Cycling UK Forum

A new study (August 2012) from Direct Line Car Insurance proves it is safer to be a jaywalker than a cyclist. Using revolutionary eye tracking technology to monitor actual driver behaviour, the study found that drivers failed to notice 22 per cent of cyclists on the road, despite being in clear view of their vehicle.
Ref: https://www.directline.com/media/archiv ... s-25042013.

Indeed, and to give our resident Cenobite, Pinhead, full credit - it confirms his posts in which he maintains 'ride in the gutter and get treated like dirt'. I am in total agreement with him. I generally cycle in the primary position-where one is more likely to find a moped or light motorcycle. I am in full view of the driver without them turning their head. It would have been interesting to read where those cyclists who weren't spotted, were positioned on the road.

Here's a Glassfibre mount with captive fittings I knocked up to hold my 'pass pixi'
I have the same rear carrier on 2 bikes, so it's an easy swap from one bike to t'other.
I sourced a vinyl sticker off Ebay c£4 IIRC (nor shown in photos.
I decided to do this after a couple of close passes in as many rides . It seems to have helped, but there is no certainty of course.
My theory is that it may be more useful than a camera without a pass-pixi, but of course not as useful if there is an incident.

I cite the case of a car alarm - without a 'alarm is fitted' sign, the alarm is only useful once the window is smashed. An 'alarm is fitted sign' may stop the window being smashed, without an alarm being present.

cycle tramp wrote: ↑25 Oct 2023, 2:31pm

A new study (August 2012) from Direct Line Car Insurance proves it is safer to be a jaywalker than a cyclist. Using revolutionary eye tracking technology to monitor actual driver behaviour, the study found that drivers failed to notice 22 per cent of cyclists on the road, despite being in clear view of their vehicle.
Ref: https://www.directline.com/media/archiv ... s-25042013.

Indeed, and to give our resident Cenobite, Pinhead, full credit - it confirms his posts in which he maintains 'ride in the gutter and get treated like dirt'. I am in total agreement with him. I generally cycle in the primary position-where one is more likely to find a moped or light motorcycle. I am in full view of the driver without them turning their head. It would have been interesting to read where those cyclists who weren't spotted, were positioned on the road.

That is what someone told me in a bike shop when I complained about having to go right into the kerb to avoid cars

cycle tramp wrote: ↑25 Oct 2023, 2:31pm

A new study (August 2012) from Direct Line Car Insurance proves it is safer to be a jaywalker than a cyclist. Using revolutionary eye tracking technology to monitor actual driver behaviour, the study found that drivers failed to notice 22 per cent of cyclists on the road, despite being in clear view of their vehicle.
Ref: https://www.directline.com/media/archiv ... s-25042013.

Indeed, and to give our resident Cenobite, Pinhead, full credit - it confirms his posts in which he maintains 'ride in the gutter and get treated like dirt'. I am in total agreement with him. I generally cycle in the primary position-where one is more likely to find a moped or light motorcycle. I am in full view of the driver without them turning their head. It would have been interesting to read where those cyclists who weren't spotted, were positioned on the road.

Actually (I did like the films by the way) I used Pinhead as I also use THESE LOL https://pinheadlocks.com/shop/en/

gazza_d wrote: ↑17 Oct 2023, 8:18pm I have a passpixi and cameras.

I do find it works on the majority of drivers and I get decent passes. The cameras are fairly discrete so unlikely to be noticed by all but a tiny minority.

It's not 100% as some drivers are just so bone headed.
Well worth a tenner. And if I trash or lose mine I'll be getting another asap...

As another poster points out, its the idiot driving loon who is most likely to prang you .... but also the same idiot likely to either ignore or react badly to being warned-off with a sign. I recall a survey in which a percentage of drivers took offense to such signs on cyclists, on the grounds that it excited their angst about, "Cyclists feel they are special or better than we drivers, so I give 'em a punishment pass".

Sometimes signs can become no more than a fetish object that the user believes instrumental in changing the behaviour of others but ... in reality it either doesn't or does so in ways other than what the signer hopes for.

Cugel wrote: ↑18 Nov 2023, 10:50am

gazza_d wrote: ↑17 Oct 2023, 8:18pm I have a passpixi and cameras.

I do find it works on the majority of drivers and I get decent passes. The cameras are fairly discrete so unlikely to be noticed by all but a tiny minority.

It's not 100% as some drivers are just so bone headed.
Well worth a tenner. And if I trash or lose mine I'll be getting another asap...

As another poster points out, its the idiot driving loon who is most likely to prang you .... but also the same idiot likely to either ignore or react badly to being warned-off with a sign. I recall a survey in which a percentage of drivers took offense to such signs on cyclists, on the grounds that it excited their angst about, "Cyclists feel they are special or better than we drivers, so I give 'em a punishment pass".

Sometimes signs can become no more than a fetish object that the user believes instrumental in changing the behaviour of others but ... in reality it either doesn't or does so in ways other than what the signer hopes for.

I believe that it is a mix of things, often someone will get, say, a sign and believe it does the job, in fact it is better to have a combination of things, camera, sign, clothing, that way by the time they have read all you have on you and the bike they have hit someone coming the OTHER way

plancashire wrote: ↑24 Oct 2023, 5:53pm

Jdsk wrote: ↑16 Oct 2023, 9:55pm It would be feasible to do a randomised controlled double-blinded study...

Done. Here's some evidence. The first was RCT and specifically about passing distance, but you can't blind such a trial. The others are more diagnostic and explanatory.

A new study by the University of Bath and Brunel University has concluded that it makes little difference what clothing a cyclist may wear to boost their visibility, between one and two per cent of motorists will still pass dangerously close.
...
The results instead found that only the vest that warned of video recording equipment made any difference to the amount of space given, though this was just a small increase.
News: https://bikebiz.com/bath-uni-study-find ... tance/amp/
Article: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a ... via%3Dihub

Thanks for posting that.

But I disagree about blinding.

Jonathan

plancashire wrote: ↑24 Oct 2023, 5:53pm ...
Here's more evidence that your appearance on a bike may not help:

A new study (August 2012) from Direct Line Car Insurance proves it is safer to be a jaywalker than a cyclist. Using revolutionary eye tracking technology to monitor actual driver behaviour, the study found that drivers failed to notice 22 per cent of cyclists on the road, despite being in clear view of their vehicle.
Ref: https://www.directline.com/media/archiv ... s-25042013.

Thanks.

Also discussed here:
https://road.cc/content/news/81753-invi ... 1-5-riders

Can anyone find the study report?

Jonathan

Jdsk wrote: ↑18 Nov 2023, 11:51am

plancashire wrote: ↑24 Oct 2023, 5:53pm ...
Here's more evidence that your appearance on a bike may not help:

A new study (August 2012) from Direct Line Car Insurance proves it is safer to be a jaywalker than a cyclist. Using revolutionary eye tracking technology to monitor actual driver behaviour, the study found that drivers failed to notice 22 per cent of cyclists on the road, despite being in clear view of their vehicle.
Ref: https://www.directline.com/media/archiv ... s-25042013.

Thanks.

Also discussed here:
https://road.cc/content/news/81753-invi ... 1-5-riders

Can anyone find the study report?

Jonathan

I looked at the website of the researchers, Bunnyfoot (https://www.bunnyfoot.com), and could find no reference to it. I suspect it is the property of Direct Line and was not published. Bunnyfoot's recent work all seems to be on eye-tracking studies of human-computer interfaces.

While searching I did find more from Direct Line (indirectly) with information about what people driving cars actually look at. Worrying but not surprising. Here: http://www.newsinsurances.co.uk/direct- ... 0169490925.

Thankyou

Jonathan

Cugel wrote: ↑18 Nov 2023, 10:50am
As another poster points out, its the idiot driving loon who is most likely to prang you .... but also the same idiot likely to either ignore or react badly to being warned-off with a sign. I recall a survey in which a percentage of drivers took offense to such signs on cyclists, on the grounds that it excited their angst about, "Cyclists feel they are special or better than we drivers, so I give 'em a punishment pass".

Sometimes signs can become no more than a fetish object that the user believes instrumental in changing the behaviour of others but ... in reality it either doesn't or does so in ways other than what the signer hopes for.

Over a couple of years of using one, I've never had even a hint of anyone objecting to it. It is fair warning. And as I said earlier, most drivers pass better when I use it

Pinhead wrote: ↑18 Nov 2023, 8:43am

cycle tramp wrote: ↑25 Oct 2023, 2:31pm

A new study (August 2012) from Direct Line Car Insurance proves it is safer to be a jaywalker than a cyclist. Using revolutionary eye tracking technology to monitor actual driver behaviour, the study found that drivers failed to notice 22 per cent of cyclists on the road, despite being in clear view of their vehicle.
Ref: https://www.directline.com/media/archiv ... s-25042013.

Indeed, and to give our resident Cenobite, Pinhead, full credit - it confirms his posts in which he maintains 'ride in the gutter and get treated like dirt'. I am in total agreement with him. I generally cycle in the primary position-where one is more likely to find a moped or light motorcycle. I am in full view of the driver without them turning their head. It would have been interesting to read where those cyclists who weren't spotted, were positioned on the road.

Actually (I did like the films by the way) I used Pinhead as I also use THESE LOL https://pinheadlocks.com/shop/en/

And I thought Cycle tramp was referring to your monastic tendencies.