[Closed] Safe commuting (Survey)

1. 22
2. 0 (1 not when commuting)
3. 1 (not when commuting)

25 yrs of commuting.

Zero injuries

Twice hit by cars with zero injuries - both times anticipation/ defensive riding ensured a minor hit not a major one. Both cars got damaged tho 🙂 - handlebar end right down the side.

looking pretty safe, statistically, so far 🙂

when i was a lad (2years ago) commuting to school...

1. 2 years after getting banned of the busses for selling matched to a kid who tryed to set the back seat on fire.

2.1 once car took a blind corner too wide and took me off broke a wrist

3. 3 times i think one over taking lory blew me into the kurb,a gree fiat punto scraped the side of my shoe goin round a sharp corner hes easy to spod now as my bar end left a 2mm grove down the side of his car and my dad knoked me off being an idiot in the snow power slining too close to me

🙂

1. 13 years (three years within Edinburgh, seven years Linlithgow-Edinburgh, three years Burntisland-Edinburgh)
2. 0
3. twice, no injuries. both were on same commute!

bad things do happen, but they're extremely rare. close calls mainly a result of poor driving, but on a handful of occasions it's been a deliberate act by a bawbag showing off to his mates. taken out by a puddle that turned out to be a massive pothole once.

every time i have to commute by car, i'm reminded how much nicer riding is.

1: 14 yrs
2: 0
3: 0

4 years in Central London

1x knocked off by pedestrian = black eye, cuts, bent bike
1x came off on an ice patch last December, biggest bruise you ever saw & couldn't sit for ages

once week minimum occurrance of run off road / into barrier / other kind of swear out load in shock moment.

now its "summer" - once a day on average witness to a summer cyclist becoming a statistic

oh - and would never consider going back to commuting my tube!

8 years commuting
Hospitalised once (someone opened car door on me and ended up under a volvo going the other way)
Knocked off twice (Second time I was cut up so badly I had the choice of the front of a lorry (fully on my side of the road) or a wall with a ten foot drop the other side, luckily there was a snow drift at the bottom so I walked away from it)

1. 5
2. 0
3. 1 (woman pulled out of a t-junction without looking, it was wet, I had to brake hard and lost the front wheel, slight scuff to brake lever, no damage to me), it's a crap junction so I approach it with more care/less speed now, esp in the wet.

1/ 6 years commuting daily (roughly 15 miles a day)

2/ 0

3/ twice, (I take it you mean no injuries that needed a visit to A&E)

First time. Just road rash to elbows and legs. Got knocked off by a guy taking a test drive new a new car, they stopped a few hundred yards up the road, got out to check the damage to the car, then both looked back at me on the floor at the side of the road and just drove off, the car dealers boss was very good about it when I reported it, he was a roadie himself, replaced the bits of clothing that got ripped.

Second Time. broken helmet, road rash nearly everywhere, glass embedded in my arm, which is still working its way out 😉 A young lady texting on her phone drifted over two lanes of traffic and took me out with the side of her car, denting her bonnet, door. roof and knocking off her wing mirror, always remember her look of absolute terror. Did she stop? did she hell!

Thankfully the car behind did stop otherwise I would have been toast.

Can I play?

On about 3 weeks now (there's been more, but patchily over the years, depending on where I've been living/working).

0 injuries.

2 times being shunted by idiots (once when I stopped at a roundabout to let a fire engine with siren going out. Impatient git).

And once being knocked off, by someone who clearly thought that turning across the road in front of me with no warning was a smart idea.

1. years have you been commuting by bike?
2. times have you been badly injured (ie. hositalised) whilst commuting (let's expand it to any road riding)
3. times have you been knocked off or otherwise shunted by a vehicle with no injuries

1 - 5-ish, on and off
2 - Twice, but both my own fault.... 😳
3 - Tapped once at a roundabout. I followed the bint home and ripped a strip off her. There was swearing and insults. I won.
But I've banged on the side of a couple of cars that got too close as well.

Wouldn't miles/week be a useful addition to the survey?

1. 1.5 at 30 miles/week
2. 0
3. 1 (No contact but had to mount the kerb to avoid death-by-bendy-bus)

1. 12 years.
2. twice, once coming down Daws hill in High Wycombe for a woman to also overtake me @ 30 mph, then turn left into her drive with no warning.
Other time, in Brum, on a roundabout about to leave onto A45, when Mr taxi driver joined the roundabout and me!
3. no bumps or shunts, just loads of near misses and verbal..

1. years have you been commuting by bike?
2. times have you been badly injured (ie. hositalised) whilst commuting (let's expand it to any road riding)
3. times have you been knocked off or otherwise shunted by a vehicle with no injuries

1. 6 years @100 miles a week
2. 0
3. had a couple of light knocks that didn't even kncok me of the bike and one where a lady pulled left out of a side road and due to parked cars couldn't go any further so she just stopped and i couldn't so wnet straight into the back of her car just a few bruises from that.

1. 4
2. Never
3. twice - [b]first[/b] when some mad woman approaching from the rear turned left into a petrol station - I ran into the side of her. She blamed me as she thought I should have stopped to let her turn left (yes there is no logic to that given that as she was behind me I didn't know she was turning left) - I called the police just to shet her up. No injuries though. [b]Second[/b] time I was passing stationary traffic on the inside at a junction when the woman I was passing decided she didn't want to wait for the car in front to turn right so she could go left so mounted the pavement to pass it - and of course knocking me off. She was very apologetic. No injuries.

Of course there have been plenty of near misses. Like the time I was in the middle of the inside lane going straight on at a roundabout. I set off and the car behind, which was turning left, decided rather than wait behind me for a few seconds would go round the front of me. The driver then decided that was a really stupid idea so changed their mind and the car benind them ran into the back of it. Woops.

Oh and I just remember a couple of falls on ice - one resulted in a bruised hip and a headache. Obvioulsy my stupid fault for riding on ice.

1. - 12 years, of which 7 in London (not daily but frequent).
2. - None. (worst injury was a bashed knee which took a week to get sorted).
3. - 3, of which 2 were in fairness my fault.

Certainly in my experience it is just not terribly dangerous out there. [touches wood] 🙂

1. 10 years(ish)
2. 1 bad fall where pretty severe grazing occurred to right hip and forearm, big bruises that turned into scabs, Scarred & took ages to heal. This happened on a greasy corner on a purpose built cycle path at Corkerhill, Pollok Glasgow going just before M77 bridge into Pollok Park. No cars involved.
3. A few minor skirmishes, but only 2 that really fit the bill.
a) A bus driver deliberately pulled in too close and forced me in to wing mirror of parked car. Contact made by wing mirror on my left handlebar and bus on right handlebar. That's how close it was. Too much detail to go into, suffice to say I have no doubt it was deliberate. I did challenge him on his driving conduct shortly afterwards when he stopped at a bus stop further on (without actually committing a breach of the peace myself). The look on his face said it all. He knew fine well.
b) simple case of driver waiting at give way onto roundabout failed to give way. Think it was genuine poor driving observations rather than deliberate nastiness, but nearly got t-boned. Last second option of yelling "STOP" seemed to work, thank goodness.

I am always surprised at drivers when they show courteousness, but it still happens on occasion.

23 years (god how old)
1no commuting hopsital visit (t-boned at about 30 mph by an old biffer rather too keen to get to the pub after work), 1no road riding hospital visit (narrow lane miscalculation on the 07 Ibbo Ride 7 stitiches and a detached vitreous), 1no commuting ambulance call out (man in Land Rover drove over my Brompton as I went round a roundabout)
Maybe a dozen or so since '86, about twice in the last year but unless it really hurts or involves breakage I don't really remember them as to do so would be a "downward spiral" as Trent said so eloquently.

1) 15 years
2)Hospital? (touches wood) none
3)Knocked off once, lost a fair bit of skin. Contact a fair few times (usually wing mirrors) or me slamming a fist down on their roof...
Near misses (in a good solid adrenalin jolt/brown shorts stylee) one or two a week.

Just over a year
Never
Once (and another which I'm not counting because it was probably just as much my fault)

12 years everyday
0
0

Quite a few near misses
About 8 times on the ground all by myself

20yrs on and off, although hardcore commuting for the past 5 years of up to 200 miles per week
Two biggies
- 1991 got taken out by a guy on a roundabout, I was going straight ahead, he was going right and took me with him. Ruptured ACL just before my finals, 2 operations. Sued him and got £4k.
- 4 weeks ago got hit from behind whilst doing about 25mph on the road bike, went down like a sack of spuds, plenty of roadrash. Didn't even see them brake let alone stop, although I still have the wing mirror they hit me with. Got off very lightly as there was a guy killed timetrialling about a week ago when he was hit from behind
One other impact
- riding on a cycle lane in Germany, it was dark so I was wearing bright yellow Altura top with loads of reflective stuff on it and had spot & flood on my lumis turned on, went across a GREEN light on the cycle way and got hit by an MR2 jumping his RED light, hit my fork and bent my wheel but no damage to me. thought about punching him until he unfolded himself out of the car, mahoosive bloke so just shouted at him in English.

Plenty of near misses and too many idiots out there who think its fun to buzz you and shout 'witty' comments

1. 14 years
2. Once - banged my right hand up hitting a car that pulled out on me. Their fault and got a PI claim. Now ride a lot more defensively at junctions.
3. 3 times; one 50-50 (I was turning right and a bit slow, he was travelling too fast), one hit and run - relatively slow speed, third one (see 2)

1. 9 years (5 london and 4 bristol)
2. 1, black ice: bruised hip and on crutches for a couple of weeks
3. 2 times, both cars pulling out in front of me on downhills from side roads. Now always ride with a flashing LED on the front during the day

Too long.

Never.

Quite a few cross words, raised fingers and hands banged on sides of vehicles.

Having said that, I must confess to falling off all on my own a few times.

1. 23 years
2. twice had to go to A&E for check up but not hospitalised
3. 4 times including above. 4 th time was my fault when misreading traffic light controlled cross roads

To be safe I feel that you have to be confident in your riding and command your place on the road. That doesn't mean being a k**b but riding like you would drive (well you know, within limits). I wouldn't recommend commuting by road to anyone unless they feel in control of themselves and their bike.

1. Ten.
2. None.
3. One, described in the other commuting accidents thread.

1. 22-23
2. 0
3. 2

1. years have you been commuting by bike?
2. times have you been badly injured (ie. hositalised) whilst commuting (let's expand it to any road riding)
3. times have you been knocked off or otherwise shunted by a vehicle with no injuries

1. 6 months (Chelmsford to Basildon via rural roads) 3 years (Bristol/Cotham to Frenchay via busy main roads)
2. none
3. Many many near misses! THe usual (people opening car doors straight into me, overtaking then turning left directly in front of me, overtaking me whilst I'm turning right - in the middle of the road and signalling GAH!)

Plus, I very nearly got run over by a milkfloat once 😆

1. 11 years in various places - Lancaster, Norwich, London, Essex(but a bit of a fairweather commuter - average 2-3 times a week)
2. 0
3. 0

1. years have you been commuting by bike?

10 years, mostly urban in Shrewsbury, Bath and Bristol. Last 5 years every working day.

2. times have you been badly injured (ie. hositalised) whilst commuting (let's expand it to any road riding)

Once

3. times have you been knocked off or otherwise shunted by a vehicle with no injuries

Excepting above occassion, three times. Once the bike was right-off, but I was fine, dispite a trip over a bonnet.

3 years.
No serious injuries although I did go to A and E once (see below)
2, once someone pulled out a meter in front of me and I went over the bonnet and another time I was clipped as a daft woman decide to overtake on a narrow bridge (yes I was in the middle of the lane, the reason she clipped me was because she was about to get hit head on by a van she hadn't noticed) - she didn't stop so but I caught her at the lights and had "a chat".

These are the ones I couldn't avoid, I've had to brake sharply, swerve and generally evade numpties not paying attention quite a lot more.

1. years have you been commuting by bike?

11 years

4 in harrogate for school, 3 in London for Uni, 4 for work in Leeds

2. times have you been badly injured (ie. hositalised) whilst commuting (let's expand it to any road riding)

once, nothing to do with any other cars, chain snapped, slipped off pedals, cracked my babty makers on the frame lost control and smashed left leg into a parked car and spun right over it

3. times have you been knocked off or otherwise shunted by a vehicle with no injuries

3 times
car ran into the back of me at a roundabout. Stopped looked at me shouted out the window asking if I was okay then left before i even got up off the floor.

Car did a right turn across traffic from main road into a side street, turned out he was actually doing a u-turn and came straight back out of the side street onto the main road without looking or stopping and I luckily managed to swerve and he only glanced my back wheel (even luckier that there were no cars on the other side of the road), Managed to catch him at traffic lights and explain the error of his ways!

3rd was my own fault when I was a kid, no lights car pulled out of a side road and didn't see me, clipped back wheel. Bad of me, but scared me enough to ensure I was like Blackpool lights from then on so did me some good.

6 years across Shrewsbury - about 5 miles each way.

never had to go to A&E

several close shaves, including one where I banged the car side - half wit pulled out in front of me on a roundabout at about 3 miles an hour, I slapped his car, the guy behind me locked up his car and slid to a hlat mm away from him......

These are the ones I couldn't avoid, I've had to brake sharply, swerve and generally evade numpties not paying attention quite a lot more.

Oh the amount of near misses are too many to keep count of.

London I felt safer than many other places (especially Leeds) as there seems to be slower cars and the drivers expect them to be there in London. Leeds they do not quite know what to do when they see a cyclist.

1). 1yr. (+ 2=3 yrs but was long time ago)
2). 0
3). 0

3 nr misses in last yr though, commuting these days is lot more risky & not just due to traffic volume. I did a lot of commuting in 80's / 90's & drivers weren't such blind/inconsiderate/unsympathetic dicks back then.

don't forget that dead people can't post so we don't get to see their side of this.

1. I've been riding on the road for around 30 years
2. 0 (I've been knocked off a motorbike which had me in hospital)
3. Many times. I ride fairly defensively but there are some incidents where it's impossible to react in time, especially if the car is coming from behind. Overtaking and then turning left when there's no room to do so is by far the most common. Either people can't appreciate how fast i'm going or simply don't care. They certainly care once they've got a samuri shaped dint in the side of the car.

1. years have you been commuting by bike?
About 5 years up the Hope Valley in the Peak District (rural commuting!) about 4 miles.

2. times have you been badly injured (ie. hositalised) whilst commuting (let's expand it to any road riding)
Once due to my ****wit riding partner turning left across me and swiping away my front wheel (something which he still denies!!) Bounced on my head splitting my helmet - Severe concussion (collapsed a further 10 miles on in the Rivelin Valley Cafe) Charming SHO in A&E said "good job you were wearing a helmet or you would have been clogging up an ITU bed somewhere" cheeky little bugger, I have underwear older than him!!

3. times have you been knocked off or otherwise shunted by a vehicle with no injuries
One tractor and trailer forced me off the road into a hedge (lucky as most are dry stone walls round here - not as soft)
Several near misses with cars & caravans (I cycle past a campsite, hitch up the caravan, put brain in glove box)

Silliest major crash was with a sheep, had to chase it back and forth across the road before I managed to hit it. Wool and wheels everywhere. 😆

1. Commuting for 4 years on and off
2. 50% of my time I'm on my way too A&E - does that count?? But no genuine injuries
3. 1, I sustained a minor injury to my right big toe as I booted the boot of some inconsiderate f***er who had just turned right across the front of me forcing me to bail to avoid hitting him.

1. Road riding for 17 years, only commuting for 8 years.
2. 0 luckily. touch wood. I agree with the defensive/assertive cycling.
3. 3 parked car opened, then closed, the opened door while feeding along the side of stationary traffic queue. Taxi pulled across the road and straight for me, jumped off bike in time. Person stopped abruptedly in front then started to pull out when I had planned to pass on the outside - hit the back of her car quite hard, dented it with my hand. oops. biggest stoppy I've ever done. 🙂

I do think we are fortunate there are not more serious accidents considering the myriad difference in cars and bikes: speed, mass, visibility, maneuverability, aggressiveness (on both parts),awareness .......

Re cars turning left on you - if a car comes past as you approach a left turn always eyeball the driver as they come by (can also try a [i]slight[/i] move to the side to catch his attention). You can hear when a car lifts off the gas to turn - it shouldn't take you by surprise. Unless you're wearing headphones, in which case you just aren't safe imo.

1. 18-years
2. 1
3. 3 although there have been others where no injury was caused.

It does seem to be (quite surprising to me) pretty safe out there, really.

[i] do think we are fortunate there are not more serious accidents considering the myriad difference in cars and bikes: speed, mass, visibility, maneuverability, aggressiveness (on both parts),awareness ....... [/i]

Yes, maybe it's because most of the responses are from riders, like myself who are aware of the dangers and ride accordingly.

[i]Unless you're wearing headphones, in which case you just aren't safe imo. [/i]

Personally, I've always listened to loud music while commuting, so I don't think thats at all relevant. The minor scrapes I've had certainly wouldn't have been avoided by being able to hear better!

5 years but on average only twice a week (more in summer, less in winter)

0

0

I have had to take evasive action more than once though, including banging on the side of the bus that was a few metres longer than its driver thought.

DezB

I find it amazing that you don't feel being able to hear cars coming up behind you is relevant! If I'm rolling along and I can hear an aggressive/fast driver coming behind I'll make a conscious effort to make myself visible as they get me in sight. Or if a car rolls by and then audibly slows as it is on my shoulder I'll be alert that he might be trying to turn left. Or if a car is waiting for a chance to overtake me and is getting impatient - that is very clear from the engine noise too.

Maybe you just don't make any allowances for those things - personally I need to be able to get a clue what the guy behind me is doing/feeling so I can decide if I need to assert myself (if it isn't safe for them come by) or so that I can wave them through if it is safe. Don't you do any of that?

It amazes me that some people are all for passive safety (ie helmet wearing) and then do very little with active safety.

Glen - its a different discussion, that I don't want to get into. But as I said, in my experience it hasn't made any difference to my safety whatsoever.

It is off topic, I agree.

But you are completely wrong!

Fair enough!

12 years.
I have hospitalised 1 pedestrian and been hit but uninjured once by a car.

Plenty of crashed due to ice,snow, gravel, etc in that time.

I use an iPod, i find it makes me more chilled out when the car drivers do something dangerous and as i keep it fairly quiet i am aware of cars around me.

1. Around 7 years.

2. Never. Or a half if we can count pedestrian interactions rather than vehicular ones. A wee old woman stepped off in front of me. Braked to avoid her and both bike and I somersaulted over the bars. I went to A&E the next day to be told that yes, I had dislocated my shoulder.

3. 5. Two ped incidents (the one above, the other was closer to being a case of assault), a bus overtook and pushed me onto the pavement, and the other two were when they pulled out, realised I was going faster than they expected, and stopped right in my path. Both very minor bumps in the end with no damage done. But hey, those new Renault's are bouncy!

1. 6 years, roughly, mostly in Edinburgh. Wildly varying mileage. Probably 10k-15k miles overall?

2. none

3. 3 times.

First one was on my way to a Sat morning MTB ride and a pedestrian just walked out in front of me without looking when I was about 10 feet away - couldn't do anything, hit him in the stomach with bars and landed hard on top of him. I was OK. He less so. Bus behind me locked up and stopped about 6 feet short. Both very lucky not to get hit by bus I reckon.

Second time a cock in a Golf pulled out on me at a junction - he looked straight at me then went anyway and I went into the side of him hard enough to twist the bars. Then he just smiled at me and drove off. I chased him down the Grassmarket, got a reg and description and went to the Police. No witnesses so not a lot I could do, but police at least followed it up and he was called in for interview under caution which would have hopefully put the shits up him if nothing else.

Third time, about a couple of weeks after #2, a woman did the classic "nearly overtake and turn left" on me and took me off. Lucky not to get squashed between her and barriers. Picked up some bruises and a bit of road rash. Bent bars and scraped shifters which she refused to pay for when I presented her with the bill - BC solicitors went after her and I got my Soul frame with the compo.

1 and 2 I couldn't have done anything about, 3 taught me a bit about road positioning and a lot about ignoring cycle lanes if they put you in a dangerous position on the road.

1. 18 of last 25
2. 1 - Hit by a car during a time trial - broken elbow, chipped pelvis and 32 stitches in arm after removal of part of the car's wing mirrow.
3. 2 - once when stationary at a red light, second when hit by car overtakeing on a pelican crossing (watched by a bobby on the beat!) to discov er someone crossing hence I was going "too slowly"!

Way more off road injuries before I realised I'm never going to be anything but clumsy on a bike!

commuting 19yrs on and off more on than off
1 x hospitalised with a broken ankle which was my fault
knocked off twice by cars but without injury - second time I headbutted the floor and went to get checked at the docs, just bruising, no serious injury.

1. Three years pretty solidly, having done it a bit in the past. Short commute though, less than five miles unless I choose to make it longer.

2. Never badly injured (so far...) I'm quite cautious and assume the worst of all other road users. I wave to drivers a lot and wouddn't wear headphones riding on the road.

3. Never knocked off. A few times I have avoided it quite spectacularly, like crashing into a wall to miss a minibus which turned across me (coming from the opposite direction) in Leeds. This year the score is one each between me and the pedestrians of Glasgow, I've knocked one down (chain jumped off/hit pothole/mounted pavement) and one has walked into me travelling quite fast.

Unless you're wearing headphones, in which case you just aren't safe imo.

and if you happen to be deaf you're unsafe?

As a person with partial hearing I find that incredibly offensive, to assume that because you can't hear, either by birth or choice that you suddenly lose the ability to cycle safely is utter moo-poo, especially with the cacophony of urban and wind noise drowning out a lot of it.

while I'll happily admit that in some cases being able to hear the revs *might* help it's not a pre-requisite of safe cycling.

and for the record:

1. 8 years
2. 0
3. Only physically knocked off once

All the times that it's resulted in a near miss or actual impact where someone has passed and then turned left, there has been absolutely no indication that they are going to turn, and I'm watching for it, believe me. They pass like a car that is going straight on and invariably indicate/brake/turn simultaneously and then they're in front and there's nowhere to go.

if I slowed down for every car that floors it past me I'd never get moving.

1 10 years
2 None
3 Lost count of the times I've had to take evasive action, hopping onto the kerb or ending up in the hedge as a result of being overtaken too closely . . . I do try to ride assertively . . . sometimes I think my bright orange bike is invisible 🙄

1 properly about 10 years
2 never
3 twice, once on my paper round as a nipper , was proper comedy, i kinda new milkman hadnt seen me but carried on past the junction anyway pedaling furiously on my bmx while electric float gently cruzed into me, my pedal cracked his number plate
second, **** trying to switch lanes in a traffic queue- no indicator, but i managed to see it comming just ended up sprawled accross his bonnet, his first concern was had i damaged his car?!!

1. 12 yrs
2. 0
3. 2

Both hits were in bright daylight, clear roads. First one driver came out of a side junction straight into me, I was the only thing on the road and in a dayglo yello jacket. Second one I was the only thing on a roundabout, car came on to roundabout and hit me side on. Got away with roadrash both times.

First thing both drivers said was "I didn't see you"!

oh yeah and ipod is fine imho

to drown out the noise of traffic would need the volume so loud id be deaf anyway

and playing music in a car, which is soundproofed anyway, is fine whats wrong with it on a cycle?

I guess the seriously injured (and worse) won't be posting on here anyway.
🙁

Thing is - cycling is safe. Serious injuries are few and far between as are deaths.

Killed 136
Seriously Injured 2,428 (recent figures)

total distance cycled - 4.5 billion in 1996

1) 35+ yrs.
2) 0
3) 0

Everyday some bastid has a go, though! 😕

1. 10 years commuting manchester/sheffield
2. 0
3. 1 knackered wheel when a car pull out in front of me which left me with only one option.

1. 25 years (North London - Plymouth) although not for the last 5 years due to health issues
2. Just once, more my fault than the drivers (i cramped up and rolled into traffic)
3. Suprisingly not too many a few funny ones

Simonk

1. 4 years in Glasgow.
2. 0.
3. 3. Old woman on Sunday morning overtook and turned left ontop of me putting me down on the tarmac. Just grazes but couldn't unclip and was using every swear word I knew at full volume (angry Doug back in those days 🙁 ) only to look up at a queue of very shocked people waiting to get into a church! I caught her but she was almost crying and wouldn't wind down the window. Eventually she did and I explained that she almost killed me and she was very upset! Other two are from punching and kicking cars so not a good reflection on me I'm afraid, did something bad to my knuckle on a ned's corsa and damaged a toe on the front lights of some tosser in Edinburgh both times the driver had deliberately tried to edge me off the road.

So in summary: Health Detriments - none, Health Benifits - 70 miles a week for 4 years.

1.years have you been commuting by bike? -25 years

2. times have you been badly injured (ie. hositalised) whilst commuting (let's expand it to any road riding)- yes, once

3. times have you been knocked off or otherwise shunted by a vehicle with no injuries, once

1. On & off for 20+ yrs, different routes & frequencies

2. 1 - Hit a Skoda at 20 that pulled out (didn't see me) headstand over the bonnet & concussion

3. 3 (just in the last year, would be many more if I go backwards) Car swerved across a roundabout & clipped me. Car pulling out from side turning into standing traffic & didn't look down the bus lane it was crossing. Car approaching standing traffic waiting to turn right swerved into the curb as it passed me & came to a halt.

My current comute is across Sheffield city centre and back, so I expect & get alot of near misses, thankfully they only clip me a few times a year.

glenp - Member
Re cars turning left on you - if a car comes past as you approach a left turn always eyeball the driver as they come by (can also try a slight move to the side to catch his attention).

You can hear when a car lifts off the gas to turn - it shouldn't take you by surprise. Unless you're wearing headphones, in which case you just aren't safe imo.

[i]1. years have you been commuting by bike?[/i]
- just over 3 years (daily)

[i]2. times have you been badly injured (ie. hositalised) whilst commuting (let's expand it to any road riding)[/i]
- none serious enough to need hospital treatment, but a few grazes

[i]3. times have you been knocked off or otherwise shunted by a vehicle with no injuries. Expand on your answers if you like.[/i]
- at least 8 (bus knocking me off x 1; driver u-turning in front of me x 1; car turning left across me x 1; wing mirror strikes x lots)

[i]and playing music in a car, which is soundproofed anyway, is fine whats wrong with it on a cycle? [/i]

It's not wrong, but it does undeniably impair one of your senses. Whether you think this is an issue is largely down to individual choice, or personal circumstances. For me it seems bleeding obvious that it's preferable to use as many of your senses as possible to take in available information, so I generally don't wear them. Having said that, I do occasionally wear them at night, where being able to see other headlamps works as adequate compensation for me.

1. about 5 years
2. one trip to A&E to get checked over, fractured fingertip and stiff neck was all, but my helmet was smashed up
3. knocked off twice by a car, and once by a motorbike (that was the one that sent me to A&E). 1st words of the driver each time "Sorry - I didn't see you!)

[i]and if you happen to be deaf you're unsafe?

As a person with partial hearing I find that incredibly offensive, to assume that because you can't hear, either by birth or choice that you suddenly lose the ability to cycle safely is utter moo-poo, especially with the cacophony of urban and wind noise drowning out a lot of it.[/i]

Amedias - Don't be so ridiculous. How can you be so easily offended? I mean, apologies if you genuinely are, but think about it - quite obviously a person that usually has the facility of hearing will be impaired when that sense is removed, whereas someone like yourself is presumably perfectly competent because they will have developed other ways to sense the world around them. I suppose one might extend that logic and concede that if an iPod is worn often enough a similar compensation might occur, but personally I find that I do pick up clues without needing to turn my head (for example).

1. 5
2. 0
3. 0

1) 4 years on and off - mostly short distance in town

2) 1 - oncoming car turned right into a side street cutting accross me. My bike went under the car, I went over bonnet. Broken left wrist.

3) buses in Bangor were main culprits - 1 forced dismount after being forced into the curb and countless slightly too close for comfort moments. The forced dismount driver was chased to nearest stop and ranted at.

Second time a cock in a Golf pulled out on me at a junction - he looked straight at me then went anyway and I went into the side of him hard enough to twist the bars

Had something similar happen to that - only we missed each other & he ploughed into the side of a car coming from the direction he wasn't looking in. Had to laugh at him, felt sorry for the other guy though 😐

1. 17
2. 0
3. 2

I've seen quite a lot of accidents involving cyclists in that time - especially on the Leeds to Headingley part of my commute. I don't think any of them were wearing headphones. This is irrefutable evidence that headphones are the first line of defence in commuting. (I've worn them pretty much since day 1 for commuting and think you can still be perfectly aware of your surroundings). Most of the crashes I've seen have invoved cycling muppetry, or inexperienced cyclists not knowing where the dangers are...(cars in traffic letting oncoming cars turn into side roads, pedestrians crossing in front of stationary buses etc).

1. lots but most recently 5 years
2. never
3. I once had to put my hand on a car and turn left with him when I was going straight on.

To pick up TJ's point cycling is relatively safe compared with other normal activities e.g. crossing the road, but only if you're careful. I always assume that I always expect to be cut up, pulled out on etc, and position myself defensively. I never wear headphones on the bike.