Death Statistics 2014

[Thomk]

I'm sitting eating a biscuit while reading this thread. Given that my chances of dying in a cycling accident last year was pretty close to zero (for the pendants yes it was zero as I'm alive and munching), and the stats are broadly the same as the previous few years i.e. close to zero, I'm going to finish eating my biscuit.

 

[fimm]

What you can see on the Strava heatmap are people cycling to John O'Groats, the Bealach na Ba loop, and what I think is the route of the Etape Caledonia.

 

[glenn forger]

for the pendants

 

[glenn forger]

Very few people seem to cycle in Denmark.

The residents of Copenhagen cycle to the moon and back 31 times every day.


The equivalent of, I should say.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Very few people seem to cycle in Denmark.

Very few people in Denmark
-&-
Very few people in Denmark ride wearing lycra (and helmets)
-&-
Very few people in Denmark use Strava generally.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Or it may just indicate that people in those areas aren't that bothered about Strava, which does seem to be something of an urban phenomena...

Leans on gate, chews straw "is them townies as roid boiks in this un"

 

[srw]

Or it may just indicate that people in those areas aren't that bothered about Strava, which does seem to be something of an urban phenomena...

ASJT

 

[srw]

What you can see on the Strava heatmap are people cycling to John O'Groats, the Bealach na Ba loop, and what I think is the route of the Etape Caledonia.

Interesting that more Strava users use the long Sustrans route up the middle rather than the direct route up the A9.

If anyone's interested, here's the link to the heatmap.
http://labs.strava.com/heatmap/#6/-2.95684/58.98156/blue/bike

 

[Milkfloat]

I wonder, but only in a casual way so don't expect me to do the necessary work here, whether that heat map differs from others for energy use, internet traffic etc.

I deal with data just like this for a living and can tell you that it is broadly similar to the data seen in tracking mobile phones at cycling speeds (where the trace never goes as fast as a vehicle). My data is likely to be more representative of cyclists as more cyclists will travel with a gps enabled phone (not necessarily using a sports app) than use Strava. However, Strava will have a lot more information about the type of cyclist, bike model, age etc than I can ever hope to get. Plus Strava will know for sure it is a cyclist, where I have to deduce it.

 

[summerdays]

I deal with data just like this for a living and can tell you that it is broadly similar to the data seen in tracking mobile phones at cycling speeds (where the trace never goes as fast as a vehicle). My data is likely to be more representative of cyclists as more cyclists will travel with a gps enabled phone (not necessarily using a sports app) than use Strava. However, Strava will have a lot more information about the type of cyclist, bike model, age etc than I can ever hope to get. Plus Strava will know for sure it is a cyclist, where I have to deduce it.

Can you identify electric bikes? Do they have a different profile that you can identify?

 

[Milkfloat]

Can you identify electric bikes? Do they have a different profile that you can identify?

I am afraid not, same for bents. I guess for electric I could look for a minimal differences in speed uphill compared to downhill. For bents, very slow uphill and fast on flats and downhill. Not sure how relabel it will be though.

 

[slowmotion]

What percentage of UK cyclists carry trackable phones when riding? Does anybody know? I own an extremely dumb phone and I don't take it of the kitchen drawer except for organised rides when it's a requirement/courtesy.

 

[fimm]

Interesting that more Strava users use the long Sustrans route up the middle rather than the direct route up the A9.

If anyone's interested, here's the link to the heatmap.
http://labs.strava.com/heatmap/#6/-2.95684/58.98156/blue/bike

Aaarrrggghhh, that's the rest of my afternoon wasted!
(It was quite fun going onto the run map and spotting some local races I know the routes of. And in bike mode one you start zooming in, you start seeing all the mountain biking centres.)
WRT the route to John O'Groats, if you are cycling all that way then I think the route up the middle is nicer and quieter than the A9. I've cycled a bit of it (in a loop, not LeJoG).

 

[mjr]

Have they thought of using Strava?

Planning cycling improvements on the basis of one private racing company's clients seems a bit flawed.

I think I should point out that this data is for "Reported Road Casualties" and thus excludes cycle-only accidents.

(I came off my bike and broke my clavicle, which would be a "Serious injure", except that even though the police attended, it wasn't recorded as a road casualty as there was no car involved.)

Your experience seems contrary to the official guidance that it should be recorded as such: "2.1 All road accidents involving human death or personal injury occurring on the Highway ('road' in Scotland) and notified to the police within 30 days of occurrence, and in which one or more vehicles are involved, are to be reported. This is a wider definition of road accidents than that used in Road Traffic Acts.
2.2 Examples of accidents to be reported include: ...
(c) accidents to pedal cyclists or horse riders, where they injure themselves or a pedestrian;"

Police are human, sometimes make mistakes and probably don't enjoy filling out reports.

I don't suppose it adds to the debate in any way, shape or form, but here's the Strava heat map of the UK and parts of northern Europe. I think it looks rather lovely./QUOTE]
I think it's a great demonstration of Strava's distortion: bright blobs south-west of London (out as far as Box Hill? hard to tell from the snapshot), very little in the cycling cities of Cambridge, York and Norwich, with even Bristol not showing up quite as bright as it should.

 

[jefmcg]

Your experience seems contrary to the official guidance that it should be recorded as such: "2.1 All road accidents involving human death or personal injury occurring on the Highway ('road' in Scotland) and notified to the police within 30 days of occurrence, and in which one or more vehicles are involved, are to be reported. This is a wider definition of road accidents than that used in Road Traffic Acts.
2.2 Examples of accidents to be reported include: ...
(c) accidents to pedal cyclists or horse riders, where they injure themselves or a pedestrian;"

Police are human, sometimes make mistakes and probably don't enjoy filling out reports.

Thanks. I wonder if I should take this up with anyone. FWIW, it was Hounslow police, and back in January. They were called because there was a car following me, so it looked to the people who came running out like I'd been hit by a car. The police did ask me two questions, which were clearly for statistics "were you wearing a helmet?" and "were you riding a boris bike?" I was a monosyllabic ball of white hot pain, though I remember feeling vaguely miffed my accident didn't count.

Oddly the police also said they were allowed to drive me home, but not to hospital. My understanding is that if I needed medical care, then the transport should be in an ambulance and there were insurance issues. If I was going home, then there was no problem.