Whilst i type this and licking my wounds and walk by the aid of crutches from a car that driven into me
on the 8th of Dec in broad daylight
I thought just what are the actuals and not statistics of deaths on our roads
and wanted to share my findings with you.
Including one horrifying youtube clip from another country.

But 122 people died from cycling last year!

Safe Riding

122 Died last year

Is
it too dangerous to cycle

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbq32wrvc8U[/video]

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_HWw8ifZcY[/video]

Hope you’re recovering well and you’re back on the bike soon. I’ve been knocked off a couple of times, both in broad daylight by myopic idiots! Though it sounds like i got a bit luckier than you.

Is that 2nd clip a Critical Mass ‘Celebration of Cycling’? If so, I can understand the sentiment.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E86gWQs-ios[/video]

Humans are “designed” to notice immediate danger. Cycling looks like it must be dangerous but not cycling is worse – the risks are outweighed by the benefits.

You have to weigh up the small risk of being smeared across the road by a HGV against the larger risk of being so far you need a sponge on a stick to wipe your arse.

im certainly VERY cautious now when commuting and will go the hard way to avoid busy roads.

1 person i know is in induced coma from a bicycle road colision over xmas

another has just been forced to cancel a trip to austria for skiing due to being wiped out by a RLJ 4×4

and the mrs was passed by a cyclist who was then run over by an HGV tractor unit and pronounced dead at the scene.

all in the last 2 months.

doesnt mean ill stop, does mean i look like an Xmas tree.

Harsh Binners.. very harsh. 😯

Around 3500 suicides in the UK last year.. I think a few on here should be more worried about those figures.

“June 11 – Ian McNaughton, 72, from Argyl, suffered serious head injuries after a crash on the A38 at Buckover. He died in hospital 11 days later. Police are investigating the cause of the accident – it is not known what other vehicles may have been involved.”

June 11 was a very bad day for our family.

And be careful of other things too – 650 people a year die falling down the stairs, 200 people accidentally hang themselves, 200 people choke on their food. I am now very scared about pretty much everything!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/oct/28/mortality-statistics-causes-death-england-wales-2010

Swine flu? 142 people from swine flu? I thought swine flu had been wiped out decades ago. I remember James Herriot saying that.

Are the guardian calling James Herriot a liar?

I did actually think the figure would be higher than 122 deaths. In the grand scheme of things, and given the disdain we’re treated with by a lot of drivers, that doesn’t seem to excessive.

And I thought central London deaths would have been higher just through weight of numbers

But 122 people died from cycling last year!

And obesity is attributable to around 30,000 deaths a year in England.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/bike-blog/2012/nov/28/deadly-cycling-sitting-watching-tv

I did actually think the figure would be higher than 122 deaths. In the grand scheme of things, and given the disdain we’re treated with by a lot of drivers, that doesn’t seem to excessive.

Much more are injured though: I suspect the relatively low deaths are due to better impact safety features on cars and slower vehicle speeds through congested towns. And of course folk just not cycling on the road!

I hope you make a swift recovery!

I went on a shortish ride of about 8 miles on Sunday. All but the last couple of hundred yards are offroad. In that couple of hundred yards is a 30mph zone, I have to proceed along a busy road into a village and make a right turn.

Whilst safely moving across to the crown of the road an impatient aggressive speeding idiot decided not to allow me to make this manoeuvre without going right up my backside.

I moved from my path which was close to the kerb to the near the crown of the road. This happened well before the aggressive driver was anywhere near me and had he been travelling withing the speed limit, would not have caught up so quickly – if at all.

I was travelling at about 20mph and deliberately did not leave enough gap for the vehicle to squeeze between me and the kerb – the road is not wide enough. I perhaps might have considered pulling over and stopping by the kerb to wait for the occasional gap in the constant flow of traffic, but because the road isn’t really wide enough, I’d have caused a delay either way.

My manoouvre was safe and resonable given the speed limits and I have done this many times without incident, causing slight delay to the vehicle behind, just as one would if one was driving a car whilst turning right.

As I started to turn, twunt features accelerated hard (I clearly signalled my intention to turn right well in advance and took a couple of lifesavers). I estimate that he was less than 6 inches from my back wheel as he passed!

This sort of thing may not bother a lot of riders, but the fact is that the motorist showed zero concern for my safety, my life, nor any of my relatives, dependants etc!

I find this extremely bad attitude and disregard for life very commonplace these days and as a result, I never willingly ride on busy roads (hardly use my road bike ever, but now have a new bike carrier due for delivery and so this may change).

I think the people who ride in London are certifiable (apologies guys – the risk is really not worth it!). There is clearly a war going on between cyclists and motorists, judging by what I read, hear on the radio and TV..

The thing is that a cyclist has no protection. Being in a car with an aggressive motorist up your backside is bad enough, but when this happens on a bike, you really feel like teaching these people a lesson, but I don’t want my enjoyment ruined by loosing my rag over the bad behaviour of some dimwit lowlife! I also don’t want to get arrested for GBH and criminal damage, so I ride my bike off road as much as possible. I shouldn’t have to, but I value my life, mobility etc. I ride a bikes for recreation, not to get stressed out!

After about a million miles of motoring I avoid driving where I can (yeah, I’m also a car driver!!). There are too many over cautious and unduly slow drivers – especially when parking (mainly women – fact:- there has been a big increase in female drivers), traffic cameras, traffic lights, too much signage/street furniture, traffic calming, over zealous speed limits, parking control. Finally, the thing that frustrates me most are the people who can’t cope with the often pointless delays and when they loose their rag, or those who are perhaps just predisposed to being aggressive at the wheel.

Even the most experienced motorist finds it challenging to keep a lid on it at times, but in these difficult economic times and with younger drivers fuelled by testosterone, the public highway is a very dangerous place to be indeed!

a small number it maybe but when a number of them are folk you know it always hits home – statistically the chances of it being me next are higher than me dying of obesity for example…. there are mitigating steps i can take to minimise those risks – so i do.

I’m amazed at how low a number that actually is.

But behind every death there are generally 40-50 incidents involving hospital treatment, 2-300 no injury accidents for each one of those and around 1000 near miss situations.

I’ve started commuting on the bike from a different direction and amazingly I’ve noticed that riding through the middle of Leeds created fewer near miss situations than riding in from Harrogate.

Not quite sure why, but I suspect its down to people giving you more space if there is a cycle lane.

One thing in life is certain and that is that there will always be inconsiderate selfish oblivious idiots.

And many of these will own cars, and drive them like inconsiderate selfish oblivious idiots.

No amount of road safety measures will ever get around the fact that many people are massive idiots.

Of course, some cyclists are idiots too … dare I ask how many of these cyclist deaths were partly or completely their own fault?

Fizzicist, might just be a Harrogate thing.

t’other day I was in the middle of my lane on a main road (otley road if you know it) indicating with my arm out to turn right. I was aware of the car behind me, but wasnt expecting him to overtake ON MY RIGHT, just as we both got to the turn off! (as I was about to turn, car was going straight on) 😯 Didn’t twig just how dangerous the situation had been until shortly after.

General consensus in my office (in Harrogate) is that it was my fault/problem as bikes shouldn’t be on the road and I’d ‘probably have been fine’ if I’d have been hit….

*sigh*

Of course, some cyclists are idiots too … dare I ask how many of these cyclist deaths were partly or completely their own fault?

Almost every accident has multiple contributing factors but the stats suggest that drivers are the most likely “cause” of the majority of bike/car accidents including fatalities.

In crashes where a cyclist over 25 sustained minor injuries (the vast proportion of collisions), the motorist was entirely at fault in between 67% and 75% of incidents, and the cyclist solely at fault in only 16% to 22% of cases (p33).

When a cyclist over 25 sustained serious injuries, the motorist was entirely at fault in between 64% and 70% of the time, with the cyclist at fault in between 23% and 27% of incidents (p33).

In cases when a cyclist over 25 died in a crash, the motorist was deemed entirely at fault in between 48% and 66% of incidents (p33), and the cyclist in 33% to 43% (p33).

— http://lcc.org.uk/articles/addison-lee-chairman-wrong-to-blame-cyclists-because-most-crashes-are-caused-by-bad-driving

It is largely irrelevant though. We are all human. We all make mistakes. The roads and traffic laws should not be designed in such a way that the punishment for a simple mistake or misjudgement is death.

Of course, some cyclists are idiots too … dare I ask how many of these cyclist deaths were partly or completely their own fault?

On that (admittedly sensationalist) BBC programme the other week, wasn’t it saying a lot of the deaths were caused by cyclists riding up the inside of buses and lorries at junctions? Which is nothing short of suicidal IMHO

its very very very very rare ill ride up the inside of anything…..and even then it HAS to be stationary with no possible way of moving

if anything if im filtering i ride like a motorbike filtering.

The footage from the cement truck on that BBC documentary was truly shocking. The amount of cyclists squeezing up the inside on the couple of inches between the lorry and the kerb. Mental!!! 😯

..cyclists riding up the inside of buses and lorries at junctions? Which is nothing short of suicidal IMHO

Agreed but most cycle lanes are in the gutter at the left side of the road and most ASLs have feeders up the left:

So the road design is positively encouraging people to make a bad choice!

I think serious injuries generally weigh in at about 2 to 3k per year. Which is quite a lot.

Based on that figure, if you were to take a wild guess at how many people are involved in collisions, it must run into tens of thousands, surely. Which has got to be a sizable proportion of cyclists.

General consensus in my office (in Harrogate) is that it was my fault/problem as bikes shouldn’t be on the road and I’d ‘probably have been fine’ if I’d have been hit….

Unfortunately this is the sad truth. Cyclists are not seen as traffic. They’re an obstacle. It’s the psychology of the road and it’s a difficult problem.

Those ASLs are fine in other jurisdictions, where the cyclists get a green light a few seconds before the cars. Although I do see cars reacting on the bike green light sometimes.

Didn’t read the story, and while any deaths/injuries are a bad thing, just from the title alone, the first thing I thought, is “if you can’t report a story, then make a story”. This is probably true for pretty much any newspaper article that contains a statistic.

Agreed but most cycle lanes are in the gutter at the left side of the road and most ASLs have feeders up the left:

And the ASL is more than likely blocked by motor vehicles when you get there anyway. I’ve a particular ASL on my commute home where the inside feeder is usually inaccessible because of a bus stop and, if you proceed up the outside of the two lanes you risk a) being unable to get into the ASL, or ahead of it, because some twunt is sitting in it right up to the central reservation kerb or b) having the lights change and finding yourself on the outside of a left turn lane.

I now use the pavement to access the ASL if I need to.

This morning’s incident. Katie and have stopped at a zebra crossing, two abreast, to let someone cross, only for the car behind to decide to
overtake us and nearly take out the pedestrian. Why did they think we had stopped for f*** sake. Idiot woman apologises and says she ‘wasn’t concentrating’ as if that is an excuse. THAT should be 3 points and careless driving IMO.

Those ASLs are fine in other jurisdictions, where the cyclists get a green light a few seconds before the cars.

I don’t object to ASLs but I think there is an issue with putting the feeder lane to the up the left hand side.

“cyclist head-start” lights help but you could still be in a situation where someone on a bike, obeying the road markings, finds themselves up the inside of a lorry as it pulls away.

I wouldn’t put a feeder lane on them at all – I think it sends entirely the wrong message.

And the ASL is more than likely blocked by motor vehicles when you get there anyway.

Yep. Another road rule that is casually ignored daily. Not sure why they are not enforced by red light cameras. Bit too “War on the Motorist” perhaps.

Graham – I don’t particularly like ASLs and won’t enter them if I think the lights will change while I’m on the left hand side of a car. If someone’s stopped their car in the box, I’ll still move in front of them even if it means encroaching into the junction slightly.

Yep, sounds like my approach. I think they can be useful – but only if I know I can get to them safely before the lights change, otherwise I’d stay in traffic.

In my opinion ASLs badly let down the very people they are supposed to help, inexperienced cyclists, because they encourage them into a dangerous position. If someone following the road markings is in more danger than someone ignoring them then something is wrong!

But 122 people died from cycling last year!

it’s not a hell of a lot is it….

wasn’t it saying a lot of the deaths were caused by cyclists riding up the inside of buses and lorries at junctions?

No it didn’t – and the girl who’s mother campaigned for better mirrors etc for lorries, was killed by BEING OVERTAKEN by a lorry – which is far more my experience of ignorant **** idiots driving vehicles. But hey, its always easist to say the cyclists are at fault in some way (see most threads on the cyclists’ site Singletrackworld, for example).
(I have never ridden in London, where the BBC documentary was mostly based)

General consensus in my office (in Harrogate) is that it was my fault/problem as bikes shouldn’t be on the road and I’d ‘probably have been fine’ if I’d have been hit….

General consensus in my head is that you work with a bunch of *****.

it’s not a hell of a lot is it….

depends whether you or someone you know is one of the 122 (presumably) otherwise healthy cyclists that is killed off doesn’t it?

Binners as other people have said our crap infrastructure influences cyclists to go down the left hand side of traffic, bad place to be agreed but it doesn’t make them stupid or suicidal just ill-informed. Feel free to educate them (please do) but try not to insult them for it.

Of course there’s plenty of left hooks caused by the motorist overtaking aswell.

Another road rule that is casually ignored daily. Not sure why they are not enforced by red light cameras. Bit too “War on the Motorist” perhaps.

that’s it I think, pretty sure I’ve read police saying (paraphrasing here) they can’t differentiate between ASL encroachment and a full on RLJ and asl abuse just isn’t important enough to ticket/prosecute for.

as other people have said our crap infrastructure influences cyclists to go down the left hand side of traffic, bad place to be agreed but it doesn’t make them stupid or suicidal just ill-informed

And in mainland EU, just swap left for right, and you’ve got a system that basically *DOES* work without issue.
The problem is not so much feeding up the inside, but moer that in UK car drivers are just so used to not expecting anything there when they turn left. In Holland, Germany, and elsewhere, when turning right, drivers basically have to give way to cyclists and pedestrians (the ped. crossing there will be green!) to turn in to a side street. The only difference is the right/left thing, and the fact that they’ve been brought up to drive that way.

The only difference is the right/left thing, and the fact that they’ve been brought up to drive that way.

well of course drivers following the rules and not running people over might be a good shout but there’s so much victim blaming done it’s not funny. “What you went up the inside of a vehicle on a cycle lane, are you MAAAAAAD?” so either change the infrastructure or re-educate drivers at the moment neither is happening.