FNRttC Friday Night Ride to the Coast - Whitstable 17th June 2011

[BigGee]

There is a proven correlation between accidents and driving whern tired. Shift workers like myself are particularly prone to it. Most people who drive home any distance following a night shift will have a story to tell about struggling to keep their eyes open behind the wheel, though it has to be said that it does not always stop them from doing it.

When I was young and foolish I dropped off driving home one morning, going along the A12, I woke up when I hit the curb and blew a tyre. Being young and foolish I did not give the event the respect that it required at the time, but it turns me cold thinking about it now, I could easily have killed myself, or worse someone else.

The truth is that we have all probably got behind the wheel at some point when we should not have. Driving when too tired is probably just as dangerous as driving when under the influence, but does not carry the same social stigma to stop people from doing it. We should all note and remember this event in case we are ever tempted to do the same in any circumstances, not just after a long bike ride.

 

[mmmmartin]

Dellzeqq says: "I did consider giving up the rides."

Because someone who'd been up all night had a crash in a car two counties away? That's hardly down to the FNRttC. I had been aware of the incident for some time but I didn't for one moment consider not doing FNRttC. It never occurred to me that it could in any way be construed as happening because of the ride, it happened because of decision to drive when tired. The rides themselves are organised impeccably but you can't plan for someone ignoring advice and - after the ride is finished - then doing something silly.

 

[smutchin]

I did consider giving up the rides

I'm glad you didn't. I've not done a FNRttC for a while, but I've really enjoyed the ones I've done in the past. I love the sense of adventure and party atmosphere that surrounds the rides.

The main reason I don't do them more often is that I'm one of those people who don't get on very well with the lack of sleep. I even pulled out of the last one I signed up to because a stressful day at work had left me too tired to contemplate riding through the night. To echo everyone else, individuals need to be take responsibility for their own actions. This incident is absolutely no reflection on you as organiser.

d.

 

[Wobblers]

I'm very glad you didn't give up the FNRttC. The atmosphere, the camaraderie, the people - it all adds up to something special. It's impossible to exaggerate just how much I get out of the FNRttC.

Dell, you can only ever be responsible for your own actions, not anyone else's. You push the train option in all your emails, you arrange all the rides with public transport in mind, you tell people about the time tables and groupsave tickets. You even pointed out to him how easy it was to get back to St Albans from Whitstable on the train. Realistically, there's little else you could have done. "Beyond reproach" is the expression that springs to mind.

 

[dellzeqq]

it's worth pointing out that he didn't drive the entire way home, and that he didn't fall asleep at the wheel - as usual we're picking up on fragments and jumping to conclusions. The salient fact, the only one that matters, is that somebody died.

 

[StuartG]

I drove home from my second FNRttC: Whitstable 30/10/09. I got home OK. I have not repeated it.

I found myself having to concentrate hard, too hard, because of sleep deprivation. I was lucky, first overcoming the first danger of sleep deprivation - not realising it and taking precautions is a very real danger, secondly there was no external event to test my judgement to the limit. I don't like to trust luck too far so never again.

Whilst we do not know the full story of this sad event, it is the future we should look too. It would take a superman for tiredness after a FNRttC not to be a contributing factor to the anticipation and recognition of danger, formulating an avoidance plan and executing it. That's why we don't allow professional drivers and airline pilots to drive/fly tired. They kill.

The success of FNRttC is built on experience. I learnt that two years ago. Which is why I would welcome a small addition on the FNRttC blogspot/emails: "DRIVING BACK? DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT". Capitals obligatory

 

[MacB]

it's worth pointing out that he didn't drive the entire way home, and that he didn't fall asleep at the wheel - as usual we're picking up on fragments and jumping to conclusions. The salient fact, the only one that matters, is that somebody died.

He says he didn't fall asleep and has blamed a leg cramp, but to be honest the little I've read has him coming across as an alpha type that wouldn't be likely to listen to advice.

Though I agree with you on the salient fact from our perspective, this first came to my attention yesterday during a work call. Someone said to me - have you seen that article about a cyclist that killed somebody after riding all night - that led me to the article. Obviously the facts themselves were very different and the comment totally wrong, but that didn't stop it being made.

I did make a return call to correct this misconception, my point being that someone had died due to someone else choosing to operate machinery when quite possibly unfit to do so. The tragedy being the death and the wider tragedy being that such unsound judgements take place on a daily basis across our entire society. So normalised are these unsound judgements that they are treated as accidents with a 'there but for the grace of' type attitude. People almost seem to empathise more with the perpetrator than the victim.

On the rides themselves I really don't see what more you could do to make them any safer. The level of advice and support is incredibly high. I have ridden them having slept during the day and without sleep, I prefer the with sleep option, from a personal enjoyment angle. But either way it still wouldn't cross my mind that I would be fit to drive afterwards. More importantly it wouldn't cross my mind that you, or anyone else, was in some way responsible for my decision making process.

 

[dellzeqq]

He says he didn't fall asleep and has blamed a leg cramp, but to be honest the little I've read has him coming across as an alpha type that wouldn't be likely to listen to advice.

he came across to me as a young man looking forward to a cycling holiday, who came along with three friends very happy in each others company. On the night he scarcely stopped smiling. If memory serves one of the four was a little slower than the others and had to put up with some gentle teasing at every stop, which he did with good grace.

And, as someone has wisely said, he was in a head-on crash with another car...but he was driving an X5, which is very heavy and has a lifted front end. All of this is speculation - but, if he had stuck with his mates he might not have crashed, and if he had been driving a normal saloon car the man in the other car might not have been killed. And so it goes on.........

I think I'm going to up the ante in the pre-ride e-mails a bit next year, though, as Stuart suggests

 

[ianrauk]

yes I remember the chaps now.
One had a TT bike which a lot of people thought strange for the type of ride, and one of them recognised me from my daily commute.

The crash is a sad state of affairs. A very silly mistake to have made.

 

[deckertim]

Very sad news for all involved and I am glad that Simon has made the right decision to continue with the FNRTTC, which are so impeccably organised and where everything possible is done to keep us all safe. I suppose it is a salutary reminder to us all that we have a responsibility to each other when it comes to fatigue. I had a nasty incident last year when cycling down the steep hill into Faversham when I nodded off, luckily I didn't crash, but it was a close run thing. I had travelled back from an overseas trip earlier in the week and with hindsight I probably should have avoided the ride. I also pulled out of the October ride because I had not been sleeping much during the week due to some work issues.

Driving when tired can be very dangerous and I would certainly avoid it, but sometimes situations can make this hard to avoid. I was in the Army for several years and have driven and seen people drive when tired and also seen the consequences, so now I would stop at the first sign of any fatigue and have a nap.

 

[mcshroom]

I must admit that I have been known to drive back from FNRttCs. I don't think it would be possible without having a kip in the car before setting off home however.

I've done a lot of night driving over the years, and my memories of those trips are of cars ploughed into ditches at about 3am. On the A1 I used to see about one of these a trip. It is not worth driving while tired, Parking up and sleeping for an hour is a lot faster than getting home (if you are lucky) after an ambulance and A&E .

The story is tragic and a reminder of how dangerous driving a car is, but I'm glad you have not decided to stop Dellzeqq as there is little you can do about what people do after they have left the ride.

 

[StuartG]

Dell also has the problem that if he gave up - the rest of us wouldn't. Of course if he felt there was someone both more dedicated and competent to lead the rides that would not be a problem.

If only ...

 

[mmmmartin]

someone both more dedicated and competent to lead the rides

Hahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!
Ahha! hahahahha! That'll be the day............