Quite a Shocking Article

[Psyclist]

I know the death rates for others (such as diseases and pedestrians) is higher, just thought that it's still a lot of people who've died nonetheless.
It kind of hit me with a pinch of reality when reading it, as to how the possibilities are of a fatality can be.
I can rely on my experience of cycling, but I can't rely on the motorist, and that's what scares me when out on the roads.

This article also shows how easy it is to not see a cyclist, and what drivers should be taught, quite an interesting read:

"What an RAF pilot can teach us about being safe on the road"

I've ridden roads for a while now, but an accident is always waiting to happen at any time.

 

[Drago]

No death in my sleep, or from a lingering illness for me. I want to go in such a way as gives my ranking officers as much paperwork as possible. Fighting a terrorist trained tiger in a leaking nuclear reactor is for me.

Death will come my way one day, and while I'm not mad enough to embrace it im also not weak enough to spend my tine fearing. It's not really living if your actions are so terribly restrained due to the thought of dying.

 

[PpPete]

I don't ride in heavy traffic very often, but when I do, I quite enjoy the challenge of making good swift progress whilst riding in such a way that however stupid or blind the motorists, it minimises the chances of impact, or mitigates the consequences of any impact. Some places that means quite defensive, others places more aggressively. There is one mini roundabout near us, can't count the number of near misses I've had, I tend ride into it now with one shoulder hunched up all ready to initiate a para roll across a bonnet, cos I just know it's going to happen one day.

 

[srw]

I can't rely on the motorist

Yes you can. The enormously overwhelmingly large majority of motorists really, really, really don't want to kill or injure you.

 

[Graham]

Surely all this talk of dying from disease/old age etc is off point. Dying of old age/disease is not someone else's fault. Cyclists are dying due to the fault of someone else - car/van/lorry/bus drivers. Not every time, but most of the time. This is what makes the numbers quite horrible, regardless of the statistics about how safe it is.

I agree with Mickle - How could a lorry driver sat 10ft up inside a lump of steel ever be injured when they run over a cyclist. Like anyone GAF about the driver when they've just killed a cyclist.

Slightly ranty, sorry.

 

[Hip Priest]

No death in my sleep, or from a lingering illness for me. I want to go in such a way as gives my ranking officers as much paperwork as possible. Fighting a terrorist trained tiger in a leaking nuclear reactor is for me.

Death will come my way one day, and while I'm not mad enough to embrace it im also not weak enough to spend my tine fearing. It's not really living if your actions are so terribly restrained due to the thought of dying.

Dying well is an important part of living well.

 

[Psyclist]

Yes you can. The enormously overwhelmingly large majority of motorists really, really, really don't want to kill or injure you.

They don't want to, but they do make mistakes. If you read that article I linked, it shows how unaware motorists really can be.
Not saying I'm 100% road conscious, but I'm certain that I am more aware than a driver on the road. I guess drivers have to be cyclists to know better about cyclists themselves.

On that note; I don't drive, so can't vouch for being a motorist. I don't know if motorists learn on their theory about cyclist arm signals, or how much space to give etc. but if they don't, they should do. It would create less road rage/carnage, and maybe teach people to be more aware of each other on the roads.

 

[snorri]

It kind of hit me with a pinch of reality when reading it, as to how the possibilities are of a fatality can be.

There can be little doubt that a list of names with age and brief details of cause of death will have a much more sobering effect than simply publishing the number of deaths, but the effect would be the same for any category of fatality be it due to illness or accident.

 

[Psyclist]

There can be little doubt that a list of names with age and brief details of cause of death will have a much more sobering effect than simply publishing the number of deaths, but the effect would be the same for any category of fatality be it due to illness or accident.

I see what you mean. It's just the fact it's to do with cyclists. Yes, 119 people is a small number compared to other types of death, but it's still a lot of people. I posted the article to share with everybody, to hope that people are aware of it. Didn't mean to scare anybody, just tried to hope that people take care out there.

 

[snorri]

just tried to hope that people take care out there.

I hope it didn't appear that I was critical of your OP.

Cycle safely

 

[jazzkat]

What I found 'unpleasant' about the list was the number of HGV, Taxi and bus drivers were involved. I know we all say that "blah, blah, blah bus driver did this, taxi did that" but these are people who drive thousands of miles a year as their job.
As horrible as it may be for them to have been involved and I'm sure they will have it on their conscience for the rest of their lives, people are not going home to their loved ones because of a lapse in concentration or a very poor misjudgement. I'd throw the book at them - no I'd throw the whole bloomin' library, but sadly if they get prosecuted at all it will be the 'don't be a naughty boy again' kind of punishment.

I drive as part of my job and clock up approx 20,000 miles a year doing it. There is no excuse for this to be happening, but until the politicians are prepared to take on the might of the motorist and challenge the Mr Toad attitude on our roads it will not change.

Sorry got on a bit of a rant there

 

[srw]

What I found 'unpleasant' about the list was the number of HGV, Taxi and bus drivers were involved. I know we all say that "blah, blah, blah bus driver did this, taxi did that" but these are people who drive thousands of miles a year as their job.

...which is probably part of the reason (I haven't done the maths) why they're over-represented in the list.

I acknowledge the known problem about HGVs and buses - being up the left of them is dangerous. If no cyclist ever went up the left of an HGV or a bus the list would be shorter.

 

[jazzkat]

A long time ago I was told by an ex police driving instructor that there are no such thing as accidents only incidents. An accident implies it was no ones fault and no matter how slight someone is always at fault. In your example beano, was it the cyclist who didn't look or felt he had a right to go regardless or was it the lorry driver who didn't see him or anticipate the cyclist might do something erratic?
SRW I completely understand about the riding up the inside of lorries and buses, but again is it totally the fault of the cyclist (I don't want to open that point up for debate because I know the arguments) has the truck got sensors fitted? Has the local council removed the railings from the corners?

I think the fundamental problem is that 'the powers that be' at the moment will just shrug and say "well, cycling is dangerous" and 'let the motorist off'. I'm a member of the IAM and as far as I'm concerned if I ever hit something in my car it would be my fault for not responding correctly to the situation I was in.

Thankfully the vast majority of drivers do drive well. Sadly it only needs one bad one to take it all away.

 

[Boris Bajic]

A long time ago I was told by an ex police driving instructor that there are no such thing as accidents only incidents. An accident implies it was no ones fault and no matter how slight someone is always at fault. In your example beano, was it the cyclist who didn't look or felt he had a right to go regardless or was it the lorry driver who didn't see him or anticipate the cyclist might do something erratic?
SRW I completely understand about the riding up the inside of lorries and buses, but again is it totally the fault of the cyclist (I don't want to open that point up for debate because I know the arguments) has the truck got sensors fitted? Has the local council removed the railings from the corners?

I think the fundamental problem is that 'the powers that be' at the moment will just shrug and say "well, cycling is dangerous" and 'let the motorist off'. I'm a member of the IAM and as far as I'm concerned if I ever hit something in my car it would be my fault for not responding correctly to the situation I was in.

Thankfully the vast majority of drivers do drive well. Sadly it only needs one bad one to take it all away.

I agree absolutely with the observation that the majority of drivers drive well. I think the majority of all road users are considerate, courteous and skilled.

However, whilst I quite understand the point about accidents and incidents, I disagree. I've been involved in several accidents.

Ex-Police Driving Instructors are wonderful people and know a great deal about vehicle dynamics and human reactions. They are many things, most of them good, but they are not lexicographers.

Within his or her professional duties, someone may speak only of incidents. There may be one or more reasons for this.

However, the term 'accident' does not signify or imply absence of fault. If through negligence, inattention clumsiness I do something by accident and damage results, this damage may be described as having been caused by an accident.

If I drop a saucer in the kitchen or skid into a bus queue in my car, both may be entirely my fault. If they are not deliberate acts, they are accidents.

The Police may have their reasons for not using the word 'accident'. That doesn't mean they don't happen and that the word cannot be correctly used to describe a traffic collision.

Incident? Schmincident!

 

[User16625]

I read the fatalities list, it's sobering thought! When i'm out cycling i'm more concerned about the impact my death or serious injury would have on my family, rather than being concerned about me too much.

What bothers me most about death is the transition to it. Its almost always excruciatingly painful, your either sick as a dog or your innards become exposed. Death itself is nice and peaceful, just like before you were born.