Its all the students fault. Apparently

[Cab]

News story here:

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/cn_news_home/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=453651

Selected quotes:

NEW students cycling on roads for the first time in Cambridge may be putting themselves and motorists at risk.

Note that there is no data on how motorists are put at risk...

Figures from Cambridgeshire County Council indicate a rise in the number of accidents involving cyclists between September, when few students have arrived in the city, and October, when the full complement is in residence.

In October last year there were 22 per cent more bike accidents in Cambridge than the month before. In 2007 there was an increase of 162.5 per cent between September and October and the year before it was 71 per cent.

So there are more cyclists on the road when the students are in town, and therefore there are more accidents; note that the number of accidents per cyclist is not a quoted stat. Oh, and the year on year variation is huge, probably indicating that small differences in absolute numbers make for a big percentage difference.

A taxi driver working in the city, who did not wish to be named, said:

"The number of dangerous cyclists picked up last week. They don't look where they are going, they wobble all over the road, ride next to each other
* all without lights. It's really dangerous, you have to be very careful".

So to find out about bike safety they asked a cabbie. Who blames the cyclists for wobbling all over the road (read: riding on the road), riding next to each other (read: legally riding two abreast to make a larger target and make best use of road space where there are, literally, dozens of cyclists all going the same way), and they haven't got lights (read: it isn't dark).

I've posted a response to the article, more informed pro-cyclist comments wouldn't go amiss...

 

[MajorMantra]

Not wishing to agree with what is the usual lazy journalism but don't you agree that the standard of cycling in Cambridge amongst students isn't terribly high? That was certainly my observation. Also, I seem to remember seeing a great many cyclists without lights at night, though that's common wherever you go in the UK.

Matthew

 

[Will1985]

Why should it just be cycling? Freshers are a danger unto themselves. Several get killed each year, usually from stepping out in front of cars. A lot more don't pay attention when walking about. I've already had a several near misses in the past month, mostly involving groups of international students.

With regards to the article, +1 to MajorMantra's comments.

I think I can safely say that my lifestyle as a fresher did not make me like them!

 

[marinyork]

Not wishing to agree with what is the usual lazy journalism but don't you agree that the standard of cycling in Cambridge amongst students isn't terribly high? That was certainly my observation. Also, I seem to remember seeing a great many cyclists without lights at night, though that's common wherever you go in the UK.

Matthew

no it's not.

 

[Cab]

Not wishing to agree with what is the usual lazy journalism but don't you agree that the standard of cycling in Cambridge amongst students isn't terribly high? That was certainly my observation. Also, I seem to remember seeing a great many cyclists without lights at night, though that's common wherever you go in the UK.

The standard amongst students isn't terribly high. I wouldn't disagree there. But the article is dreadful; classic 'they're in my way' stuff really.

 

[MajorMantra]

no it's not.

Ok, well it's common here (Edinburgh) and it's common in Cambridge and I've seen plenty of complaints on this forum from other parts of the country about it so I assumed it was common there too.

Cycling 'ninjas' are everywhere IME.

Matthew

 

[marinyork]

...I've seen plenty of complaints on this forum from other parts of the country about it so I assumed it was common there too.

Cycling 'ninjas' are everywhere IME.

Don't I know it. I do a lot of night time cycling, more than most of the people on the forum who rabbit on about NINJAs...

In anycase I think it is a poor article. It doesn't take any account any cyclical cycling issues we all know about, it just alludes to them and blames the students anyway. I suspect the original idea was about bikeability and then some journalistic moron put their own shallow spin on it for "balance" that they could feel all warm and fuzzy about.

 

[jonesy]

Unfortunately, while badly reported, there is a serious issue here, and it is something that I've noticed in Oxford- every year thousands of students come from places that don't have a cycling culture and usually have little experience of cycling on roads. They then spend three years riding round Oxbridge on shitty bikes, very often without lights, simply because it is the easiest and cheapest way to get around; but often have a bad experience because of the shittyness of their bikes and their lack of riding skill, and so go away from Oxbridge at the end of their degrees with lots of stories of how dangerous cycling is and no intention whatsover of continuing to cycle in their future lives.

What a wasted opportunity! If people had a more positive experience of cycling as students, for example because they were given training and road better bikes, and didn't have crappy cycling facilities to have to use, then we'd have thousands of people leaving those cities every year with much greater willingness to take up cycling in other places, and bringing a much more positive attitude towards cycling into their future careers, where, let's not forget, those students will very often be in positions of influence.

 

[Archie_tect]

Unfortunately.... let's not forget, those students will very often be in positions of influence.

... sadly true, but not for the right reasons. [Apologies for the extreme edit].

 

[Cab]

It doesn't help at all that Cambridge has a baffling and unhelpful one way system; so, say, a student comes out of Sydney Sussex college and has to get to, say, the Chemistry department. He's faced with going the wrong way down a one way street for 75 yards and then a more or less clean run down Regent Street to Lensfield Road, or he's got to turn right, turn left at Trinity College past the rising bollards down a street that isn't obviously fair game for a cyclist (it is), through crowds of gawping tourists all the way past Kings, probably on past old Addenbrokes to a nervous little roundabout at which he needs the left of three lanes on his side of the road, and down Lensfield road from the wrong end. Said student is likely to say 'why SHOULDN'T I ride the one way road the wrong way, I'm not harming anyone and its a much safer route.' And thats assuing he even knows he's going the wrong way, theres no sign to tell him that as he comes out of the college!

So, him and the 30 others go the wrong way down Sidney street all at the same time, a taxi driver coming the other way will bellyache about this all day, as he gets his revenge by mistreating every single cyclist he sees all day. At this time of year the incidence of motorists yelling abuse at cyclists out in primary position, or using advance stop boxes, goes through the roof. Aggro on the roads goes from barely-ever to every day or two.

I don't know what the answer is, but I'm fed up with the annual 'bloody cyclists' articles in the local rag.

 

[John the Monkey]

Not wishing to agree with what is the usual lazy journalism but don't you agree that the standard of cycling in Cambridge amongst students isn't terribly high? That was certainly my observation. Also, I seem to remember seeing a great many cyclists without lights at night, though that's common wherever you go in the UK.

I think the difference in the UK is that the drivers feel no obligation to look out for these inexperienced road users, or to slow down or take more care when visibility is poor or at night time, even in built up areas. And somehow, if they hit you, it's become your fault (if you're a pedestrian or a cyclist).

 

[661-Pete]

Note that there is no data on how motorists are put at risk...

Hmmmm.... bending down to sponge the blood off the paintwork.... might put their back out ....

 

[thomas]

A taxi driver working in the city, who did not wish to be named, said:

"The number of dangerous cyclists picked up last week. They don't look where they are going, they wobble all over the road, ride next to each other
* all without lights. It's really dangerous, you have to be very careful".

IMO the taxi driver should be "very careful" around cyclists anyway...heck, he should just be very careful when driving in general. That shouldn't be any new amazing road skill.

However. I would say that a lot of students are a liability. Certainly as the nights are getting darker I expect to see a lot of ninjas...or, I suppose, technically 'not see' them.

Overall I don't think students are too bad in Norwich, the actual way into UNI is pretty quiet, even at 8-9 oclock.

A few have mentioned shoot bikes. The police held a bike auction at UNI and from what I saw they were all a pile of crap - not worth a penny. I missed the actual bidding as I had a seminar, but apparently they all went for about £65+. I'd of paid about a tenner at most for the ones I saw.

 

[Cab]

IMO the taxi driver should be "very careful" around cyclists anyway...heck, he should just be very careful when driving in general. That shouldn't be any new amazing road skill.

That should go without saying. That having to be very careful is a special consideration... Its stunning, when you think about it.

 

[Bad Company]

I work in Cambridge and believe me the standard of student cycling is generally awful.