Cycling is amongst the most dangerous ways to travel

[hexhome]

According to episode 20 series 4 of Helicopter Heroes, cycling is dangerous!
This program, broadcast this morning, showed the result of a car/cycle collision
and stated that whilst green, cycling was amongst the most dangerous ways to
travel.

You may wish to judge this yourself, after all, such a prestigious organisation
would not make such ridiculous statements. See
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00v1rv3 at time 12.29.

For my part I've complained to Ofcom. You may consider a similar action?

[snibgo]

... cycling was amongst the most dangerous ways to travel.

It is, being on a par with walking and driving, beaten only by motorbiking.

Less dangerous methods (by some definitions of "dangerous") include bus, train and aircraft.

[hexhome]

All of which could be argued to be statistically safe.

[gentlegreen]

I wouldn't get back on a motorcycle. I used to arrive at work in an unhealthy kind of sweat.

I reckon the risks need to be qualified by saying that it is possible to learn to be a lot safer on a bicycle, but I reckon it takes an assertiveness that in my case I learned by riding a motorcycle for 10 years, before my 23 years as a cyclist.

[[XAP]Bob]

Cycling is amongst the top 100% of most dangerous modes of transport...

The phrase means nothing, so Ofcom will do their normal toothless wonder act, and people will assume that it means that cycling is more dangerous than living.

[james01]

I wouldn't get back on a motorcycle. I used to arrive at work in an unhealthy kind of sweat.

.

Same here. On a motorbike you often have no time to assess whether that motorist waiting to pull out from a side road ahead has registered your presence. Even now when driving my car on a main road I get that familiar nervous apprehension when a car hurtles up to a side-road stop line ahead. Motorcycling in my teens has left me with a permanently enhanced awareness of the fallibility of fellow road users.

[snibgo]

Life should carry a government health warning, as it carries a 100% rate of fatalities.

"Zohnerism," defined as the use of a true fact to lead a scientifically and mathematically ignorant public to a false conclusion.

[byegad]

More or Less, BBC Radio 4 have just stated that 98 people died last year from falling out of bed. While everyone sleeps and not everyone cycles, 128 cyclist deaths last year IIRC seems good odds.

[[XAP]Bob]

More or Less, BBC Radio 4 have just stated that 98 people died last year from falling out of bed. While everyone sleeps and not everyone cycles, 128 cyclist deaths last year IIRC seems good odds.

And per mile

[Cunobelin]

More or Less, BBC Radio 4 have just stated that 98 people died last year from falling out of bed. While everyone sleeps and not everyone cycles, 128 cyclist deaths last year IIRC seems good odds.

And per mile

... only if you fall out of bed on a Sleeper train?

[patricktaylor]

Lifts are the world's safest form of transport.

[Mike Sales]

We all know, but often forget, that there are two meanings of "dangerous". These are the transitive and the intransitive. That is, dangerous to others, or dangerous for oneself.
Cycling may or may not be dangerous for cyclists, but it is safe for other road users. What cyclists are is endangered, not dangerous.

[downfader]

Lifts are the world's safest form of transport.

I hate lifts. Theres something that *bleeps* me up!

I take the stairs at work most of the time.

We all know, but often forget, that there are two meanings of "dangerous". These are the transitive and the intransitive. That is, dangerous to others, or dangerous for oneself.
Cycling may or may not be dangerous for cyclists, but it is safe for other road users. What cyclists are is endangered, not dangerous.

Well said Mike! Sadly people now misread the risks as cycling being a risk to others.

[basingstoke123]

I hate lifts. Theres something that *bleeps* me up!

I take the stairs at work most of the time.

And how many people fall down stairs? I trust that if you decline to use the expensive lift provided for your safety and convenience, then at least, you put on a helmet before tackling the stairs. I wonder if a cycle helmet would be considered suitable for stairs use? (dual use technology!)

[bovlomov]

More or Less, BBC Radio 4 have just stated that 98 people died last year from falling out of bed. While everyone sleeps and not everyone cycles, 128 cyclist deaths last year IIRC seems good odds.

Considering well over 99% of the population die in bed, I'd say that the few that died while trying to escape that death trap (i.e. by falling out) were simply making a rational calculation of the odds.

Who will rid us of this menace?!!

Goodnight. And sleep well.