Ineresting article on BBC News Website

Raymondavalon

I know many of us, myself included use our MTBs to commute.
There is a very interesting artilce on the BBC website ad to why women are more prone to accidents while cycling. It makes for very good reading for anyone who uses their bikes on the road.

Are women cyclists in more danger than men?

Hercule Q

so the more agressivly you ride the safer you are then :?

MacAndCheese

I have to agree slightly, You have to be so careful going down the left of traffic at lights, and if you do you have have to make damn sure you know what's going on around you at a left turn.

bomberesque

Hercule Q wrote:

so the more agressivly you ride the safer you are then :?

Actually, that just shows how wierdly skewed this article is. read through the nationwide stuff and you see that men are much more likely to get injured than women on a bike, there's just an anomoly when it comes to accidents involving HGVs in london, of which there are only 8 to judge from (7 of which involved women cyclists)


As for women being in relative danger, the skew in the article is interesting; on one hand we have 8 accidents, 7 of which involved women. This is odd, but far too small a sample to draw conclusions from. On the other hand we have nationwide stats that say 72% of journeys by bike are undertaken by men yet they account for 81% of injuries and 84% of fatalities. Which is the more convincing statistic? Yet the BBC choose the female angle to focus on. I don't mind either way, as it's an interesting article overall but it rather looks like scaremongering suggesting in the first couple of paragraphs that women are so much more likely to get killed on a bike, when this simply isn't true. It also definitely suggests in the text that being more aggressive will keep you out of trouble when the nationwide stats suggest the opposite

cheers fo the link though, a really interesting read and some very good objective advice. I can't believe how big he blind spots on a big HGV are (although I've always just sort of assumed that they can't see me and could care less if they could.

rhyko7

its a fact that men have better spacial awareness!
we have better idea of what is going on around us and are less distracted by the sales in the shop windows

thefartingcockeral

I have actually found that being behind women riders actually puts me as a man in more danger. This is usually because I enjoy looking at womens backsides on their bikes and not looking at the road, whether I am on my bike or in the car!

CycloRos

Interesting article but the idea women cyclists are in more danger seems exaggerated, and is just the slant the beeb is running with. As a cyclist who commutes everyday you do really have to be fully aware of what's going on around you at all times, and expect people to do stupid things, that way you're rarely surprised.

Riding confidently can help, but if some nut takes offense to you doing so then things can get nasty and chances are the cyclist comes off worse.

This is the main reason why I despise road riding for pleasure! The idea of going out for a ride for fun, sharing the experience with a load of tin boxes with morons behind the wheel sounds absolutely crazy to me! ...and is why I'm sticking to the trails

NormalD

thefartingcockeral wrote:

I have actually found that being behind women riders actually puts me as a man in more danger. This is usually because I enjoy looking at womens backsides on their bikes and not looking at the road, whether I am on my bike or in the car!

I also suffer form this. Do you think we can get a grant to do some research?

dave_hill

rhyko7 wrote:

its a fact that men have better spacial awareness!

Correct. Which is why they can't park cars or read maps. But apparently they make better fighter pilots than men do for some weird reason. Oh hang on, it's probably because there's more rear view mirrors in a fighter cockpit... :shock:

The Northern Monkey

Q. Are women cyclists in more danger than men?
A. Yes.

dave_hill

bigbenj_08 wrote:

Q. Are women cyclists in more danger than men?
A. Yes.

Are women cyclists in danger from men?

Whytepeak

I can well believe that, having seen my mum ride, and drive. :shock:

The Northern Monkey

dave_hill wrote:

bigbenj_08 wrote:

Q. Are women cyclists in more danger than men?
A. Yes.

Are women cyclists in danger from men?

Well........

sparrowlegs78

bigbenj_08 wrote:

dave_hill wrote:

bigbenj_08 wrote:

Q. Are women cyclists in more danger than men?
A. Yes.

Are women cyclists in danger from men?

Well........

I'm safe from men, my face protects me
Caz xxx

BoardinBob

From the article

Cyclists should never pass a lorry on its left side at a junction

How about instead

Cyclists should never pass a lorry at a junction

Full stop. End of story.

Advising them to pass on the right is just as bad as many lorries will swing right first when making a left turn

When I'm on the road I never attempt to get past a lorry. Quite content to sit behind them patiently.

Northwind

Hercule Q wrote:

so the more agressivly you ride the safer you are then :?

Sometimes. Same with motorbikes, being passive seems safer but it can leave you in worse situations, a more aggressive proactive approach means you have a little more control. The example they give is perfect. There's a balance of course, I'm not advocating being a psycho

rhyko7

BoardinBob wrote:

From the article

Cyclists should never pass a lorry on its left side at a junction

How about instead

Cyclists should never pass a lorry at a junction

Full stop. End of story.

Advising them to pass on the right is just as bad as many lorries will swing right first when making a left turn

When I'm on the road I never attempt to get past a lorry. Quite content to sit behind them patiently.

im quite confident i can beat a lorry off the line on my bike! if you cant i think there lies the problem :roll:

supersonic

I sit behind cars at junctions too. Anything. I get in line for my own safety. I indicate. Not agressive riding, but assertive. I can see everyone, everyone can see me and my intentions.

Cycle lanes at junctions can be dangerous. You ride up one to go straight on just as the lights change and the big bus turns left. You are undertaking effectively, and have probably not looked at their indicators. You get clouted by something turning left that is indicating, it is your fault.

skyd0g

supersonic wrote:

I sit behind cars at junctions too. Anything. I get in line for my own safety. I indicate. Not agressive riding, but assertive. I can see everyone, everyone can see me and my intentions.

Cycle lanes at junctions can be dangerous. You ride up one to go straight on just as the lights change and the big bus turns left. You are undertaking effectively, and have probably not looked at their indicators. You get clouted by something turning left that is indicating, it is your fault.

...that is if they've chosen "indicators" on the options list when they bought their car - apparently many haven't!

tlw1

Northwind wrote:

Hercule Q wrote:

so the more agressivly you ride the safer you are then :?

Sometimes. Same with motorbikes, being passive seems safer but it can leave you in worse situations, a more aggressive proactive approach means you have a little more control. The example they give is perfect. There's a balance of course, I'm not advocating being a psycho

+1

For me being aggressive means the drivers are too busy shouting at me to drive into me!

The Spiderman

I actually find riding assertively helps a great deal.I position myslef away from the kerb so I`m not riding over manhole coves,being out nearer the middle helps when coming to road islands,as cars stay behind you rather than forcing their way past giving you little or no room

I think the most important thing about riding assertively is that you are clearly signalling your intentions to drivers,rather than having them trying to second guess you.

Again,I think the term assertive is more appropriate than aggressive here.

supersonic

Just common sense really. The laws of the roads don't cover every single scenario. If he conditions get dangerous or I feel I am holding traffic up (like say on a long country road and no one can pass) I will indicate into the ppavement or side and let them pass.

ObscuraSky

Interesting article, but I'm unsure about the advice to pass stationary lorries on their right - especially when you want to turn left!. What happens if the lorry starts to pull away before you've completed the manoeuvre?

N0bodyOfTheGoat

My general road riding rules, which may well not work for others, include:-

Minimising use of pavements to shared lanes (or failing that, passive/freewheeling) Never passing slow moving vehicles in the small gap near the kerb Never overtaking anything bigger than a car unless I am sure I will get past before the next junction or lane filter Cautiously filtering between stationary cars Positioning myself more centrally in the lane ahead of squeeze spots; blind corners; bus lanes when I am going straight instead of turning left Holding my place in a traffic light queue, once I am confident of making in through on the next green phase Passing parked cars with at least 4 feet gap (in case of suicidal door openers, cars pulling out of obscured roads/driveways)