My Closest Near Miss - WTF!

[hackbike 666]

Ignore them.

 

[dessertwarrior]

snapper - you could always try reporting said twunt to the Police.

I know, I know ... highly unlikely to result in anything but you never know. It is possible that your complaint may show up when the idiot is caught doing something else & results in a ban or bigger fine (feeling optimistic today).

Glad your encounter did not result in contact though.

 

[snapper_37]

Actually Desert - I have just found out that there are cameras on the lights and overlooking the junction. It may be worth a phonecall I suppose.

 

[beanzontoast]

I'm sorry you took the whole safety discussion personally because of this - but that's not my fault. Cycling is still a very safe activity, pointing out the times when something went wrong isn't going to change that.

No, it isn't your fault. No worries!

Not to extend the debate, but rather just to clarify... In fact my accident didn't change how I felt - I'd expressed my thoughts on the 'cycling is very safe' message long before that. I can't even say I feel any more strongly about it since the accident, and I didn't mean to introduce it as 'look what happened to me' corroborating evidence. How we approach cycling is obviously and quite rightly a matter of personal choice. Beginners in particular have no experience to draw upon though, and personally, I wouldn't encourage someone just starting out by saying 'it's safe - you'll be fine'. I'd say 'do what you can to be safe - and watch out for other road users in particular'.

 

[Eat MY Dust]

I find cycling very safe. BUT, the problem is that even the smallest of accidents can end in major damage. A small slip on the bike can result in multiple broken bones etc. You can drive around all day in your car having small bumps and scrapes and it's never going to affect you. So with that thought, cycling is dangerous, but only when you're having accidents.

Is that as clear as mud!?!?!

 

[Crackle]

I find cycling very safe. BUT, the problem is that even the smallest of accidents can end in major damage. A small slip on the bike can result in multiple broken bones etc. You can drive around all day in your car having small bumps and scrapes and it's never going to affect you. So with that thought, cycling is dangerous, but only when you're having accidents.

Is that as clear as mud!?!?!

No that's clear. The risk is small but the consequence is greater, same as travelling by plane, low risk but huge potential for death if there is an accident, recent ditching notwithstanding.

 

[hackbike 666]

I find cycling very safe. BUT, the problem is that even the smallest of accidents can end in major damage. A small slip on the bike can result in multiple broken bones etc. You can drive around all day in your car having small bumps and scrapes and it's never going to affect you. So with that thought, cycling is dangerous, but only when you're having accidents.

Is that as clear as mud!?!?!

Aye that's the way I look at it.

Sometimes you look in a hopeless situation and just need that bit of luck.Unfortunately I didn't get that luck three years ago but I was almighty close to getting away with it.

 

[BentMikey]

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!!

Wind? What wind? There's no wind down here, no wonder I can still hear cars and my music.

Actually, I get more and more wind noise at 30 plus, so it still happens on a 'bent.

 

[BentMikey]

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.

Nice try, but I very much doubt that runs the way you're trying to suggest. Motorways are far far safer than urban roads, with far fewer accidents.

 

[Eat MY Dust]

Actually, I get more and more wind at 30 plus, so it still happens on a 'bent.

Must be the way you're sitting!

 

[hackbike 666]

Motorways are far far safer than urban roads, with far fewer accidents.

I guess so but I always,well recently made a whatnot that would not go on the Motorway if it was foggy.I did a few years back and it scared the whatnot out of me.

 

[BentMikey]

That's the bad thing about aerodynamics on a bent. It's why wedgies have a farthole in the seat, right?

 

[Wolf04]

Headphones debate

Glad you escaped unhurt Snapper.
As for the headphone debate I think discussing whether they diminish hearing is something of a red herring the point is you are actively listening to music. This means that a percentage of your concentration is taken up with that rather than focusing of cycling and safety. I can't speak from experience while cycling but have certainly been shocked out of my musical dream world while listening to MP3 player while walking. I seem to remember somewhere like New York was considering banning headphones because of the number of injuries caused by inattention (though it may have been a quiet news day).

http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/New_legislation_may_effectively_ban_iPod_use_in_parts_of_New_York_state

 

[snapper_37]

Hi Wolf, thanks.

I don't know if BM will agree (and other ear phone wearers) but I don't 'listen' to the music really. It's as though it's just background noise - same as when I have music in the car. I don't have it full volume either and have plenty of 'eartime' for what's going on around me.

Sounds silly, but it also seems to block out the noise of the wind making it easier to hear especially on downhills.

Been doing it for years so I suppose it's just each to their own.

 

[BentMikey]

I'm sure I wouldn't listen to the music if I got all involved in it. It's also why if I got a phone call I pull over and stop, even though it's on my bluetooth headphones.