come to the conclusion cycling is very risky.

A little girl in our area (12 years old) was killed just days ago on her bicycle by a utility company truck. If I were to publish that here as another vehicle versus bicycling accident, would we relate to it the same way? I don't think so. Some here might relate to it more adversely, thinking perhaps of their own kids, while others might not react as much since the image of a child riding her bicycle down a residential street doesn't so much map with our images of ourselves as adult cyclists out on a ride.

The only way, I think, to combat my fear of a life interrupted prematurely by any kind of death is by living it fully if not daily, then over the weeks, months, and years that I have. Cycling is definitely fulfilling, and I'm not going to give that up.

Plus, I still do strongly believe the more cyclists there are, the more drivers will learn to coexist with us.

So, basically +1 to many of the sentiments already here!

[DDH]

Well, all I can say is, I try to be safe in every circumstance but nobody, including myself is perfect and I make mistakes. I was driving the other day and had plenty of room between me and the truck in front of me, under what would be ideal circumstances but it had started raining that morning and the roads were wet. I looked down for what I thought was just a second and looked up to see Red Brake lights, I hit the brakes and skid and just barely, by inches missed him, but to close for comfort for sure.
I ride my bike, I wear my helmet, I take a light should it get dark, I have water for hydration, a snack should I decide I need something quick to eat, I even carry a little first aid kit with bandaides and such. Well, sometimes my neck starts to get sore so I will try to stretch my neck by bending it down and then around, and once went a little squirrley on the road, thank goodness a car wasn't coming down the road at the time.
Point is, we aren't always and cannot always be on our guard 24/7.
I don't borrow trouble if I can help it, but I learn from these mistakes, given another chance. and try do better the next time out only to find that some days I make different small mistakes which can always be costly.
Now I'm not saying I make a mistake daily to learn from, I just remember it when I do and log it in my brain for quick retrieval in the future.
I sound like an accident waiting to happen huh? LOL
Really I would be safe to ride with.

[Tuckervill]

:::Standing O!:::

I've been thinking about this thread for a while. Thank you, Mr. Silver for starting it.

First, where I'm coming from. I work in a rehab hospital and ride a bike (duh!).

I have noticed that at any time there area multiple people on "my" units that have been severely injured by a car. Not all, by any amount of means, but a bunch. There was a particular period when Younger Daughter was starting driving that there were 4 rooms on one hall with teen driving victims.

In addition to the auto injuries, we also get our share of heart problems, diabetes, renal failure and lung disease, among other problems. The stroke victims go to other units. A good number of these problems are lifestyle induced. I've yet to talk to one of these people who are active athletes.

In the six years I've worked there, I know of exactly one person in the whole hospital who was injured on his bike.

Now, I know that the plural of anecdote is not data, but gee, it seems as though bikes are a pretty safe lifestyle. (Note that I didn't say perfect. If people do it, there will be disasters. File this under Sad but True)

One other thing. This group keeps its members informed of cycling deaths and disasters pretty much world wide - as do other online cycling groups. It can look pretty scary, but do we inform each other of random strangers killed by cars? Or heart attacks? Or, well, 'most anything else?

So ride like you're invisible, don't do things that defy the laws of physics, wear your helmet, keep the rubber side down, and know that as long as you are actively cycling, running, walking, kayaking, Moving Your Body, fer the love of Pete! you will be less likely to have a Total Hospital Experience - which is No Fun. But don't let an idiot driver in, say, Perth keep you from riding in, say, Minnesota.

Don't let yourself be ruled by fear.

Oh, and stay out of the way of cars. Seriously.

/lecture.

Thank you, I feel much better now.

[OakLeaf]

Okay, obviously I phrased something wrong. I didn't mean to get on anybody's case or say that certain things "shouldn't" be talked about - what I meant is they aren't relevant. Talk about whatever you want. But I bet the person who posted the comment I replied to knows what I'm talking about, since they're obviously a motorcyclist too.

Re: "last clear chance," that's an old-fashioned legal term, but I meant it in a common usage sense. On a motorcycle, if you crash, it is ALWAYS your responsibility. You ALWAYS could have avoided it, no matter WHAT some car driver might or might not have done. (Sure there are exceptions, meteorites falling from the sky, pianos dropped out of skyscraper windows, things no one could possibly anticipate, but they're extremely rare.) On a much less powerful bicycle, that's not always the case. You're traveling much slower than (for example) the car that's turning left in front of you. You didn't necessarily have the option to not enter the intersection until they'd done whatever they were going to do - you may already have been in the intersection before they approached - and you definitely can't goose the throttle and go around them to the outside.

Other than the fact that we don't have a protective cage around us and we need to put a foot down when we stop (and we lean the *correct* way going around a turn) bicyclists and motorcyclists really don't have that much in common. (In a civilized country, I would have my velo and my moto, and nobody would be confused by them both being called "bike." ) Anybody who's crashed both motorcycles and bicycles (raising own hand wildly) can tell you that the dynamics are completely different. Bicycles throw you down to the ground, hard. Motorcycles do that (albeit in a different way) when you highside, but the much more common lowsides and impacts throw you in the direction of travel, and then the issue is mainly whether or not you hit anything solid in your path. And despite the fact that we wear protective gear on the same parts of our bodies (other than back protectors and earplugs, and let me tell you it took me a long time to get used to not putting in earplugs when I get on a bicycle), our gear just really gets subjected to different kinds of stresses and impacts. Honestly? Although I do neither, I would much rather ride a motorcycle without a helmet than a bicycle, precisely because when you crash a bicycle, it throws you down on your head, hard, whereas on a motorcycle you're much more likely to slide out on some less critical part.

When you're talking about fatalities, motorcycle fatalities in the present day are usually the result of somebody missing a turn and flying off the road, all by themselves. Bicycle accidents are unlikely to be fatal unless there's a car involved.

Mainly, I just got my back up about the comment that motorcycle fatalities are up because of car drivers' cell phone use. That stinks of ABATE sophistry and it is just plain not true. If bicycle fatalities are down, that's great, but we're on the same roads with the same phone-addicted SUV soccer moms, and somehow, we're surviving it when the motorcyclists aren't. /Soapbox off.

[Mr. Bloom]

In the six years I've worked there, I know of exactly one person in the whole hospital who was injured on his bike.

Don't let yourself be ruled by fear.

Here!!!! Here!!! That's outstanding!

Here is an interesting link to consider:

http://www.nsc.org/lrs/statinfo/odds_dying.jpg

<ramblings>
I am interested in risk analysis

Ty, that's an oustanding chart! Let me offer an example of what a difference perspective makes:

Among other things, I'm responsible for Risk Management for a bank.

In general, a bank will have losses...for a well run bank, those losses are about .2%/year (not 2%, .2%!). In other words, we are right 99.98% of the time.

If that kind of accuracy doesn't give you a sense of invincibility, nothing would!!

So, why do we always look at the .2% and ask ourselves why we didn't do better????? Hmmm...

[OakLeaf]

Okay, sometimes it's hard for me to stop when I'm talking about safety...

on a motorcycle, visibility has Nothing To Do With It. On a bicycle, visibility is Very Important.

There's a large segment of soccer moms who literally wouldn't see a semi before they turn left in front of it. They do, and when that happens, *they're* the ones who die, and nobody gets to hear the sob story about how they didn't see the semi. It's just a convenient excuse when the vehicle you flatten is smaller than your own. On motorcycles, we have a saying that the 10% of car drivers who can see you are AIMING FOR YOU. Go back to what I said about "last clear chance."

On a bicycle, you're occupying the same lane as motor vehicles, and maybe you're going as fast as they are, but more likely (depending on the road and your fitness level) you're doing 15-35% of their speed. They *need* to see you in order to give you room. On a motorcycle, nobody should be giving you room, you should be going *faster* than the car traffic.

Bottom line, it's really, completely, different.

[smilingcat]

Here!!!! Here!!! That's outstanding!



Ty, that's an oustanding chart! Let me offer an example of what a difference perspective makes:

Among other things, I'm responsible for Risk Management for a bank.

In general, a bank will have losses...for a well run bank, those losses are about .2%/year (not 2%, .2%!). In other words, we are right 99.98% of the time.

If that kind of accuracy doesn't give you a sense of invincibility, nothing would!!

So, why do we always look at the .2% and ask ourselves why we didn't do better????? Hmmm...

The last 0.2%/yr... perhaps its the law of diminishing return? Sometimes, this is seen as evil e.g. car's can be built so you can survive a 200MPH crash. race cars do it. but a regular car, you don't have a chance. It's matter of how much effort we want to put in. It's money thing

And yes I also liked the chart. Just one thing though. Legal execution at 1 in 60,000? is sad...

back to bike safety:

If you didn't get enough sleep, don't ride.
If you are really exhausted don't start a ride.
If you need to take a phone call, STOP!!

and all the other usual rules.

Lack of sleep was a major factor in serious wrecks I've seen firsthand. My riding partner drifted and crashed into a back of parked truck with camper. We had increased our speed to around 24MPH when it happened. destroyed his frame and broke his nose.

Another was my serious wreck. I sort of remember not having had enough sleep the night before.

and on and on...

The three rules I just posted are often ignored or not listed. And it is so important to be alert when you are on your bike.

Be safe,
Smilingcat