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Where are those statistics?
Hi All
I was at my son's school last night where the new head teacher was being introduced. As this was a social evening I found a chance to introduce myself to her and politely brought it to her attention that her new school had nowhere to keep bicycles. This I pointed out hardly encouraged the children to cycle to school and may have something to do with approximately 0% of children using this mode of transport. The new head made sympathetic noises but was interrupted by a senior teacher who basically said they would like children to cycle but the roads near the school were far too dangerous. It was not the time or place to enter a debate but I was asked to come along to the next parents council and see about encouraging cycling. So to the title of the post. I intend to go along and point out that despite the school's worries, cycling per mile is actually safer than walking (about half the number of accidents as I recall). So can anyone remember where these statistics are to be found? Thanks a lot -- geomannie |
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#2
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Where are those statistics?
bob wrote:
So to the title of the post. I intend to go along and point out that despite the school's worries, cycling per mile is actually safer than walking (about half the number of accidents as I recall). So can anyone remember where these statistics are to be found? http://www.cyclehelmets.org has quite a bit of stuff on general safety, not /just/ about helmets. http://www.cyclehelmets.org/mf.html?1011 is a good place to start. Pete. -- Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/ |
#3
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Where are those statistics?
cycling per mile is actually safer than
walking (about half the number of accidents as I recall). So can anyone remember where these statistics are to be found? www.statistics.gov.uk and search for passenger death rates. IIRC it's around 30% safer per mile. Rather than go for cycling being safer than walking, I'd argue that they're about the same - it's easier for people to accept and I believe the per hour data swaps the two around. -- Mark T |
#4
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Where are those statistics?
On 24 Aug, 11:49, bob
wrote: Hi All I was at my son's school last night where the new head teacher was being introduced. As this was a social evening I found a chance to introduce myself to her and politely brought it to her attention that her new school had nowhere to keep bicycles. This I pointed out hardly encouraged the children to cycle to school and may have something to do with approximately 0% of children using this mode of transport. The new head made sympathetic noises but was interrupted by a senior teacher who basically said they would like children to cycle but the roads near the school were far too dangerous. It was not the time or place to enter a debate but I was asked to come along to the next parents council and see about encouraging cycling. So to the title of the post. I intend to go along and point out that despite the school's worries, cycling per mile is actually safer than walking (about half the number of accidents as I recall). So can anyone remember where these statistics are to be found? Thanks a lot -- geomannie Not any more, according to this http://www.rsm.ac.uk/media/downloads/j06-08child.pdf per 10m miles, for children, there were 1.08 ped deaths and 0.84 cyclist deaths in 1985, but in 2003 there were 0.27 and 0.55 respectively. Still not very dangerous though really. |
#5
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Where are those statistics?
Mark T said the following on 24/08/2007 12:12:
Rather than go for cycling being safer than walking, I'd argue that they're about the same ....as well as pointing out that if more kids did cycle or walk, the roads around the schools would have less cars and so be safer. Just like it was 15/20-odd years ago before every child had to be driven to school. When I lived opposite a school, I was actually told by a parent dropping her child off (and illegally [1] blocking my drive as she did so) that there were too many cars on the road which is why it was too dangerous for lickle Tamara to walk. The irony was totally and utterly lost. I happen to know that this person lived barely half a mile away. [1] this is why it was illegal to block the drive: http://www.pbhome.plus.com/school.png -- Paul Boyd http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/ |
#6
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Where are those statistics?
On Fri, 24 Aug 2007 11:49:01 +0100, bob wrote:
So to the title of the post. I intend to go along and point out that despite the school's worries, cycling per mile is actually safer than walking (about half the number of accidents as I recall). So can anyone remember where these statistics are to be found? Thanks a lot Google Road Casualties Great Britain 2005 and its in the last table of the last spreadsheet. There is also data that Tom of this parish has about cycling to school with quite a good presentation he did IIRC. -- Tony " I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong." Bertrand Russell |
#7
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Where are those statistics?
On Fri, 24 Aug 2007 11:49:01 +0100, bob
wrote: Hi All I was at my son's school last night where the new head teacher was being introduced. As this was a social evening I found a chance to introduce myself to her and politely brought it to her attention that her new school had nowhere to keep bicycles. This I pointed out hardly encouraged the children to cycle to school and may have something to do with approximately 0% of children using this mode of transport. The new head made sympathetic noises but was interrupted by a senior teacher who basically said they would like children to cycle but the roads near the school were far too dangerous. It was not the time or place to enter a debate but I was asked to come along to the next parents council and see about encouraging cycling. Ask if the school has a travel plan. If not work with the school to set one up. IIRC the government has set aside £22.5m over the next 3 years for English and Welsh schools outside London to spend on capital projects such as cycle parking. In addition funding from the local authority is available to improve on and off-road provision for cyclists around schools, including toucan crossings, cycle links to schools, bike priority schemes and traffic calming measures. The following DfT guidance may be useful, and will probably have more credibility among non-cyclists than cyclehelmets.org. It even has a fair statement about helmet use. However, I would certainly advise against a cycle permit scheme unless the school is willing to administer a similar scheme for those who want to walk, be driven or use public transport to get to school: cycling should be seen as a normal activity, not one that needs a special permit. http://tinyurl.com/2kbku3 from: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/sustainabl...?page=10#a1065 =====QUOTE===== A safer journey to school: a guide to school travel plans More cycling Regular cycling protects against heart disease, stroke and other illnesses, and raises self-confidence and well being. Most children own bicycles and many would like to use them for the school journey, but very few do. Traffic danger is the main reason, with cyclists among the most vulnerable road users. But where schools have the benefit of a network of cycle routes and slower speeds, the whole picture changes, and cycling can become a popular choice for travel to school. Cycling gives children more freedom and has great benefits for health: regular cycling can add years to life. Reducing road danger The key to meeting safety concerns is safety measures that give a real reduction in road danger. In the Netherlands, as cycling has become safer, casualties have fallen, even though the number of people cycling has risen. Plans for changes in road layout around the school should incorporate safer cycle routes. In co-operation with the local authority and cycling organisations, schools can identify the best routes for traffic-free and traffic-calmed cycling. This may mean clearing, surfacing and lighting muddy tracks to make them usable cycle paths, creating cycle tracks alongside roads, or marking cycle lanes on roads while enforcing slower traffic speeds. Junctions can be redesigned to give priority to cyclists. Cycle routes should be continuous. School cycle racks Cycle routes alone are not enough to make cycling to school a practical option. Cycle parking will be needed, preferably in a covered area overlooked by classrooms or offices, and convenient for the main entrance. Stands or racks should allow the cycle frame, and not just the front wheel, to be locked to them using a 'D-lock' or something similar. Smaller stands may be required for primary age pupils. While providing secure stands, schools need to make pupils and parents aware that if a bike is stolen the school will not be held liable. Many insurance companies will cover bicycles under a standard household contents policy, provided they are locked securely. Separate insurance may be necessary for more expensive bikes. Postcode tagging can be carried out by local police. Cyclist training Young cyclists need training to prepare for riding on roads. Most local authority road safety departments offer cyclist training for children aged ten and above, and can be invited into school to run courses. Those that don't may be able to provide guidance and training to enable the school to set up its own scheme. Instructors should be experienced adult cyclists who have received training from a road safety officer. Research shows that the most effective courses are those which include on-road training. Children learn more if they take the course over several weeks rather than one or two. Problem-solving approaches, which teach 'cycling awareness', appear to make children safer cyclists than more traditional, instruction based courses. As with pedestrian training, it is important to make it clear that courses will not automatically equip children to take to the road. These decisions have to be made in the light of local conditions and remain the responsibility of parents and children. Some road safety departments offer one-to-one training on the route between home and school. Others have run special courses for parents and children cycling together. Safety gear and advice Cyclists are safer if they are more visible. Schools can help by selling discounted reflective clothing and accessories. Children should be advised to carry spare batteries for lights and change them as soon as they run low. Helmets can reduce the severity of head injuries in accidents (though their effectiveness diminishes with speed). Helmets should be properly fitted, have a 'CE' mark and should meet either the European standard BS EN1078:1997, or the American standard SNELL B95. Maintenance checks Cycles ridden to school should be fully roadworthy and properly maintained. Some schools offer classes in cycle repair. Road safety officers or cycling organisations can help run maintenance check-ups. It is useful if schools can keep spare sets of lights, locks, pumps and repair kits to lend to children who have lost their own, and set up a bike maintenance area. Cycle permit schemes Some schools operate a cycle parking permit scheme. This is a contract, drawn up between the school, the pupil and the parents, to set out the conditions for cycling to school and obtain the parents' consent. Sample permits are available (see resource file). Permit forms set out the school's cycling policy, while emphasising that the decision on whether the child is competent to cycle remains with the parent. Forms can also include advice on safety and insurance and provide a record of the bicycle's make and serial number. Schools need to decide what conditions they wish to attach to permits. These might, for example, include that: the bicycle is roadworthy and has passed a maintenance check the cyclist has completed an approved training course the bicycle will be securely locked in an approved area the cyclist will follow a 'good cycling code' (see resource file). Lockers and carriers Schools can provide secure lockers to store cycling equipment and reduce the number of books that children have to take home. Panniers are recommended for carrying books on bikes. Cycling events Cycling can be promoted with special events at school such as a 'cycle challenge': children are encouraged to try out a range of cycling skills including riding slowly and around obstacles. Schools may like to take part in national events such as charity bike rides. Routes into the community At Kesgrave High School in Suffolk, a network of traffic-free cycle routes links nearby housing estates and enables pupils to cycle from up to five miles away without going along a main road. Around 60% of pupils come by bike, and traffic at the school gate is kept to a minimum. Brian Hawkins, the school's deputy head, says: "The whole of our local community is a learning resource because so many of the kids will cycle to local facilities." The school actively encourages cycling and provides secure cycle storage and lockers. Journey focus At Temple Moor High School in Leeds pupils in Year 7 are offered cycle training with a special focus on the journey to school. Road safety officers ride with them pointing out potential hazards and recommending the best route. Resource file Right Track: Cycling awareness programme tutor's guide is available from The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, Edgbaston Park, 353 Bristol Road, Birmingham B5 7ST, tel 0121 248 2000, £52.50 for a pack of 10. Code of Good Practice: The practical aspects of cyclists' training is also available from ROSPA, price £5. A sample school cycle parking permit is available from Sustrans with the information sheet Cycling to School: Advice for parents and schools. Also from Sustrans is The Good Cycling Code. PO Box 21, Bristol BS99 4HA, both are free of charge. Cycle bells, reflective tabards and bands are also available from Sustrans. Information about national cycling events is available from CTC, Cotterell House, 69 Meadrow, Godalming, Surrey, GU7 3HS, tel 01483 417217, fax 01483 426994. |
#8
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Where are those statistics?
Paul Boyd usenet.is.worse@plusnet wrote:
...as well as pointing out that if more kids did cycle or walk, the roads around the schools would have less cars and so be safer. Just like it was 15/20-odd years ago before every child had to be driven to school. There have been suggestions here before that parking should be strictly limited around schools to stop parents and children creating exactly the hazards that scare them. There seems to be a move to do that at a school near me : I'm not aware of any huge traffic accident rate so I presume it's just an experiment (the parents did used to clog the road up badly). 3-4 years ago the speed limit on the road (wide, straight, with very wide verges so houses are set well back, used by both residential traffic and HGVs on the way to a trading estate) was reduced from 40 to 30. There were already crossing/pinch points at each end of the school. Over the last year there have been further changes : yellow lines on both sides of the road for about 100m each way and later, bollards and fences stopping parking on the verge. There are now 20 and 30 limit signs (the LED type) going up. I don't know how they'll be used, but from the siting I suspect that they're going to implement a 20 limit for some days or parts of the day only, for the same stretch that has yellow lines. It will be interesting to see how it works out, though I don't think they'll get any useful accident-reduction data as the rate can't be high at the moment. -adrian |
#9
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Where are those statistics?
Mark T wrote:
I believe the per hour data swaps the two around. Per hour: the average cyclist risk is about 2.3 times the average pedestrian risk pk |
#10
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Where are those statistics?
I believe the per hour data swaps the two around.
Per hour: the average cyclist risk is about 2.3 times the average pedestrian risk Phew, good job cycling is 4 times as quick -- Mark T |
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