Increase in cyclist casualties, not great news

petemadoc

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/b ... ties-31271

IMO this is not a helmet wearing issue but is a serious stumbling block to getting more cyclists on the road. Many new cyclists don't feel safe on our roads, in fact I sometimes don't feel safe.

OffTheBackAdam

The article notes a fall in motorised traffic, so what's the rise in cyclists' injuries due to?
State of the roads?
The bad weather?
Increased number of cyclists? (ie rate per mile remains the same, but more miles covered)
Combination of the above?

Pross

There's been a huge increase in numbers cycling. Add to that a one year blip in a downward trend over quite a few years doesn't show anything really.

lifeform

The problem with that examination is that the cause data is usually only gathered from Police report on the accident, which is fairly generic - i.e. excessive speed, loss of concentration, weather conditions, etc.

There was a sharp rise in motorcycle KSIs some 15 years ago when middle-life-crisis born-again biking became popular. It was only when examining the stats for who was KSI'd, rather than why, did it become apparent what the cause was. In that case it was guys who'd had a bike licence for 20 years or more, but hadn't ridden since owning a 250cc two stroke in their teens, hopping on a 190bhp Fireblade and inevitably spearing it into the scenery.

petemadoc

In theory more cyclists should equal a drop in casualties per mile cycled.

How can statistics on miles cycled ever be gathered? Assuming cycling had gone up 20% then a 10% increase in casualties would be good news wouldn't it? If you can call it good, you know what I mean.

Pross

The stats are done by various interviews. A lot of new comers won't be riding great distances, maybe a few miles to work each day to save on petrol, so numbers on the road go up greater than the total mileage. The percentage of KSIs goes up in proportion to the numbers cycling but increases against the actual mileage as the newcomers have lowered that average. (Just an example of how it could work). The other explanation is that it is a blip in the total KSIs, it doesn't take much when you think there are about 100 cycling deaths a year.

pipipi

It would be good to also look at how many new bikes have been sold by Halfords etc. This would put the increase in accidents into a type of perspective.

Not sure how you'd work out how many bikes came out of sheds, and how many bikes got ebayed.


I just think that there are a lot more bikes out on the road at present. Cyclescheme and other things have been effective.

neilo23

An increase in new cyclists equates to an increase in people on the road who lack experience, confidence and cycling skills.

nwallace

The report even says the stats mean nothing as it doesn't consider total number of Km travelled or number of individual cyclists on the road.

Unlike motorised vehicles where odometer readings are recorded at MOT there is no way of collecting number of Kms cycled in the UK with any level of accuracy.

outcastjack

also worth noting that a drop in cars in a city means less conjestion and highers speeds

MountainMonster

Mostly just due to more people being on bikes, resulting in more accidents due to the given nature. Doesn't seem a surprise at all, with the way most UK drivers are in relation to cyclists.

rolf_f

Pross wrote:

The stats are done by various interviews. A lot of new comers won't be riding great distances, maybe a few miles to work each day to save on petrol, so numbers on the road go up greater than the total mileage. The percentage of KSIs goes up in proportion to the numbers cycling but increases against the actual mileage as the newcomers have lowered that average. (Just an example of how it could work). The other explanation is that it is a blip in the total KSIs, it doesn't take much when you think there are about 100 cycling deaths a year.

Exactly - the statement

The crucial figure required when looking at accident figures is the rate per unit of passenger travel (ie per mile or per km) – a figure not included in the latest government stats.

just indicates that the writer doesn't really understand stats (and probably that the DoT does which maybe why they didn't include what would possibly be a fairly easy number to generate).

Jehannum

I blame Wiggle.

;-)

dilemna

Jehannum wrote:

I blame Wiggle.

;-)

Seriously, it is dangerous out there. Drive defensively you are pretty safe; cycle defensively you are still just as vulnerable to speeding motons, WVM, motons driving dialing, motons eating and driving or those just being total inattentive morons. I only know from my experiece of several decades cycling facing the daily onslaught of near misses and wondering if it is today I am going to be killed. I have been kocked down a few times over the years, but twice seriously, before in january deciding enough is enough and hanging up my bike after I was rear ended by a chav who drove straight into the back of me sending me flying. i had a fullset of panniers on my bike stuffed with shopping so how the fecker didn't see me I don't know. But he didn't and still drove into me. The previous time I was knocked down on a roundabout by a speeding wonker. I don't really remember very much except screaming "My legs!! " as I turned my head to see the fecker driving his car stright at me. He wasn't stopping. I went flying across the roundabout.

If you ride 10-12k miles a year on the roads then sooner or later going you are going to get killed. I still have lots of things I want to do and being dead would be rather inconvenient.

So NO more cycle commuting on roads for me, only on dedicated cycle tracks, separate from traffic which is almost impossible in the UK, which then only really leaves cycling in Holland or off road trails in Wales or Scotland.

Sadoldsamurai

pipipi wrote:

It would be good to also look at how many new bikes have been sold by Halfords.

I know that some Halford's cycling mechanics are perhaps not great..but surely this is an allegation too far?
:roll:

MountainMonster

Sadoldsamurai wrote:

pipipi wrote:

It would be good to also look at how many new bikes have been sold by Halfords.

I know that some Halford's cycling mechanics are perhaps not great..but surely this is an allegation too far?
:roll:

I don't think the is referring to the mechanics, but rather the general population who arn't that interested in cycling, buy the cheapest bike they can find to save costs on petrol, and have no clue how to really cycle well in an urban environment and keep themselves safe. Super noobies as I like to call them.

petemadoc

dilemna wrote:

Jehannum wrote:

I blame Wiggle.

;-)

Seriously, it is dangerous out there. Drive defensively you are pretty safe; cycle defensively you are still just as vulnerable to speeding motons, WVM, motons driving dialing, motons eating and driving or those just being total inattentive morons. I only know from my experiece of several decades cycling facing the daily onslaught of near misses and wondering if it is today I am going to be killed. I have been kocked down a few times over the years, but twice seriously, before in january deciding enough is enough and hanging up my bike after I was rear ended by a chav who drove straight into the back of me sending me flying. i had a fullset of panniers on my bike stuffed with shopping so how the fecker didn't see me I don't know. But he didn't and still drove into me. The previous time I was knocked down on a roundabout by a speeding wonker. I don't really remember very much except screaming "My legs!! " as I turned my head to see the fecker driving his car stright at me. He wasn't stopping. I went flying across the roundabout.

If you ride 10-12k miles a year on the roads then sooner or later going you are going to get killed. I still have lots of things I want to do and being dead would be rather inconvenient.

So NO more cycle commuting on roads for me, only on dedicated cycle tracks, separate from traffic which is almost impossible in the UK, which then only really leaves cycling in Holland or off road trails in Wales or Scotland.

Yeah this is what worries me, the more you cycle the more chance of a serious accident.

It's the real to55ers that really get me angry, you know that ones that deliberately skim past you or shout abuse or beeb their horns aggressively. I've had some scally drive onto my side of the road pretending he's going to knock me down and swerving at the last minute, I've had a driver ram me with his trailer and wing mirror because I was riding two abrest, there's probably more but they stand out the most.