The Age: If you're male and you ride, beware

Zebee Johnstone wrote:

In aus.bicycle on Mon, 02 Oct 2006 09:01:31 +1000
Tamyka Bell wrote:
home seemed too high-risk. I still ride usually, because I
travel further and it's faster by bike. Why are people so
cranky when the work day is over and they get to relax?
Maybe they should ride bikes.


Perhaps they are in a hurry to get home, whereas they aren't in a
hurry to get to work.

There's also a day of frustration behind them and an evening if
screaming kids

Zebee
- who usually has a better ride home than to work because the hill
distribution is different and she's had a day of eating instead of
12 hours fast and a bowl of weetbix.

Some woman in an ugly red road beast roared past me as I
approached a red light the other day, on my bike commute
home. I pulled up in the next lane from her, in line with
her rear bumper, and had a giggle. The windows were wound
down in the car behind hers, and I said to the occupants
(two middle aged ladies), "gee, some people are in such a
rush to get to the next red light, eh?" They laughed and the
driver answered, "and the next one, and the next one...
you're brave, cycling in this!" I said, "ah - it keeps me
happy. You ladies look happy - have you had a good day or
something?" The passenger said, "Not really - but it's over
now - yay!" I said "Well, I suppose it probably helps to
have company when you're sitting in this traffic. Now I have
just ten minutes of life-risking to go and then it's relax
time for me." The lights turned green so the ladies wished
me the best for a safe trip home and headed off toward
Kangaroo Pt as I headed the other way.

Sometimes you get to meet really cool people when you ride
bikes.

Tam

In aus.bicycle on Mon, 2 Oct 2006 09:43:24 +1000
jazmo wrote:

They've recognised that lack of information on cyclist fatalities and
have announced a PHD scholarship to do something about that.

I wish they'd broaden it a bit.

Studying fatalities gives you small sample sizes, and for vulnerable
road users like cyclists and motorcyclists the difference between dead
and very hurt can be a degree or two of angle and a second or two of
time. So studying only fatalities doesn't give you enough info about
trends.

Besides... asking people who survived gets you more information.

Zebee

In aus.bicycle on 1 Oct 2006 16:58:47 -0700
AndrewJ wrote:
I wouldn't judge the research by the journalism. They have just tried
to manufacture a headline so that people will read it.

Given that most of the accidents seem to happen to the group that is
strongest represented, it brings to mind that George Burns quote: once
you get to 100 you are fine, because hardly anyone dies aged over
100....

So the interesting question is, are they under-represented or
over-represented?

SOmeone elsewhere quotefd a UK study on urban cycling that showed
teenaged girls wore helmets more often than teenaged boys, but had
more head injuries. I couldn't get the paper (subscription only) so I
have no idea if it's an exposure thing, they are less confident in
traffic, cars pass them too closely, they ride at different times and
different places.... So many variables.

The majority of commuter cyclists I see are male. The few women I see
run as many red lights as the men. On my commute I see other cyclists
only close in to the city - Pyrmont Bridge Road, Pyrmont Bridge, Kent
St. And I am consistently the only one who waits for red lights[1].
Must be the bent riding position, I think I'm in a car and so have to
obey road rules.

Zebee

[1] people do wait at the Kent St end of the Pyrmont Bridge ramp, but
only because there are a lot of cars. If there's a gap they'll be off.
Ditto the other end of Pyrmont Bridge: if there's a gap then it's full
of pushbikes.

Zebee Johnstone wrote:
St. And I am consistently the only one who waits for red lights[1].
Must be the bent riding position, I think I'm in a car and so have to
obey road rules.

Could be a fitness thing. On my way home from work I'm usually quite
grateful for red lights. Gives me a chance to get my breath back.

DaveB

cfsmtb Wrote:

MALE cyclists aged 30 to 39 are at high risk of being killed or injured
in collisions with motor vehicles on weekdays from 4pm to 6pm.
I turn 40 on Wednesday. Just have to make it through two more days and
I'm not longer in the high risk group. Yay


--
peterlip

Zebee Johnstone wrote:

In aus.bicycle on Mon, 2 Oct 2006 09:43:24 +1000
jazmo wrote:

They've recognised that lack of information on cyclist fatalities and
have announced a PHD scholarship to do something about that.

I wish they'd broaden it a bit.

Studying fatalities gives you small sample sizes, and for vulnerable
road users like cyclists and motorcyclists the difference between dead
and very hurt can be a degree or two of angle and a second or two of
time. So studying only fatalities doesn't give you enough info about
trends.

Besides... asking people who survived gets you more information.

You could contact the research centre and make that point
(as it's a valid one).

Tam

On Mon, 02 Oct 2006 09:01:31 +1000, Tamyka Bell wrote:

travel further and it's faster by bike. Why are people so
cranky when the work day is over and they get to relax?
Maybe they should ride bikes.

This is just another form of the old question "Why do most
people turn into maniacs when you put them behind the
wheel of a car"?

IMHO it's because driving a car is potentially fun (as always
depicted in ads), but driving in clogged modern cities is so
frustrating. But even in heavy traffic, a bike's limitation is still
almost entirely its rider.

--
Home page: http://members.westnet.com.au/mvw

DaveB Wrote:


Could be a fitness thing. On my way home from work I'm usually quite
grateful for red lights. Gives me a chance to get my breath back.

DaveBI've been pondering the red light thing, watched heaps of riders do it,
and asked around "why"... and from observing so many, and just watching
what goes on ...especially at times when I have to restrain my urge to
yell "red light d..wad!" ...so many times...., but

what do you think?

here are my reasons why people choose to ignore red lights. ( not
necessarily in any order)

1. just dont like taking foot out of cleats-cant get cleated back on
quick enough
2. hate having to get back up to speed in traffic
3. feel lights dont apply to them as they arn't motorised (although
still traffic)
4. cant track stand, so not cool to stop with foot out, on a slippery
cleat
5. safety in numbers when in a bunch and roll on (like a truck does
when it has a Bdouble set up, who will argue?)
6. didnt see the light ( well so many drivers didnt see the cyclists,
did they?)
7. dont give a sh.t
8. are d.heads
9. are Hun plants
10. sick of constant stopping as traffic lights are totally out of
synch with cyclists ( and usually-especially in Port Phillip..all
traffic- they are set up to respond purely to ped. crossing needs.
11. lights short cycle in many areas and thus cant handle the extra
stops
12. may not get to re-set as no "cycle sensitive" on road touch pad to
get a green.
13. are being harrassed by traffic and need to get clear of morons
14 prefer not to hold cars up at the lights if they can get away
earlier and nothing coming
15. the intersection is clear anyway and lights are superfluous.
16. just to get up the nose of drivers.
17. their livelihood depends on rapid transit and thus have a culture
of red light running (messengers)
18. after work commuter , tired, worn out, couldnt handle another stop
after all the hassles of the day and just want to get home.
19. prework commuter, keen to get to 1)the desk, 2)away from home, 3) a
cup of java...or just running running late.
20. its a habit...trying to break it but just cant seem to.....

the list goes on......... so many reasons, none really justified, but a
heap of different scenarios that all need addressing in education and
behavioural change...


--
rooman

rooman wrote:

snip
here are my reasons why people choose to ignore red lights. ( not
necessarily in any order)

snip
13. are being harrassed by traffic and need to get clear of morons
snip

That was a pretty thorough list.

Number 13 is the only reason I'd run a red light, if safe to
do so - if I felt my life was being seriously threatened by
someone. I also lanesplit in this situation (which I
normally choose not to do, just because in my area there's
very little space to lanesplit, and the footpaths are easier
- and yes, legal - I'm a qlder).

(WRT one of the other ones, I believe that, if you don't
trigger a light, and it goes through a few cycles and
doesn't turn green, you're allowed to ride through the red
when safe to do so - and you can demonstrate your inability
to trigger the lights if anyone doubts your honesty. In
most cases I've found it easier to roll forward and signal
to the driver behind to move forward and trigger them for
me.)

Tam

rooman wrote:
DaveB Wrote:

Could be a fitness thing. On my way home from work I'm usually quite
grateful for red lights. Gives me a chance to get my breath back.

DaveBI've been pondering the red light thing, watched heaps of riders do it,
and asked around "why"... and from observing so many, and just watching
what goes on ...especially at times when I have to restrain my urge to
yell "red light d..wad!" ...so many times...., but

what do you think?

here are my reasons why people choose to ignore red lights. ( not
necessarily in any order)

1. just dont like taking foot out of cleats-cant get cleated back on
quick enough
2. hate having to get back up to speed in traffic
3. feel lights dont apply to them as they arn't motorised (although
still traffic)
4. cant track stand, so not cool to stop with foot out, on a slippery
cleat
5. safety in numbers when in a bunch and roll on (like a truck does
when it has a Bdouble set up, who will argue?)
6. didnt see the light ( well so many drivers didnt see the cyclists,
did they?)
7. dont give a sh.t
8. are d.heads
9. are Hun plants
10. sick of constant stopping as traffic lights are totally out of
synch with cyclists ( and usually-especially in Port Phillip..all
traffic- they are set up to respond purely to ped. crossing needs.
11. lights short cycle in many areas and thus cant handle the extra
stops
12. may not get to re-set as no "cycle sensitive" on road touch pad to
get a green.
13. are being harrassed by traffic and need to get clear of morons
14 prefer not to hold cars up at the lights if they can get away
earlier and nothing coming
15. the intersection is clear anyway and lights are superfluous.
16. just to get up the nose of drivers.
17. their livelihood depends on rapid transit and thus have a culture
of red light running (messengers)
18. after work commuter , tired, worn out, couldnt handle another stop
after all the hassles of the day and just want to get home.
19. prework commuter, keen to get to 1)the desk, 2)away from home, 3) a
cup of java...or just running running late.
20. its a habit...trying to break it but just cant seem to.....

the list goes on......... so many reasons, none really justified, but a
heap of different scenarios that all need addressing in education and
behavioural change...


As a reformed red-light runner the following used to apply to me
3. feel lights dont apply to them as they arn't motorised (although
still traffic)
10. sick of constant stopping as traffic lights are totally out of
synch with cyclists ( and usually-especially in Port Phillip..all
traffic- they are set up to respond purely to ped. crossing needs.
11. lights short cycle in many areas and thus cant handle the extra
stops
14 prefer not to hold cars up at the lights if they can get away
earlier and nothing coming
15. the intersection is clear anyway and lights are superfluous.

The way I see cyclists go through red lights without even slowing would
indicate to me that no. 3 is what applies most.

DaveB