How Dangerous Is Cycling?

[BenM]

only ever been in one accident involving another vehicle. I was filtering down the inside of a line of cars (I was young and stupid) and a car turned right across the line of stationary cars. Pretzled the front wheel and I went over the handlebars. Bruised, shaken and learned the lesson!

B.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

It's way safer than refereeing (or playing) rugby union

 

[MacB]

No that I'm disagreeing with you ... but I saw a piece on the news this week about how some of the driver training can actually increase the rates of accidents. They suggested the outcome of many driver training schemes was that there was an increase in confidence in their ability, thus increasing the number of accidents on the road. The example they gave to back this up was skid pan training - that afterwards the driver felt they were better able to deal with the consequences of a skid so drove faster in conditions when a skid might be possible.

I've been thinking over this abit and whether it applies to cycling as well in some respects - that I think I can become complacent with my abilities and maybe take more risks because I think I have relatively quick reactions.

If that is the case how do we loose this over-confidence without loosing some of the benefits of training.

I think that's a good point, it's not only the young and inexperienced who drive beyond their abilities for the conditions. Yes there will be overconfidence from all types of road users but vulnerable ones have a much greater personal risk due to this. Maybe that personal risk needs to be equalised by reducing the in car safety levels.

The old spike in the middle of the steering wheel might work.

 

[biking_fox]

I was looking up the accident rates for an argument on a different forum. IIRC it's 1 death per 30 million miles cycled. Even i was surprised at just how safe cycling is.

I think part of the problem is the perception issue - minor car accidents rarely result in anything more than scratched paint, but the same bump will put a cyclist on the ground. Hardly fatal, but definetly noticable. And hence percieved as more dangerous.


measuring and comparing risk and/or harm outcomes of two persuits is very very tricky to do 'right'.

 

[hackbike 666]

Cycling is dangerous due to idiots in tin boxes.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

My 3 offs in the past 15 years have been 1 x diesel and 2 x ice which did not include anyone else.

Get a trike if you can't learn to balance!

 

[addictfreak]

Thankfully I have not been involved in a cycling accident. But have had more than a few near misses!

But was rear ended in a works car I was driving yesterday. Young female driving too fast for the conditions and not able to stop in time.

 

[4F]

Get a trike if you can't learn to balance!

LOL good spot

 

[MacB]

Thinking on it I've been clipped by an overtaking lorry once, was lucky I stayed upright - entirely outside my control

I fell over at traffic lights when trying out clipless pedals - not to be repeated but obviously my fault and avoidable

Went in to front of taxi when I made a last second decision to turn into a no entry point - my fault and cracked bone in wrist, so avoidable

Yet I've twice had drinks thrown over me by passing motorists, I've been swerved at deliberately by people I've exhanged words with, I've seen the same happen to others on rides, I've seen others have drinks thrown over them and I've seen several failed attempts to throw things at myself and other cyclists. As for kids hanging out of cars and screaming abuse, no shortage there.

So I make that one serious incident, it did shake me up and I cycled home that night with a fair amount of trepidation. But the incident was partly due to my inexperience, I knew there was no room for a lorry to go by and, foolishly, assumed that the lorry driver would also recognise this. The same situation now would see me in a more primary position due to a lack of trust on my part.

 

[400bhp]

I've not been in a cycling accident (with another vehicle).

I've fallen off 3 times in the last 12 months - rwice in one day. Went over and slid down the road on ice and then slipped on my backside as I was walking with the bike over a footbridge

Funnily enough, back when I started cycling in the late 80's / early 90's I don't remember any near misses which seem to be an every day occurance now. Perhaps its an age thing?

 

[redfalo]

I moved from Germany to the UK one year ago. In those 12 month I've been asked the "isn't it dangerous?" question while cycling more often than in the 10 years before. I'm not quite sure if that's due to the general health and safety madness or if cycling really is percieved differently in this country.
cycling is dangerous - as dangerous as life in general is

 

[redfalo]

almost all my (mostly minor) accidents in 30 years of cycling have been caused by myself, BTW

 

[661-Pete]

I voted, and then I realised from the discussion that we're not quite clear on what 'accident' means. Well I came off, was knocked out and needed stitches and dental stuff, so I suppose that counts as damage to me - it was 5 years ago. But I'm still at a loss as to what actually happened...

Never mind, the results here should stand, however unpalatable. What should be stressed is, how survivable 99% of cycling accidents are! Else, there wouldn't be anyone on Cyclechat saying, they'd had an accident...

 

[hackbike 666]

I moved from Germany to the UK one year ago. In those 12 month I've been asked the "isn't it dangerous?" question while cycling more often than in the 10 years before. I'm not quite sure if that's due to the general health and safety madness or if cycling really is perceived differently in this country.
cycling is dangerous - as dangerous as life in general is

Not really.I doubt if I will get a lorry driving through my living room or almost collide with a land rover at the same location.
I have yet to collide with three pedestrians in my house while having a car and bus trailing me.

 

[brokenbetty]

A couple of offs in my first year of commuting, both due to peds: one a woman who stepped out without looking or even pausing, the other a group of lads crossing the road in the rain who looked at me then kept going. In both cases I missed the ped but the evasive action had me off: the first over the handlebars, the second a sideways fall. My own inexperience really, I don't think either would have caught me out now.