Asleep on your bike
Asleep on your bike
Have any of you fallen asleep on your bike and effectively been sleep cycling? I've noticed more and more people falling asleep on trains and buses and commutes are getting longer and many people work long stressful hours. Of course the problem of motorists falling asleep at the wheel is well documented with tragic consequences. Tiredness whilst cycling may be a serious contributor towards accidents and may be worth looking into.
Re: Asleep on your bike
Lawrie9 wrote:Have any of you fallen asleep on your bike and effectively been sleep cycling? I've noticed more and more people falling asleep on trains and buses and commutes are getting longer and many people work long stressful hours. Of course the problem of motorists falling asleep at the wheel is well documented with tragic consequences. Tiredness whilst cycling may be a serious contributor towards accidents and may be worth looking into.
Is that possible? Whilst I've found myself pulling over and having a kip in my car I've never come close either on my cycle or motorcycle. I'd imagine you'd have to be almost dead on your feet for it happen.
(That's not to say I haven't daydreamed and nearly come a cropper by not paying attention...)
Re: Asleep on your bike
Lawrie9 wrote:Have any of you fallen asleep on your bike and effectively been sleep cycling?
Yes.
I noticed it happening on my double E2E in 2006 north of Dalwhinnie on the old A9. A good smooth road with a pink sort of tarmac. Perhaps some of you will know the road.
I was daydreaming and staring down at the road in front of my front wheel and I'm sure I dropped off momentarily a few times.
I happened again on my Grand Tour, can't remember where this time. Same scenario, staring and daydreaming to the state of "floating" and silence all arround. Still pedaling, still upright.
It reminded me of driving long distance on the motorway and 'Neck-breaking' - scary stuff!
Mick F. Cornwall
Done this once back about 1992.
Completed an overnight Solstice run the previous night before heading straight off without stopping to do the London to Brighton.
Fine till the last part coming through the centre of Brighton. Same as Mick F, still pedalling despite nodding off. Wouldn't have been so bad apart from it being a little 'busy' with other cyclists!
Completed an overnight Solstice run the previous night before heading straight off without stopping to do the London to Brighton.
Fine till the last part coming through the centre of Brighton. Same as Mick F, still pedalling despite nodding off. Wouldn't have been so bad apart from it being a little 'busy' with other cyclists!
Trice Q 2007 in inky blue (Quackers)
Bacchetta Corsa 26 ATT (The Mad Weeble)
Cube SL Team Cross (Rubberduckzilla)
Homebaked tourer (The Duck's Dream)
MTB mongrel (Harold the Flying Sheep)
Bacchetta Corsa 26 ATT (The Mad Weeble)
Cube SL Team Cross (Rubberduckzilla)
Homebaked tourer (The Duck's Dream)
MTB mongrel (Harold the Flying Sheep)
-
thirdcrank
- Posts: 36778
- Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm
After the Great Heck Train Disaster I thought that tiredness through lack of sleep (as opposed to fatigue through exertion) was going to become a big road safety issue.
The prosecution in that case went to great lengths to prove that the driver had started his journey knowing he had not had enough sleep. They also brought expert witnesses to prove that lack of sleep gives warnings to the person concerned (head dropping etc.,) and that fresh air, playing loud music and all the other common sense ways of keeping awake are ineffective. This was part of the basis of Gary Hart's conviction. (Evidence was also given showing that he had completed his journey faster than a police driver in a similar vehicle whose route had been cleared by an escort of police motorcyclists.)
Around that time, there was an article in the CTC mag about a cycling endurance event (London - Edinburgh - London?) whose author bragged, using an expression which implied he had arrived at the start short of sleep but having had too much to drink. In the article he made several references to cycling during the event trying to cope with the effects of inadequate sleep and described how one rider had fallen off, apparently from lack of sleep, and had been replaced on his bike by others.
I wrote to the CTC mag suggesting that appearing to condone this detracted from the CTC's role in promoting road safety. Within the confines of a letter intended for publication, I tried to make it clear I was talking about the lack of sleep, rather than the endurance cycling.
It provoked a bit of correpondence, some of it from people who had missed the point I was making about lack of sleep. The editor's response was a bit disappointing because he trotted out something about cyclists riding in the fresh air not falling asleep - something which had been comprehensively disproved by the expert evidence in the trial.
Although there have been a few other cases of prosecutions involving falling asleep at the wheel since then, I was wrong in assuming that it was going to be the next 'big thing' for the media.
The prosecution in that case went to great lengths to prove that the driver had started his journey knowing he had not had enough sleep. They also brought expert witnesses to prove that lack of sleep gives warnings to the person concerned (head dropping etc.,) and that fresh air, playing loud music and all the other common sense ways of keeping awake are ineffective. This was part of the basis of Gary Hart's conviction. (Evidence was also given showing that he had completed his journey faster than a police driver in a similar vehicle whose route had been cleared by an escort of police motorcyclists.)
Around that time, there was an article in the CTC mag about a cycling endurance event (London - Edinburgh - London?) whose author bragged, using an expression which implied he had arrived at the start short of sleep but having had too much to drink. In the article he made several references to cycling during the event trying to cope with the effects of inadequate sleep and described how one rider had fallen off, apparently from lack of sleep, and had been replaced on his bike by others.
I wrote to the CTC mag suggesting that appearing to condone this detracted from the CTC's role in promoting road safety. Within the confines of a letter intended for publication, I tried to make it clear I was talking about the lack of sleep, rather than the endurance cycling.
It provoked a bit of correpondence, some of it from people who had missed the point I was making about lack of sleep. The editor's response was a bit disappointing because he trotted out something about cyclists riding in the fresh air not falling asleep - something which had been comprehensively disproved by the expert evidence in the trial.
Although there have been a few other cases of prosecutions involving falling asleep at the wheel since then, I was wrong in assuming that it was going to be the next 'big thing' for the media.
Yes, twice many years ago, both in the early hours of the morning on deserted roads. Ended in a bed of nettles on the A4 and a pile of snow on the A25.
I've subsequently realised that it's a combination of lack of sleep tiredness and the hypnotic effect of just watching the white line in the middle of the road.
Consciously looking around and focussing on near and far objects has cured it, although I also use bus stops and field entrances for power napswhen necessary
I've subsequently realised that it's a combination of lack of sleep tiredness and the hypnotic effect of just watching the white line in the middle of the road.
Consciously looking around and focussing on near and far objects has cured it, although I also use bus stops and field entrances for power napswhen necessary
TC, I have sympathy with your views. However, I think a greater problem that has come about in the last few years is that of 24hr MTB races! I've noticed a few people after these complaining about how tired they were driving home after racing for the last 24 hrs solidly, or being in a relay team but staying awake for 24 hrs to support the team. When I last did one it was noticeable that a number of people, but by no means all, jumped in the car and set of for home immediatly after finishing and packing stuff away. But, as yet, to my knowledge no one has been in an accident because of this so I may be just being an old worry-guts. But I know that for me at least, despite only having to do a 20min drive home I still made sure that I had a kip first.
-
eileithyia
- Posts: 8399
- Joined: 31 Jan 2007, 6:46pm
- Location: Horwich Which is Lancs :-)
Bit frightening when it happens; drifted on the over night sections of PBP, realised I was doing it when the mudguard of the rider in front was suddenly an awful lot closer than it had been...... and head kept "nodding"
I stand and rejoice everytime I see a woman ride by on a wheel the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood. HG Wells
-
thirdcrank
- Posts: 36778
- Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm
Si
My original concern when I wrote to the mag was only about it publicising this issue as it affected cyclists. I had an idea that if a cyclist on a long ride was involved in an accident, then the contributory negligence approach might be used by the other side. The waters could be muddied by confusing physical tiredness (almost inevitable towards the end of a long ride) with lack of sleep.
At the York Rally following the publication of my letter in the mag, I had a chat with Gordon White (whose umtimely death was reported in the mag obituaries earlier this year.) He did say that as well as the feathers I had ruffled by raising the issue, the fact that so many riders completed an audax and then drove home had caused some discussion in that quarter.
I really would emphasise that I see a big difference between physical fatigue and shortage of sleep. It is possible to ride all day and most of the night and remain alert, so long as you have had plenty of sleep beforehand.
My original concern when I wrote to the mag was only about it publicising this issue as it affected cyclists. I had an idea that if a cyclist on a long ride was involved in an accident, then the contributory negligence approach might be used by the other side. The waters could be muddied by confusing physical tiredness (almost inevitable towards the end of a long ride) with lack of sleep.
At the York Rally following the publication of my letter in the mag, I had a chat with Gordon White (whose umtimely death was reported in the mag obituaries earlier this year.) He did say that as well as the feathers I had ruffled by raising the issue, the fact that so many riders completed an audax and then drove home had caused some discussion in that quarter.
I really would emphasise that I see a big difference between physical fatigue and shortage of sleep. It is possible to ride all day and most of the night and remain alert, so long as you have had plenty of sleep beforehand.
-
eileithyia
- Posts: 8399
- Joined: 31 Jan 2007, 6:46pm
- Location: Horwich Which is Lancs :-)
TC and Si, interesting, cos I ride sometimes with members of York CTC, friends of the aforementioned Mr. White (whom I rode parts of LEL with). 3 members rode a 600 in Scotland before LEL, jumped in the car, driver insisted he was ok to drive, and some days later took delivery of a new car to replace the one he wrote off.
Thankfully no one was hurt nor was anyone else involved. It mean that the late Peter Gray insisted that I would not drive anywhere after LEL and he changed his work shifts to ensure I was safe after the event, not that I would have driven and had 6 hours of sleep at the finish before we drove anywhere.
I would think it is highly likely contributory negligence could be used if it was known a driver was highly sleep deprived prior to an accident. This could also apply to shift workers ......
...and remember the driver who ended up on a railway line a few years ago. It was believed he had fallen at asleep at the wheel, as having been using his mobile phone a considerable amount. Didn't phone records show that he was using the phone so much in the preceding hours that he was clearly sleep deprived?
Thankfully no one was hurt nor was anyone else involved. It mean that the late Peter Gray insisted that I would not drive anywhere after LEL and he changed his work shifts to ensure I was safe after the event, not that I would have driven and had 6 hours of sleep at the finish before we drove anywhere.
I would think it is highly likely contributory negligence could be used if it was known a driver was highly sleep deprived prior to an accident. This could also apply to shift workers ......
...and remember the driver who ended up on a railway line a few years ago. It was believed he had fallen at asleep at the wheel, as having been using his mobile phone a considerable amount. Didn't phone records show that he was using the phone so much in the preceding hours that he was clearly sleep deprived?
I stand and rejoice everytime I see a woman ride by on a wheel the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood. HG Wells
-
themadorganist
- Posts: 45
- Joined: 13 Mar 2007, 11:42am
- Location: horncastle, lincolnshire
Dont think it would be classed as falling asleep but on the route i most often take for my commute i ride through a small village and on several occcasions ive reached the far side of the village without any recollection of having ridden through it. I think its a mix of daydreaming and having ridden the same route so many times, but it does make you wonder if you would be awake enough to take avoiding action if neccessary!