Pleasantly surprised

[summerdays]

I have watched and taken part in one of those research threads that get posted on here.... this one was entitled "Safer Cycling Research" and asked various questions including what was the most serious accident you had had. OK it wasn't a huge response but the list of the most serious injuries included: aches and pains, bruising, grazes, pride, road rash, lump on ankle, a couple of people with a broken bone and one head injury. Several respondents hadn't suffered an injury at all.

To me it does show that on the whole that cycling is safe despite what we often see in the commuting section where we vent our frustrations. And I've no idea if it was what the original poster of the questions would have been expecting.

 

[Matthew_T]

The only people who have commented on that thread are alive and on here. Just think about all the cyclists who have been knocked down and killed and arent on here.

 

[summerdays]

But the majority of answers where of the bump, graze variety rather than the doom and gloom that often gets the headlines. Obviously death is excluded in that type of research where you are asking about your personal experience, but the majority of non cyclists - possibly the researcher themselves, think cycling is inherently dangerous.

 

[Maz]

I haven't seen that research thread, but I agree; by and large, injuries are minor, including mine (broken wrist was my worst). I think the dangers of cycling are more 'perceived' than 'actual'. Sadly, there are fatalities that make the headlines which reinforce this perception.

 

[400bhp]

The ones who died or suffered serious injuries can't respond