How Dangerous Is Cycling?

[byegad]

I voted many years, it was about 45 years back.

 

[Matthames]

My last accident was a very long time ago I think I was about 16/17 at the time, it did quite a bit of damage to my bike and I ended up with a bruised shoulder. It was totally my fault though and I could have prevented it, however my cycle roadcraft back then was no where near what it is today.

Basically what had happened is I was riding back home from college when I rode into a back of an illegally parked van. I wasn't paying that much attention to what was going on up ahead and was nervous about positioning myself out a bit further than I should have done, the end result is that I had somebody overtake me when I needed to pull out to overtake the van and thus forced into the back of it. What I should have done was to adopt a primary position at a point when I would need to overtake the van and then go back to a secondary afterwards.

 

[guitarpete247]

Best I almost saw was my younger brother. One sunday we took our bikes to Nan's for regular sunday tea. I, being older, was put in charge of keeping him safe. He's always been a bit of a wayward brother so he set off trying to race me home. I stuck behind him but couldn't resist taking him. As I pulled away I heard a crunch. I turned to see him on the deck beside a parked car. He'd seen me go past and away so tried to get me. He put his head down, went for it and .............. . I then had to explain what had happened when we got home. Why his front wheel was no longer round and what the lump on his head was. We were never allowed to bike there again. We were 12 and 8 at the time. He is still an annoying twonk but this might be down to banging his head into a parked car 42 years ago.

 

[jonny jeez]

I gratefully abstain from voting, on the grounds of good ol' fashioned superstition...

 

[Davidc]

The last accident I had on a bike worthy of the name was in 1998, in a car was 1999. This post made me think - how does my personal accident rate in cars compare with that on a bike. I have a reasonable idea of the mileages for both.

The answer is roughly 1 per 200,000 miles in a car and 1 per 125,000 on a bike.

In a car none were caused by me, on the bike its 50:50

By far the worst injury was in a car. Whiplash. Of the total of 5 accidents 3 were rear endings, 2 in the car and 1 on the bike. Perhaps the nastiest aspect was that the rear ending on the bike was a hit and run - the driver just accelerated away with me in the ditch, him not knowing if I was alive or dead. He was caught after his next hit and run, serial offender.

Life's dangerous. there are masses of serious accidents in the home but it's not perceived as being dangerous. Riding in a car isn't perceived to be dangerous but it's only a bit safer than a bike or motorbike. Being on an aeroplane is perceived by many as dangerous, when its the safest place on (or near) the planet to be. Cycling being dangerous is a perception of the many even though it's no more so than most everyday activities. Bikes look flimsy compared to other things seen on the road which doesn't help.

I don't view cycling as particularly dangerous, same goes for riding in a car and walking down the street. I might get injured or killed doing any of those though, that's just chance.About 6 people a day are killed on the roads in the UK, and about 5 a week of those are cyclists. Injuries are higher of course. (Both are too high, but at least they're lower than in the past).

 

[totallyfixed]

As someone said earlier, depends on how many miles you do. I come off a couple of times per year, all my own fault, never been forced off by anyone else and I do about 10k per year.
To the non cyclist, of course riding a bike is dangerous, must be if so many wear helmets [I don't].

 

[Molecule Man]

Overall, my feeling is that cycling is reasonably safe. I have been cycle commuting (5-20 miles a day) and occasionally touring for about 20 years.

I have never been injured due to another road user's behaviour, though I was once pushed off my bike by a mad (drugged) woman wearing dressing gown and slippers (she made her getaway in a car but she wasn't driving when she attacked me).

I have had a few scrapes and bruises, mostly caused by my own carelessness, but I have counted one of the worst as being beyond my control, about 3 years ago I came off quite badly on a huge pothole that had arisen due to poorly conducted road repairs.

Not surprisingly for London, there have been many incidents of aggression from motorists, but none have resulted in injury or significant damage (my rear mudguard was cracked once when a taxi rolled into the back of me by mistake).

This is part of a slightly different problem with the state of Britain's roads. They may be relatively safe, but they can still be unpleasant. The fear of cycling or walking, and the intimidation of vulnerable road users by motorists, doesn't count towards accident statistics, but does lead to deterioration in quality of life. Most of the time, I quite enjoy the rough-and-tumble of urban cycling, but I can see why many are put off cycling in that sort of environment.

 

[redfalo]

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.

Well, I think you're "misunderestimating" ;-) how many accidents are in fact happening at home. some intetesting figures are available hete, for example http://www.capt.org.uk/pdfs/factsheet home accidents.pdf

 

[GrumpyGregry]

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

Cycling is perceived as dangerous because from childhood people here are conditioned by the road safety 'authorities' to believe that any form of shared space road usage that doesn't involve being the operator of a motor vehicle is fraught with danger. We victimise the victims of King Car. Cyclists then reinforce that perception by wearing hard hats and hi-viz which are only worn elsewhere in the UK in really hazardous situations.

I prefer to wear neither.

 

[MacB]

I prefer to wear neither.

and very nice you look too Greg

 

[ComedyPilot]

How dangerous is cycling: Very dangerous for errant vehicle drivers (and bike thieves, eh Dell?) if we we all 'packing'

I especially like the line. '...and is always ready for dogs and hobos.'

 

[hackbike 666]

Well, I think you're "misunderestimating" ;-) how many accidents are in fact happening at home. some interesting figures are available hete, for example http://www.capt.org....20accidents.pdf

I couldn't care less on accidents at home (and figures) as I base my accidents at home as compared with the risks some people put me under when cycling on the road (and incidents that happen).So figure's don't interest me because a lot of accidents are through stupidity.

I have fallen off due to I wouldn't say stupidity more bad luck or not seeing a bit of oil on the road/mechanical failure...Can't remember my worst accident at home apart from falling on a coffee (table) when I was a kid.Usually get a 240v jolt off of the mains every now and again.Most of it's basic common sense at home not some muppet driving at you because he/she is texting on a mobile phone...or perhaps drowsy as what happens on my 4am commutes.

 

[Crankarm]

Very.

 

[gavintc]

Well depends on how you are cycling. On the 60 mile race I did today, I saw 4 accidents, and one of them would have ended in a broken collar bone, the rest just lost skin and pride. I reckon there were about 250 riders. It was my 2nd race here in Italy and there were more people in ditches on the last one as it started raining 1/2 way through. On both races, the roads were closed - no car drivers could be blamed in any of them.

Personally, I have had a few minor falls, and two reasonably serious ones that ended up in the emergency room; collar bone and some broken fingers.

 

[hackbike 666]

Plus I spend a lot of time at home so hopefully im entitled to some accidents...