Why SMIDSYs happen

On 2005-11-07, Bleve (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

Russell Lang wrote:

Yet another interesting observation:
"Cyclists are even more likely than pedestrians to be the
cause of their own accidents. However, whereas pedestrians
need the assistance of a motor vehicle to achieve injury,
cyclists usually do it by themselves1. Studies have repeatedly
found that most cyclists who receive hospital treatment do so
because of accidents involving no other road user.
... most of their injuries are caused by falls in the absence
of other road users, these tend to be relatively minor incidents. ...

My experience is consistant with this observation. I've never been hit
by a car, but have hit a few stationary objects, slid on wet timber etc
requiring some 1st aid.

Hmmm. 1 slide-out in the wet, leading to a tiny bit of missing bark,
and many falls while almost stationary, leading to nothing damaged but
my pride

And 4 vehicles.

Many descents down curvy hills at rediculous speeds, but still no
mishaps.



I wonder how much their stats are skewed by non-skilled weekend riders
who ride onto the wrong side of the road at night without lights from
the footpath without looking? Apart from yourself, I would imagine
most bicycle accidents with skilled riders at the wheel^Wbars
requiring medical attention, involve a car, and again, with skilled
riders, the car will at least be mostly at fault, with the rider only
liable as far as not riding as defensively as possible[1].



[1] A few people have pointed out that it was my fault that the last
accident happened. Sure, I broke no laws, and the driver broke 2
laws, but I wasn't riding as defensively as possible. Because he was
in charge of a 2 tonne lethal weapon, without sufficient training or
excercising due care, and I was on a bike, it was my fault and
responsibility. Because, you know, it was rape victims faults that
the guy found them attractive.

--
TimC
Speaker: They used an alcohol fog to visualize what's happening.
From the audience: That's always worked for me. -- From an astronomy talk

TimC wrote:

Hmmm. 1 slide-out in the wet, leading to a tiny bit of missing bark,
and many falls while almost stationary, leading to nothing damaged but
my pride

And 4 vehicles.

Tim, you're confusing a very small statistical sample (1, you!) with
some other quite possibly bogus statistics.


I wonder how much their stats are skewed by non-skilled weekend riders
who ride onto the wrong side of the road at night without lights from
the footpath without looking? Apart from yourself, I would imagine
most bicycle accidents with skilled riders at the wheel^Wbars
requiring medical attention, involve a car, and again, with skilled
riders, the car will at least be mostly at fault, with the rider only
liable as far as not riding as defensively as possible[1].



[1] A few people have pointed out that it was my fault that the last
accident happened. Sure, I broke no laws, and the driver broke 2
laws, but I wasn't riding as defensively as possible. Because he was
in charge of a 2 tonne lethal weapon, without sufficient training or
excercising due care, and I was on a bike, it was my fault and
responsibility. Because, you know, it was rape victims faults that
the guy found them attractive.

Was anyone suggesting the recent accident was your fault? I know I
wasn't suggesting that, I was however, suggesting that maybe (and this
is a maybe! - I wasn't there, didn't see it and don't know what
happened, and can only rely on the report you wrote) the situation may
have been avoided. For the distances you ride and the time you spend
on the road you seem to have an extraordinarily high number of
incidents with motor vehicles. Bad luck? Perhaps. Your description
of the incidents suggests bad luck, but there may be factors which
increased your risk that you could control? I don't know, but if you
can look at it objectively, maybe you can see some patterns? It's not
just about how you ride, but when and where, and in what state of mind
you're in etc.

I knew sooner or later the rape thing would crop up, without invoking
Godwin out of context, there's a huge difference between reducing risks
and absolving guilt. Remember, to understand is not to condone.
Natural isn't good etc .. you're a cluey lad, you know this stuff.

TimC Wrote:


Hmmm. 1 slide-out in the wet, leading to a tiny bit of missing bark,
and many falls while almost stationary, leading to nothing damaged but
my pride


*Almost* stationary? You're not trying hard enough

The worst fall I've had, as in actually hurting myself (including the
duffer who managed to cross the buffer zone and get me in the bike lane
on Macauley road) was when I was motionless with one foot on the ground.


Ali


--
alison_b

On 2005-11-07, Bleve (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

TimC wrote:

Hmmm. 1 slide-out in the wet, leading to a tiny bit of missing bark,
and many falls while almost stationary, leading to nothing damaged but
my pride

And 4 vehicles.

Tim, you're confusing a very small statistical sample (1, you!) with
some other quite possibly bogus statistics.

But the plural of anecdote is data

[1] A few people have pointed out that it was my fault that the last
accident happened. Sure, I broke no laws, and the driver broke 2
laws, but I wasn't riding as defensively as possible. Because he was
in charge of a 2 tonne lethal weapon, without sufficient training or
excercising due care, and I was on a bike, it was my fault and
responsibility. Because, you know, it was rape victims faults that
the guy found them attractive.

Was anyone suggesting the recent accident was your fault? I know I

The police certainly did originally.

I knew sooner or later the rape thing would crop up, without invoking
Godwin out of context, there's a huge difference between reducing risks
and absolving guilt. Remember, to understand is not to condone.
Natural isn't good etc .. you're a cluey lad, you know this stuff.

Natural isn't good? But I love my natural snakes!

--
TimC
"Warning: Do not look into laser with remaining eye" -- a physics experiment
"Press emergency laser shutdown button with remaining hand" -- J.D.Baldwin@ASR

On 2005-11-07, alison_b (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

TimC Wrote:


Hmmm. 1 slide-out in the wet, leading to a tiny bit of missing bark,
and many falls while almost stationary, leading to nothing damaged but
my pride


*Almost* stationary? You're not trying hard enough

The worst fall I've had, as in actually hurting myself (including the
duffer who managed to cross the buffer zone and get me in the bike lane
on Macauley road) was when I was motionless with one foot on the ground.


Windy day?

I think it was Friday when the wind threatened to knock me over
everytime I stopped at the lights, when I already had my foot down.
Needless to say, I didn't even attempt to practice trackstanding.

--
TimC
Theoretically one might have been wearing pants at work.
-- Anthony de Boer in Scary Devil Monastry

TimC Wrote:
A few people have pointed out that it was my fault that the last
accident happened. Sure, I broke no laws, and the driver broke 2
laws, but I wasn't riding as defensively as possible. Because he was
in charge of a 2 tonne lethal weapon, without sufficient training or
excercising due care, and I was on a bike, it was my fault and
responsibility. Because, you know, it was rape victims faults that
the guy found them attractive.


I haven't seen that on this forum. I've seen people, myself included,
say that in similar circumstances they wouldn't have overtaken on the
left.

Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. There are
plenty of times where I have the opportunity to overtake on the left
and choose not to because it's a safer course of action. Riding uphill
coming to an intersection, a high risk area for a cyclist, is an area
I'd definately choose to keep other vehicles in front of me so I can
react to what they're doing.

Now you can take free advice any way you want, you want to think we're
blaming you when we're not then that's your look out. You could of
course take another view that we're offerring you the benefit of our
experience so that you don't get hit by cars. Being right and bent is
not fun when you're soft and squashy.


--
EuanB

"TimC" wrote in message
...
On 2005-11-07, Bleve (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

TimC wrote:

Hmmm. 1 slide-out in the wet, leading to a tiny bit of missing bark,
and many falls while almost stationary, leading to nothing damaged but
my pride

And 4 vehicles.

Tim, you're confusing a very small statistical sample (1, you!) with
some other quite possibly bogus statistics.

But the plural of anecdote is data

[1] A few people have pointed out that it was my fault that the last
accident happened. Sure, I broke no laws, and the driver broke 2
laws, but I wasn't riding as defensively as possible. Because he was
in charge of a 2 tonne lethal weapon, without sufficient training or
excercising due care, and I was on a bike, it was my fault and
responsibility. Because, you know, it was rape victims faults that
the guy found them attractive.

Was anyone suggesting the recent accident was your fault? I know I

The police certainly did originally.

I knew sooner or later the rape thing would crop up, without invoking
Godwin out of context, there's a huge difference between reducing risks
and absolving guilt. Remember, to understand is not to condone.
Natural isn't good etc .. you're a cluey lad, you know this stuff.

Natural isn't good? But I love my natural snakes!

You'll be right at home when you start racing seriously then. Seems other
riders aren't so keen on them.