It’s alright for CB to ride thro London on their lovely cycle lanes it’s another thing here mixing it with traffic who don’t give a damn about the cyclist. Just look at the picture of the Dutch cyclists they have a great government who understands their need for cheap, healthy transport and are backed up with a very sensible population as unlike here. I shall continue riding with my cycle helmet, high vis, flashing lights and rear view mirror, planning my route to avoid as much traffic as possible. Now in my 77th year I want to continue cycling as safely as possible I’m not for giving up jest yet. Good article by the way Chris.
But again, notmwishing to drag it into a helmet discussion, bonce potties are not designed or intended to protect you in a vehicular collision, and there is little evidence florries reduce casualty rates (by far the largest individual study shows no casualty reduction linked to their use, although small studies and some statistical analyses disafree to a minor extent.)
There is also evidence that daytime light usage can actually promote collisions in certain scenarios, not reduce them.
The pursuit of safety is rarely linked in any way to perceived common sense on the subject. Forget common sense - it aint common, and it rarely actually makes sense when one examines the data. Unless something is reasonably proven to make you safer you should not expect it to do so, and you should also expect unintended consequences.
I fear what you have actually done is given yourself a comfort blanket and are now paying little heed to tactics that would genuinely promote your safety on the road. For example, how often do we see riders glowing like the big spaceship from Close Encounters, yet riding in the gutter and never deviating their gaze more than 5 degrees from straight ahead, even as they pass junctions and other hazards? They've done nothing to actually make themselves any 'safer'.
Your fundamental point about societal attitudes is bang one and that would be the biggest contributor to a safer riding environment. However, when one looks at measures riders take personally to reduce the risk of collision or injury most actually are proven to do little, and those that may make a difference are often rendered ineffective by the riders poor roadcraft and situational awareness.
