How dangerous is cycling?

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Jake

New Member
no matter how careful you are, there is alwasy a nutter in a bigger tuffer faster viechle waiting/wanting to run you over.
 

Jaded

New Member
Jake said:
no matter how careful you are, there is alwasy a nutter in a bigger tuffer faster viechle waiting/wanting to run you over.

I know.

Luckily that's only for pedestrians :becool:
 
I think the risk from cycling falls somewhere between the risk from knitting and from base jumping. I know which one I'd rather do, so I'm not sure what that says about the risk of cycling......
 

dondare

Über Member
Location
London
Jake said:
and the glorious BBC says:

Road deaths fall to record lows
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7635345.stm


They are, in spite of what's just happened the roads are getting safer. Last year the number of deaths was less than 3000 for the first time since records were started 40 years ago.

As far as cyclists in London are concerned the trend is the same, here's another quote:
"In 2005, 20 cyclists were killed and 338 injured on London's roads. In 2006, 18 were killed and 349 injured and last year 14 died and 253 were injured."

At this rate it'll be none at all in 7 to 10 years time.
 

Shady

Active Member
Location
Isle of Man
If you want to get the specifics here's a good website link for the stats for 2007 :

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistic...ns/accidents/casualtiesmr/rcgbmainresults2007

But the important bit for us cyclists is :

"The number of pedal cyclists killed fell by 7 per cent from 146 in 2006 to 136 in 2007. The number of seriously injured rose by 6 per cent to 2,428. The total casualties among pedal cyclists remained at the same level as 2006."

Also if you are interested :

"Very few, if any, fatal accidents do not become known to the police. However, research conducted on behalf of the Department in the 1990's has shown that a significant proportion of non-fatal injury accidents are not reported to the police. In addition, some casualties reported to the police are not recorded and the severity of injury tends to be underestimated."

The highest number of deaths on the road are car drivers/passengers but that is due to the massive amounts of them on the road - if you are basing it on amount of deaths compared to amount on/near the road then one specific group, stands out as a clear winner, which is ...

...

...

...

...

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Pedestrians! - so if you are worried about cycling on the road, then be more worried about walking near any roads again!!

There are roughly 5 times as many pedestrian deaths a year compared to cyclists, but remember the old phrase which relates to all road users - "You could get hit by a bus tomorrow".

Life's too short to worry about risks otherwise you would never leave the house, but then again there are a staggering number of deaths from accidents in the home as well - better live in a concrete bunker away from the world, but then again.....;)
 

byegad

Legendary Member
Location
NE England
dondare said:
Just checked this; it's not a fatal head injury every 3000 years, it's a fatal or serious accident every 20,000 years.
That 3000 figure might be 3000 million miles.

I better start worrying, the way I came over the last bank today I feel 19,999 years old today!
 

pinkkaz

Veteran
Location
London
Shady said:
There are roughly 5 times as many pedestrian deaths a year compared to cyclists, but remember the old phrase which relates to all road users - "You could get hit by a bus tomorrow".

Although there are presumably more than 5 times as many cyclists full stop compared to pedestrians!
 

Trillian

New Member
alp1950 said:
How dangerous is cycling?

If cycling is really that dangerous we shouldn't just stop with the helmet, don't we need body armour as well?


"its a car problem, why try to solve it with a styrofoam hat?"

ps, i do choose to wear a helmet
 
OP
OP
alp1950

alp1950

Well-Known Member
Location
Balmore
Shady said:
If you want to get the specifics here's a good website link for the stats for 2007 :

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistic...ns/accidents/casualtiesmr/rcgbmainresults2007

palinurus said:
Wardlaw, Cycling & Risk

I've posted this link before when this subject comes up. It's worth Googling the author and looking up some of his other papers too.

Thanks Palinurus and Shady, I guessed that someone would link to the appropriate papers. Not sure I believe this stuff about it being more dangerous to be a pedestrian..sure there are more casualties but what's the denominator? (I bet there are at least 100 pedestrians for each cyclist). What is striking is how much more dangerous it is to ride motor bikes: roughly same number of overall incidents as cyclists, but motor cyclists much more likely to be killed or seriously injured.

dondare said:
3000 miles is a misprint or some such. The probability of a fatal head injury is once every 3000 years of cycling.
This figure had to be wrong, nice to have it confirmed.
 

hackbike 6

New Member
Saw another pedestrian lying on the pavement this time...Incident down the Romford Road @ Forest Gate going towards Ilford approx 6:45pm guess she had been hit by the car that had stopped...Saw an ambulance car thingy proceeding from Ilford direction to attend the scene...Hope she was alright.

Had an incident of my own...Was absolutely haring down from Whipps Cross on my return from Ilford...Yes I know I overtook a car on the inside (shock horror) as I was under the impression the car driver wasn't concentrating then one of BM's mates with no lights or anything reflective drove right off of the pavement onto the ped crossing onto the road in the same direction I was travelling (POB).I saw him very late due to a dark bit of pavement though managed to blow the horn as I passed him while also shouting 'Twat'....neither provoked any reaction but that was one hell of an instinctive reaction considering I didn't know how close that car was behind me.
 

hackbike 6

New Member
Yes but I absolutely didn't see this POB till I was 10/20 yards off of him plus the fact of the movement off of the pavement onto the road.I missed him and saved myself but people can't ride like that surely?
 
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