doing a project of cycling safety,need your help and opinion

cash77

hey there, im doing a project on cycling safety and as a end result come up with a cycling product to make aware that cyclists are been seen in dangerous areas.
im in the first stages of researching and i need you guys help and opinions to get me started.
i need to know when is the most dangerous time for you a cyclist to be when cycling on the road with cars??
i heard its when a car is overtaking you?
would be excellent if you can give my your views and experiences as well

hope to hear from many of you

thanks

Bikerbaboon

People oppinions are not great data for a project as i may have hit a dead squirrel on my way to work this morning and now vew dead squirrels as the worlds most lethal thing for a man on a bike.

I would recommend havening a look at accident stats as they will give you a better view of whats causing the crashes.


give you a bit of advice dont ask if helmets work :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

cash77

Bikerbaboon wrote:

People oppinions are not great data for a project as i may have hit a dead squirrel on my way to work this morning and now vew dead squirrels as the worlds most lethal thing for a man on a bike.

I would recommend havening a look at accident stats as they will give you a better view of whats causing the crashes.


give you a bit of advice dont ask if helmets work :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

lol i know this is a bit more technical project for a univercity i dont think i can hand in my work about squrrels lol iv looked at stats yeh they give me good data but research, getting first hand research and hearing from the people is very important.

i just need to know what cyclists views on cars, and do you think they take over you too close? do they cut you off? ect stuff like that your experience with cars.

and i know the debate about helmets too..i dont wana get into that! lol

whyamihere

Take a look in the commuting forum, especially the rants sticky. Lots of people venting their frustrations about drivers...

cash77

whyamihere wrote:

Take a look in the commuting forum, especially the rants sticky. Lots of people venting their frustrations about drivers...

thanks for the info

dsmiff

I don't cycle in City's but on busy(ish) semi rural roads so I may have different issues.

Other than the usual cars not giving enough room, my biggest worry is cars waiting to pull out of junctions and when I am turning right on a roundabout. I always try to make eye contact with the car drivers in case they have not seen me.

A couple of friends have been hit by cars turning left in front of them - I don’t think the car driver always understands that a bike can not stop as quick as a car and they think once they have overtaken a bike it is no longer there!

I don’t think the later is about visibility it is more to do with driver education. For example on my ride home car drivers will give me plenty of room until a car is coming is the opposite direction, in which case they still overtake but don’t give me any room.

Perhaps some form of rocket launcher to fit the front of the bike – Might make the driver think twice if he knew we could retaliate!!!!

Hope that helps???

1892

Dangerous places for cyclist are junctions, when being overtaking.
If you could arrange for car drivers to spend a day cycling in busy traffic then their driving might improve.

fuzzynavel

1892 wrote:

Dangerous places for cyclist are junctions, when being overtaking.
If you could arrange for car drivers to spend a day cycling in busy traffic then their driving might improve.

Good point. I think being a cyclist makes me a better, more aware town driver

BUICK

Got no problem with cars - drivers can be a bit of an issue! Wish that part of the driving test (particularly now there is a hazard perception test) dealt with treating cyclists with respect and being aware of the damage that carelessness can cause

Beeblebrox

I cycle some part of my commute on semi rural A road (so few junctions) and generally find that people give enough distance to 'feel' safe - although that may just be getting used to it.

So I would agree junctions are far more of a concern, especially as I have a large roundabout to contend with (approx 150m dia) and a convoluted half roundabout thing combined with a higher speed road which I just have to pavement hop to avoid entirely*. Roundabouts are also the place I have had my nearest misses - I suspect because people are looking slightly back over their shoulders and don't see. Although I swear one guy just didn't realise I was moving as fast as the cars can go and thought he had more time.

Also, someone elaborate on pinch points




* I justify this further as my place of work is a few metres after roundabout and going through the danger of the horrendously designed thing - which is a pain as a motorist let alone a cyclist - just isn't worth it.

FSR_XC

For me I have a few concerns about traffic when riding.

1. I ride a lot of country lanes with high hedges. Cars never imagine a cyclist could be around the next corner, so are very happy to drive as close to the inside of the bend as they can. Strangely, if they took an advanced driving course, they would be taught a qucker & safer way to get around corners.
2. Drivers seen to have no perception of speed. Obviously cyclists never travel above 10mph. Drivers have always got time to pull out of a side junction or once they have overtaken, it's ok to slam on the brakes. I mean a cycle travelling 25mph + should be able to avoid these situations and if they can't, it's their fault for going so fast.
3. On country roads (and in many towns too) the side of the road is full of potholes & things you need to avoid. Drivers never consider this. If they can get past without your elbow or pedal scratching their vehicle, they will.

A good majority of the drivers I come across on my normal commute are good. The more cyclists are seen on the roads, the more notice drivers will take. They will be expecting to see them. I think that is one of the advantages of me commuting the same route regularly - I see the same cars each day & they are expecting to see me.

I have had a few 'nearly moments' in the last few months though.

Cars overtaking then breaking hard in front of me. I had an Audi desperate to overtake me - I then slipstreamed him for a mile before passing him in traffic. Had a lorry pass me (I was doing 35mph and accelerating) then brake for the the bend 50 yds ahead. I've felt the draft of a car / van against my elbow. Had a van pull out from the right and nearly wedge me between him & the stone wall (this was during a race, complete with marshalls & beware of cyclist signs). I only needed to give the van a little tap to make him aware he was just about to kill me.

cash77

great response from you guys many thanks.
working on this project and coming up with ideas for safety for cyclists, if there was a product to make aware of you cyclist when cars are overtaking you or near you, would you buy it? or it would there be too much safety equipment already as you already got lights, helmets, hi vis jackets ect and maybe would like to see a product in a car so warn them of cyclists?

chuckcork

cash77 wrote:

great response from you guys many thanks.
working on this project and coming up with ideas for safety for cyclists, if there was a product to make aware of you cyclist when cars are overtaking you or near you, would you buy it? or it would there be too much safety equipment already as you already got lights, helmets, hi vis jackets ect and maybe would like to see a product in a car so warn them of cyclists?

Cyclists don't need any extra safety equipment, the amount that drivers seem to expect we are able to carry on a pedal cycle to remove them via their lawyers of responsibility for their conduct is already ridiculous.

As for warning of cyclists, I think each car should come with a warning label. It could state "product must be used only while awake with eyes open and all traffic laws should be obyed, including all those ones that you don't like, disagree with, slow you down, or are less than fun to comply with. Failure to use while awake with eyes open etc may result in death or injury to someone else, or possibly even you, in which case you will have some explaining to do, if not to the Police then at the Pearly Gates"

Driver education is the only way, though I would argue that allowing as a defence for smashing in a drivers windows and then given them a beating after they've almost killed you, might have some effect on the mindset too. Unlikely to be useful in my case, most of the roads I cycle along are 100kph+ (the plus is not obligatory, though for some seems mandatory)

CanterburyTailwind

Hi Cash77

It sounds from your post that you've not been out cycling recently...I know researchers are meant to be objective, but it might be a good way of getting a sense of what it's like for cyclists on Britain's roads, the issues involved, and if (as you suppose) cars overtaking are a big problem...

...just a thought...

James1823

Does increasing driver respect for cyclists count as a 'product'? Cyclists have got all the gadgets they could ever possibly need - whoever set you this task has got a cruel streak.

The most dangerous moment for a cyclist is whenever a nut decides to drive past and throw objects at you through the passenger window.

robmanic1

Perhaps some form of metal shell and four wheels would make the roads a safer place for us?

dsmiff

What about a small steel ball that sticks out about 1m from the side of a bike on a telescopic arm. If a car gets too close it smashes his (her?) windscreen and when we want to nip through a small gap, we can pull it back in.

Can't see any problem with it really, still prefer the rocket laucher idea.

Seriously though most car drivers do see us (and there are plent of high vis items on the market), they just make the choice not to give a bike the room it needs.

1892

I think it's about time a mag gave stickers away saying "GIVE ROOM TO CYCLISTS YOU KNOB" :shock: after all horsey people have them for horses, most knobhead drivers drive to close to the car in front so they would be able to read them.
You could also have machine guns mounted to your forks so when somebody cuts you up, you give them a quick blast on the machine gun, for people who drive too close how about a flame thrower.
We can dream can't we

STEFANOS4784

FSR_XC wrote:

For me I have a few concerns about traffic when riding.


I had an Audi desperate to overtake me - I then slipstreamed him for a mile before passing him in traffic.
Had a lorry pass me (I was doing 35mph and accelerating) then brake for the the bend 50 yds ahead.
I've felt the draft of a car / van against my elbow.
Had a van pull out from the right and nearly wedge me between him & the stone wall (this was during a race, complete with marshalls & beware of cyclist signs). I only needed to give the van a little tap to make him aware he was just about to kill me.[/list]

I agree with this, a car desperate to tease past even though i'm travelling the same or similar speed to the traffic can be both very scary and very rage inducing!

MarjMJ

CanterburyTailwind wrote:

said Hi Cash77

It sounds from your post that you've not been out cycling recently...I know researchers are meant to be objective, but it might be a good way of getting a sense of what it's like for cyclists on Britain's roads, the issues involved, and if (as you suppose) cars overtaking are a big problem...

...just a thought...

Have you looked at the current highway code too?