IOM TT Races - Death Rate

[Mike Sales]

Cycling as transportation has a chance of death 5 times higher than driving. Do all cyclists know this fact?

Is that per mile, per hour, or per journey?
What I notice is that cycling risks are less under your control than in some sports.

Per hour. Source here.

I really think that it is necessary to state the denominator, rather than give flat statements about risk.
The reason for choosing a particular measure is important when one wants to reach a useful conclusion.
Levels of exposure to risk vary too, with the environment in which the activity takes place, for instance.
There are just too many variables to make such categorical statements.

[Cugel]

Is that per mile, per hour, or per journey?
What I notice is that cycling risks are less under your control than in some sports.

Per hour. Source here.

I really think that it is necessary to state the denominator, rather than give flat statements about risk.
The reason for choosing a particular measure is important when one wants to reach a useful conclusion.
Levels of exposure to risk vary too, with the environment in which the activity takes place, for instance.
There are just too many variables to make such categorical statements.

There are different kinds of deaths & maiming resulting from so-called road traffic accidents. Not least is the differentiation between deaths and maimings caused by one's particular vehicle type and road-using mode. In particular, there is a large differentiation that can be drawn between cyclist deaths & maimings caused: purely by riding a bicycle; and those caused by collision with a motorised vehicle.

Why the differentiation? The deaths & maimings caused by purely cycling, with no other vehicle involved, are few. Those deaths and maimings caused by collision of a cyclist with a motorised vehicle are comparatively large. This is because the involvement of a motorised vehicle is likely to impact the cyclist much harder than does the gravel or even kerb-blow one receives when just falling off a bike.

From this point of view, the deaths and maimings of cyclists run over by motor vehicles should really be attributed to "motoring" not to "cycling". Would we, for example, say that pedestrian deaths are caused by walking, if those we're counting include incidents of pedestrians being run over by motor vehicles?

The simplistic notion of cause and effect is not a very fine tool for considering the factors involved in drawing up such statistics.

Cugel

[Mike Sales]

Per hour. Source here.

I really think that it is necessary to state the denominator, rather than give flat statements about risk.
The reason for choosing a particular measure is important when one wants to reach a useful conclusion.
Levels of exposure to risk vary too, with the environment in which the activity takes place, for instance.
There are just too many variables to make such categorical statements.

There are different kinds of deaths & maiming resulting from so-called road traffic accidents. Not least is the differentiation between deaths and maimings caused by one's particular vehicle type and road-using mode. In particular, there is a large differentiation that can be drawn between cyclist deaths & maimings caused: purely by riding a bicycle; and those caused by collision with a motorised vehicle.

Why the differentiation? The deaths & maimings caused by purely cycling, with no other vehicle involved, are few. Those deaths and maimings caused by collision of a cyclist with a motorised vehicle are comparatively large. This is because the involvement of a motorised vehicle is likely to impact the cyclist much harder than does the gravel or even kerb-blow one receives when just falling off a bike.

From this point of view, the deaths and maimings of cyclists run over by motor vehicles should really be attributed to "motoring" not to "cycling". Would we, for example, say that pedestrian deaths are caused by walking, if those we're counting include incidents of pedestrians being run over by motor vehicles?

The simplistic notion of cause and effect is not a very fine tool for considering the factors involved in drawing up such statistics.

Cugel

The confusion between the transitive and intransitive meanings when an activity is described as dangerous is important, but too often elided.
In the first sense cycling is hardly dangerous at all, yet many people would describe cycling on the road as dangerous.

Another too seldom understood qualification is about motorways, which are often described as the safest roads. Yet, cycling is banned, because it would be too dangerous! These roads are so safe that motorists who break down and make it to the hard shoulder are advised to leave their vehicle and clamber over the steel crash barrier.

[cycleruk]

Father and Son both killed in sidecar race. That brings this years deaths to 5.

[Cugel]

I know many motorcyclists who are perfectly sensible and safe fellows. I was one myself for some years. The ladywife too, before I knew her. In her youth she worked with the polis to help retrain mad motorcyclists who'd been had-up for riding madly, luckily before they killed themselves or someone else. As in other domains, motorcycling contains largely sensible and safe folk. .....

But it also contains speeding, aggressive and uncaring riders who risk not only their own lives but those of other road users. The public highways are not a race track. People who ride or drive on them as such should be criticised and stopped. If you had a more balanced view on this matter, perhaps you would do that yourself with those you know who are eejits.

Cugel

[reohn2]

......... As in other domains, motorcycling contains largely sensible and safe folk. .....

But it also contains speeding, aggressive and uncaring riders who risk not only their own lives but those of other road users. The public highways are not a race track. People who ride or drive on them as such should be criticised and stopped. If you had a more balanced view on this matter, perhaps you would do that yourself with those you know who are eejits.

Cugel

Spot on!

Just to add,there are too many unknowns when riding on the road to act out any fantasies anyone feels a complelled to.
Opposing traffic flow such as cars and HGVs,some driven badly by distracted idiots themselves playing the racing game learned and subliminally digested on Xbox or watching their heroes on TV etc,slow moving traffic such as tractors,horses,cyclists and especially sheep and other livestock on the roads in the areas in question ,add to that gravel,diesel spills,mud and manure on the road.
Whilst on the tandem on a single track lane just north of Kirby Lonsdale MrsR2 and I had two large Roe deer leap a high hedge to our left not 15m in front of us then seemingly as if on a trampoline bound over the hedge on the opposite side of the road and disappear into the field.
I ride the roads in question on my motorcycles regularly and can testify the area has a fair number of speeding clownatics on motorcycles,they're in the minority but they do exist.
Twice in the past 12 months I've come across motorcyclists who've come to grief,thankfully walking wounded in both instances but both times entirely the rider's fault.

I strongly believe some motorcyclists do not know the limits of either their skill or the limits of safe riding on the road and leave far too much to chance.