Cycling deaths up by a fifth

[Twanger]

The daily mail can't hate blacks coz that's racism. It can't hate women coz that's sexism, and it can't hate gays coz that's homophobia. So it hates, amongst others, cyclists.

It needs someone to hate. It is written for people who need someone to blame for the insipid vacuousness of their lives, for the fact that owning a Mazda, a two up two down with a concrete gnome, a plasma TV and 2.4 kids has not made them happy. And it gives them what they need.

And look, it uses the techniques that the Nazis used against jews - all the big lies. Repeat and repeat and repeat until they gain currency. D'you notice the one about "motorists will be held responsible for accidents with cyclists even if it's not their fault"?

Sorry. Rant over.

 

[thomas]

It makes me laugh that on an article about how people choose to cycle to save money, they have a photo of racing cyclists on bikes which probably cost more than some people's cars.

 

[Crankarm]

The Beeb ran this story at midday today on R2. I nearly choked on my Innocent Smoothie as it is long what I have suspected that the numbers of cyclists killed and injured this year has been high.

Anyway I looked on the Beeb website for the story. Not a single word. Tried to contact them which is very difficult btw. So rang up R4 and got this bolshy Scot who couldn't give me any help with the source of the story. It wasn't his department so not his problem. He gave me the impression he really wasn't interested. I suggested they ran a story on the issue. Gave him some background of the number of tragic deaths this year and the constant road rage and anger that seems to be directed at cyclists eg James Martin. He still didn't seem keen. Anyway I asked him to pass on the idea to a few editors and left my details. Was it Gordon Brown's brother by any chance ..... ?

Then eventually got through to R2. The girl on the other end was at least friendly compared to the charmless nerk above. Asked about the source of the cycling fatalities article in the news. She didn't know anything about it depsite me insisting she put me on hold and go ask a few people ! Eventually she comes back advsing me to contact main switch board as R2 Jeremy Vine show has ntohing to do with News department !!!!! Just narrow minded bigots..........

So again I suggest the show does a SERIOUS article on this. She didn't seem keen or if she had ever been on a bike. Again it was an uphill task to try to sell the story of squashed and crushed cyclists to her. Having mentioned the fatalities involving HGVS in London this year and the pyscho lorry driver who hid a cyclists bike who he had deliberately run down and killed, then finally mentioning the knocking down of Major Rhys Evans on the A1 by a young female driver and the pyscho driver in the US who will shortly be jailed for using his car as a deadly weapon to seriously injure two cyclists, she agreed that there might be a story about cycling fatalities !! Before I could add any more she was saying bye bye and ready to put the phone down. Oi! Won't you need my name and contact details if you decide to cover the story? Oh yeah I s'pose so she said . I shan't hold my breath.

Have been on the DOT and RoSPA websites but cannot see any figures that are recent. Maybe it's me but does anyone have a link to the source which avoids the Daily Mail? Btw the DM article isn't that bad given James Martin's earlier hideous anti-cycling article and that awful and inaccurate article about Stephen Gately. Comments on the 1st page have a balance of posters cyclists and motons a like. I didn't read further.

 

[semislickstick]

Btw the DM article isn't that bad given James Martin's earlier hideous anti-cycling article and that awful and inaccurate article about Stephen Gately. Comments on the 1st page have a balance of posters cyclists and motons a like. I didn't read further.

I think you missed his anti pedestrian comment underneath then?

The daily mail is just comedy though, isn't it?

 

[hackbike 666]

Some of these people can't cross the road properly so what chance have they got with a bike?

Shouldn't you lot be used to the press crap though?

The railways suffered this for years giving the totally wrong impression about how the railways are run.That's because papers like the Daily Mail know f-all about it.

 

[PBancroft]

You know how some people burn the flags of opposing nations to voice their anger? I'm tempted to arrange a Daily Mail burning ceremony...

 

[Tollers]

Yesterday I had to get an MOT done on my car and ended up heading out of London to my trusty mechanic. This meant my first time in years driving through central London during both rush hours.

I came back pretty shocked and newly appreciative of all sides of the commuting dangers. I was never a slow driver, always first off the lights etc, but i do regard myself as carefull and increasingly so since i started cycling.

Anyway, my conclusion was that so many cyclists around London are completely bloody mental and I can understand how drivers get annoyed. There were at least two times where i had to take immediate and decisive action to avoid hitting faux couriers. More and more, i believe these crazies are the cause of driver hostility towards all cyclists...Is there a link beween riding a fixie and taking risks as they are less inclined to slow-down/stop?

Moral of the story. I'm going to weave less through traffic on my bike and have more patience as a cyclist

Tollers

 

[DeeP]

Source of statistics

Here is the source for these recent road statistics:

http://www.dft.gov.uk/adobepdf/162469/221412/221549/398822/rcgbq209.pdf


Some of the stats are for a Qtr period of April - June 09 (e.g. 3 months): some are rolling 12 months so read with care.
'12 months to the end of June 09'

"The total number of reported pedal cycle casualties rose by 2 per cent whilst the number killed or seriously injured rose by 4 per cent."

 

[DeeP]

lazy motorists endangering cyclists

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinio...y-motorists-endangering-cyclists-1815452.html

 

[Chamfus Flange]

Well. I got as far as I could through the piece. Spelling mistakes, giving figures as fact at the start and then calling them estimates toward the middle: truelly The Daily Mail at its best.


.

 

[HJ]

I blame the Daily Wail for promoting attitudes like this:

Yes, it seems cyclists waiting in the middle of the road to turn right DO want oncoming traffic to drive very close to THEM in order not to infringe the EMPTY cycle lane next to the kerb......

And it must therefore follow that they ALSO want traffic FOLLOWING them to drive equally close to them in order not to infringe the EMPTY cycle lane on THEIR left as well......

OK, then now we KNOW why more are being killed - they're obviously being crushed between vehicles which are driving right up against the centre line in order to keep the cycle lanes on either side sacrosanct even when there is no one IN them......

I've never crushed one like that yet, but if that is what they WANT, then fine.

Some people should never be allowed to drive...

 

[Lazy-Commuter]

I blame the Daily Wail for promoting attitudes like this:



Some people should never be allowed to drive...

Or eve breathe ..

Actually, I did have a little look in the comments (it's a bit like touching a mouth ulcer, you know it's going to hurt, but ..) and they weren't quite as bad as I'd feared; a lot of the more rabid ones had big negative scores.

 

[Davidc]

I blame the Daily Wail for promoting attitudes like this:



Some people should never be allowed to drive...

Or have an internet connection.