My Closest Near Miss - WTF!

[magnatom]

It might have some effect on my hearing, but can you really credibly say it would cause me to miss the change in engine note? I can tell you from experience that I can hear plenty more than enough to hear this, and far quieter things than necessary for my safety.

By your own admission you're not talking from experience.

Agreed. It isn't from my own experience. However, I have some experience and knowledge in the effects of certain sounds (i.e. MRI scanner noise) when it is background to (i.e muffled by headphones) stimulus sounds. It has been shown that the background noise, even after significant attenuation has a modulating effect on brain activations resulting from the stimulus sound (this can be a problem in some brain studies). It hasn't been shown, but it is certainly reasonable to assume that by attenuating sound and overlaying noise (i.e. music) over the stimulus sounds (i.e. cars etc) that the brains ability to decipher their meaning is in some way numbed.

Now I will freely admit to tha fact that this study hasn't (at least to knowledge which is a bit patchy in this area) been done, but with current knowledge it is a reasonable hypothesis.

Actually there is probably a good fMRI study there, with implications to road safety!

Yippee I've managed to merge work and cycling!

 

[hackbike 666]

No change in meaning by me there, and you're still this: WRONG.

Cycling is a very safe activity.

It's safe to an extent.

 

[Eat MY Dust]

I tried wearing headphone but found them useless at speeds above 18mph(ish) as the wind noise drowned the music out. I spend most of my commute above 20mph and I could only hear music at the traffic lights so didn't see the point. In fact, when commuting I sometimes can't hear cars coming up behind me due to wind noise, especially above 30 mph and that's without headphones. I do understand that some of the slower riders (not naming any names......Mags) will not have experienced this!!

 

[Arch]

On the 'very safe' count: I don't think you can define any activity as 'very safe'. What is 'very'? It is a certain number of injuries per 1000 users? Or by milage, or over time? You can certainly say something is more, or less, safe than something else - if you can carry out a valid comparison...

Anyway, since snapper mentions the laughing, smirking passenger, it sounds like this was actually a hilarious joke, and obviously, the driver was perfectly in control of the whole situation, and we should all have a jolly good laugh about it...

No matter how safe something is, you can't account for willful idiots like that. Glad you made it ok, Snapper.

 

[snapper_37]

Anyway, since snapper mentions the laughing, smirking passenger, it sounds like this was actually a hilarious joke, and obviously, the driver was perfectly in control of the whole situation, and we should all have a jolly good laugh about it...

No matter how safe something is, you can't account for willful idiots like that. Glad you made it ok, Snapper.

Thanks Arch. It might have been even more 'hilarious' if one of our HGVs had have come screeching out the gate to turn left, right into his path.

Anyway, looking forward to a nice rumble home tonight. I'd still rather be on my trusty little BianchiBabe anytime ........ and wearing headphones *slinks away*

 

[cheadle hulme]

I tried wearing headphone but found them useless at speeds above 18mph(ish) as the wind noise drowned the music out. I spend most of my commute above 20mph and I could only hear music at the traffic lights so didn't see the point. In fact, when commuting I sometimes can't hear cars coming up behind me due to wind noise, especially above 30 mph and that's without headphones. I do understand that some of the slower riders (not naming any names......Mags) will not have experienced this!!

Same here, can't hear a thing usually. Maybe its down to individual earlobe shape??

Mirror for keeping an eye on things (doesn't vibrate at all), look behind before committing to a maneouvre or when unsure.

 

[Arch]

Thanks Arch. It might have been even more 'hilarious' if one of our HGVs had have come screeching out the gate to turn left, right into his path.

Oh yes, assuming you didn't get mashed in the process, that would have been fun.

I find at moments like that, I amuse myself by laying a really imaginative curse on the idiot. I have no evidence that I have any ability at this sort of thing, but calling down a plague of boils on someone is very satisfying...

 

[Cromcruaich]

And how much closer would they be if you took out all the motorway miles that motor vehicles do since this will heavily weight the supposed safety against cycling?

Didn't appear to change the weighting in favour of the motorcycles did it. A mile is a mile, its an excellent measure of use - infact take out the motorway miles and the fatalities that occur on them and the weighting could well go the other way. RTA fatalities are much more likely when driving at higher speed. i'll wait for you to track down the statistics, save me the trouble of scouring the doc.

Not particularly passing comment on either side of the discussion - just highlighting some facts rather than conjecture.

 

[snapper_37]

That's probably the daft thing about it. I wouldn't really want any harm to come to the muppet which makes me feel a wuss as he obviously had no regard for my health and temper.

A nice police thrashing while I hid round the corner laughing would have probably sufficed.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Thanks Arch. It might have been even more 'hilarious' if one of our HGVs had have come screeching out the gate to turn left, right into his path.

I used to dream of being carved up while on the way to work, then seeing the same motorist later on while I was at work and scaring the crap out of him with my truck. "Hah! Not so funny now I've got 18 wheels instead of two, is it!"
It never happened, more's the pity.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I coudn't ride with headphones. Apart from the road safety issues which may or may not exist (and I would feel uncomfortable deliberately impairing one of my senses), I like to actually listen to music on good quality speakers. Having the traffic noise interrupting it, or a constant background of wind noise, would defeat the object of listening to it in the first place.
Glad you're OK, Snapper.

 

[hackbike 666]

I have no problem and I have been using them since 1985.

I try not to make it obvious with the motons though.Don't know why but I just wont.

I tried wearing headphone but found them useless at speeds above 18mph(ish) as the wind noise drowned the music out. I spend most of my commute above 20mph and I could only hear music at the traffic lights so didn't see the point. In fact, when commuting I sometimes can't hear cars coming up behind me due to wind noise, especially above 30 mph and that's without headphones. I do understand that some of the slower riders (not naming any names......Mags) will not have experienced this!!

You must have big ears.

 

[Riding in Circles]

Thanks Arch. It might have been even more 'hilarious' if one of our HGVs had have come screeching out the gate to turn left, right into his path.

He would have just pulled in and ran you down.

 

[fossyant]

Despite having average hearing and tinnitus, I can hear cars coming usually, but plus 20 it get's harder....

I'd say cycling is safer than not doing any exercise, and the fitter you get (and more experienced) the better your chances in an accident. I work one a biggy about every 3 years..... seems to work with me....still doesn't stop me, but I've been a bit jittery at side junctions recently......

 

[snapper_37]

He would have just pulled in and ran you down.

Yes, probably, which is why it was just a daydream scenario that I wouldn't have wished would happen anyway Cat.

I must be having a day of it as had 5 small incidents coming home tonight - pulling out on junctions, pulling out on islands, passing too close - unless it's me being paranoid and a bit pissed off.

Included a racked out Escort with exhaust kissing terra, full of lads in those soft 'Heidi' hats with pigtails, shouting 'tw@t' as they passed.

With those hats, who really looks the tw@t?