The Age: Police warning for iPod users

Police warning for iPod users

By Ben Schneiders
February 15, 2006 - 3:59PM

Police have warned that cyclists should never listen to an iPod while
riding unless they have a death wish.

"If you're a cyclist and you want to stay alive, I wouldn't wear an iPod
under any circumstances," Assistant Commissioner (Traffic) Noel Ashby
told theage.com.au this afternoon.

Assistant Commissioner Ashby said police were seeing increasing numbers
of people using iPods on bikes, while walking and even while driving a car.

"They're becoming increasingly popular and there's no issue with that
but the point remains you cannot hear what is around you," he said.

"People that have been brought up their whole life relying on a whole
range of human senses and if one's removed they are at a significant
disadvantage."

The alert comes after a 32 year-old Australian woman was knocked off her
bicycle and killed in London. Friends said she may have been killed as
she couldn't hear traffic noise over her iPod.

A friend of Ms McMillan's told London's Evening Standard she may still
be alive if she hadn't been listening to her iPod.

"She was obsessed by that thing," he said.

Mr Ashby said the small size and large playlists of iPods meant they
were being used in different ways to CD walkmans.

"It was unusual to see people using walkmans on bikes and the reason is
the iPod can store 400 to 500 songs," he said.

But he said that people needed to take responsibility for themselves,
rather than relying on extra regulation.

"I really do think it's an awareness thing. I think we really need to
think very seriously about over-regulating, there's a whole range of
behaviours in life that people simply have to be careful in the way they
live their lives and the way they conduct themselves."

He said people were misjudging the risks of listening to music and
commuting: "You don't get onto your house roof and stand on your hands.
You're taking a huge risk," he said. "People have just got to take some
responsibility."

Assistant Commissioner Ashby said there was a number of distractions
that commuters should be aware of, including sms messaging, smoking,
loud CDs and the playing of DVDs in cars, which is illegal.

"Anything that distracts drivers' attention is bad because you won't see
a pedestrian, you won't see a cyclist or - even worse - you will go
through an intersection and kill yourself and others."

Apple did not return theage.com.au's calls.


--
daveL

On 2006-02-15, daveL (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
"Anything that distracts drivers' attention is bad because you won't see
a pedestrian, you won't see a cyclist or - even worse - you will go
through an intersection and kill yourself and others."

"You will kill a cyclist, or even worse, another car driver!"

--
TimC
When the revolution comes, we'll need a longer wall. -- Tom De Mulder

daveL Wrote:

"I really do think it's an awareness thing. I think we really need to
think very seriously about over-regulating, there's a whole range of
behaviours in life that people simply have to be careful in the way
they
live their lives and the way they conduct themselves."

He said people were misjudging the risks of listening to music and
commuting: "You don't get onto your house roof and stand on your
hands.
You're taking a huge risk," he said. "People have just got to take
some
responsibility."

Of course, it's about responsibility. As much as I dislike seeing
cycling wearing earpods, riced out smogbox sound systems are just as
fecking annoying.


--
cfsmtb

daveL wrote in
:

snip

But he said that people needed to take responsibility for themselves,
rather than relying on extra regulation.

"I really do think it's an awareness thing. I think we really need to
think very seriously about over-regulating, there's a whole range of
behaviours in life that people simply have to be careful in the way

Good lord, what an innovate concept, especially from a traffic cop. How's
about we roll back some of the 1000s of other bits of inane pieces of over
zealous legisaltion.

--
Trevor S


"Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth."
-Albert Einstein

TimC wrote:
On 2006-02-15, daveL (aka Bruce) was almost, but not quite, entirely
unlike tea:
"Anything that distracts drivers' attention is bad because you
won't see a pedestrian, you won't see a cyclist or - even worse -
you will go through an intersection and kill yourself and others."

"You will kill a cyclist, or even worse, another car driver!"


Heh, I also like that the entire article seems to be based on "Friends"
opinion that "she may have been killed as she couldn't hear traffic
noise over her iPod" and that "A friend of Ms McMillan's told London's
Evening Standard she may still be alive if she hadn't been listening to
her iPod."

How does the friend know that? We don't have any actual information that
the accident had anything to do with the iPod, or even that it was on.

She might still be alive if she never left the house in the first place?
Good grrief. She might still be alive if the driver that hit her had
never been born. Might. Might. Might.

--
daveL

TimC wrote:

On 2006-02-15, daveL (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
"Anything that distracts drivers' attention is bad because you won't see
a pedestrian, you won't see a cyclist or - even worse - you will go
through an intersection and kill yourself and others."

"You will kill a cyclist, or even worse, another car driver!"

You could kill a whole mob of cyclists... the *******s ride around in
bunches. Fortunately, you'd only get one person in a car...

Tam

daveL wrote:

TimC wrote:
On 2006-02-15, daveL (aka Bruce) was almost, but not quite, entirely
unlike tea:
"Anything that distracts drivers' attention is bad because you
won't see a pedestrian, you won't see a cyclist or - even worse -
you will go through an intersection and kill yourself and others."

"You will kill a cyclist, or even worse, another car driver!"


Heh, I also like that the entire article seems to be based on "Friends"
opinion that "she may have been killed as she couldn't hear traffic
noise over her iPod" and that "A friend of Ms McMillan's told London's
Evening Standard she may still be alive if she hadn't been listening to
her iPod."

How does the friend know that? We don't have any actual information that
the accident had anything to do with the iPod, or even that it was on.

She might still be alive if she never left the house in the first place?
Good grrief. She might still be alive if the driver that hit her had
never been born. Might. Might. Might.

Her friend must clearly be an expert on the topic for the media to be
taking such an interest in the friend's comments... *rolls eyes*

Tam

On 2006-02-15, cfsmtb (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:

daveL Wrote:

"I really do think it's an awareness thing. I think we really need to
think very seriously about over-regulating, there's a whole range of
behaviours in life that people simply have to be careful in the way
they
live their lives and the way they conduct themselves."

He said people were misjudging the risks of listening to music and
commuting: "You don't get onto your house roof and stand on your
hands.
You're taking a huge risk," he said. "People have just got to take
some
responsibility."

Of course, it's about responsibility. As much as I dislike seeing
cycling wearing earpods, riced out smogbox sound systems are just as
fecking annoying.

Coming to the Fully Sick ride on Friday night, Lygon st?

Bikes, loud fully sick music, fuzzy dice, should be fun xs

--
TimC
I hate mornings. I know they hate me back, too. -- Joel Gluth

cfsmtb wrote:
daveL Wrote:

"I really do think it's an awareness thing. I think we really need to
think very seriously about over-regulating, there's a whole range of
behaviours in life that people simply have to be careful in the way
they
live their lives and the way they conduct themselves."

He said people were misjudging the risks of listening to music and
commuting: "You don't get onto your house roof and stand on your
hands.
You're taking a huge risk," he said. "People have just got to take
some
responsibility."


Of course, it's about responsibility. As much as I dislike seeing
cycling wearing earpods, riced out smogbox sound systems are just as
fecking annoying.


Its up to the person surely. I should think hearing traffic noise
wouldnt be a problem. Might even be a plus

Mind you I watched a very non aware cyclist in a bunch go down while
wearing an iPod last year. Two guys in front clipped and went down and
she plowed straight into them.. I just missed her. She said the same
thing had happened a week earlier

Triathlete tho

Dave

dave wrote:
snip
Mind you I watched a very non aware cyclist in a bunch go down while
wearing an iPod last year. Two guys in front clipped and went down and
she plowed straight into them.. I just missed her. She said the same
thing had happened a week earlier

Triathlete tho

Now there's some shining social skills. Sit in a bunch, wheelsuck, but
don't chat, oh no, listen to your iPod instead...

Tam