Journalism and cycling

tomasrojo

Also cycling is more than 1 or 2% of trips. Not sure what it is these days, but it used to be 3 or 4% nationwide, and 10+% in Dublin city centre.

I suspect there is conflation of serious and minor head injuries in his stats (assuming they're at least broadly accurate). Cycling isn't especially productive of serious head injuries. Public policy shouldn't take too much interest in scrapes and bruises, which are most "head injuries".

Corca Baiscinn

murf wrote: »

I'd question the second Doctor's information there. The old one about 80% reduction has been dropped and the original study withdrawn as far as I know, and 20% of all transport hospitalisations are cyclists? That honestly sounds excessive, I'd very much like to see the backing on that one, particularly what they're in for - were they doing sport at the time? Downhill mountain biking is not transport.

That's what I wondered too, he didn't give a source for his figures and mountain biking, a cycle race or a sportive are rather different from a toddle to the shops. i wonder does the RSA here just have generic "cycling collision" stats. The other thing I wonder about re these recent letters is the "Dr"title. We don't know if the writers are doctors of medicine, philosophy, statistics or software engineering so can't tell whether their academic and professional experience deserves more weight than that of the (wo)man on the Clapham Omnibus.

Corca Baiscinn

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/britons-encouraged-to-ditch-cars-for-short-journeys-by-2040-g2tsnfprs?CMP=Sprkr-_-Editorial-_-TheTimesandTheSundayTimes-_-News-_-Unspecified-_-Statement-_-Unspecified-_-ACCOUNT_TYPE&linkId=36739751

Saw this shared on cyclist.ie and Dublin Cycling Campaign's FB page. It's a lot more imaginative re cycling than anything in our Draft National Mitigation Plan, published on 15th March . Of course the lead in is 20+ years so easy to make promises. Some of the comments are funny though especially the one that building more roads is the solution to congestion! Lots of anxiety re how older people will manage, someone should tell them re ebikes

Chuchote

Irish Times letters today, from 1) Brian O'Brien in Kinsale, 2) Michael A Carroll of Mount Merrion and 3) Leslie Lawless of Dublin 4

The perennial debate about the pros and cons of cycling helmets appears to have found its way into the letters page. Speaking as a cyclist and intensive-care specialist, I have no doubts about the protection helmets offer. For the sceptics though, I can recommend a simple “n=1” experiment. Don a cycling helmet and hit yourself firmly on the head with a brick. Remove the helmet and repeat the manoeuvre. Detailed statistical analysis will probably not be required to reveal the difference. Note to younger readers: do not try this as a Young Scientists exhibition project.

==

My problem, as a cyclist, with other road users, is that car drivers do not signal at T-junctions, pedestrians ignore red lights and other cyclists also ignore red lights and cycle on footpaths; although, to be fair, the latter often do so for their own safety. Whatever the arguments, for and against, I shall continue to wear a helmet and a hi-vis vest. I feel safer that way, and I also say a prayer to my guardian angel as I set off.

==

If a key solution to minimising accidental injury is always to wear a helmet, then perhaps we should wear a helmet in all accident-prone situations, such as each morning in the shower, when we go up or down the stairs and when we drink alcohol.

==


Also a lovely piece by Laura Laker in the Guardian about why we cycle:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2017/apr/20/its-good-to-hear-cycling-to-work-reduces-your-risk-of-dying-but-thats-not-why-i-do-it?CMP=share_btn_fb

My commuting story began at university. I remember being astonished one morning when I realised my friend Szilvia had cycled from Finsbury Park in the rain. Getting on a bike and riding five miles in such conditions sounded miserable, but she looked happy and bright, and told me how great it was.

We lived fairly close to one another and she offered to ride with me one day. As I pedalled frantically to keep up with her through Regent’s Park, and Camden, it was like I’d grown wings. Before long, like her, nothing short of a gale force wind with pigeon-sized hailstones was going to stop me from experiencing this feeling every day.

For the first time in my life I started getting fit. I arrived at university feeling awake, alert, and generally in a good mood. I continued to cycle to various temp jobs around London after graduation, carrying my work clothes in a pannier and getting changed in the loos.

On crisp, sunny mornings, I’d cycle through the city feeling like it had rolled out the red carpet just for me. I’d levelled up on urban living: I’d whizz past the stationary traffic and queues for buses and try not to look too smug.

I’d chat to others at the traffic lights. Often I’d get to places quicker than public transport could carry me. Often it was the best part of the day.

tomasrojo

For those of you playing Helmet Debate Bingo, you can cross off "Let me propose an experiment; hit yourself in the head".

tomasrojo

It occurred to me this morning while looking over the threads since the AGSI proposal is that the only thing I find stressful about cycling is thinking about how it's going to be ruined by people with authoritarian tendencies and simplistic arguments.

HivemindXX

tomasrojo wrote: »

For those of you playing Helmet Debate Bingo, you can cross off "Let me propose an experiment; hit yourself in the head".

That was a two for one. You get to tick off "I'm a medical professional so my opinion is more important".

AndrewJRenko

Chuchote wrote: »

Irish Times letters today, from 1) Brian O'Brien in Kinsale, 2) Michael A Carroll of Mount Merrion and 3) Leslie Lawless of Dublin 4

Interesting that Michael Carroll links in helmets/hi-vis and praying to his guardian angle - equal degrees of proven effectiveness for all three.

rubadub

HivemindXX wrote: »

You get to tick off "I'm a medical professional so my opinion is more important".

I jumped to the conclusion he was claiming to be a "medical professional" too, until I read further, hopefully nobody apparently that stupid is taking care of people.

I have talked to many intelligent people who might say similar to him -BUT -they have certainly not been aware of the "perennial debate about the pros and cons of cycling helmets", most are ignorant about it, and so it is fair enough that they think it is all "pro". This guy sounds like he should be well aware of the "cons", but then talks like he is totally unaware. So maybe "intensive-care specialist" simply means he has spent a lot of time in intensive care, perhaps after carrying out his brick experiment one too many times on himself.

magicbastarder

there's a simple issue with all these 'i'm a medical professional and i've held the brains of cyclists in my hands' sort of letters - the presumption that the accident has already taken place.
in the limited context of their experience, yes, a helmet is more likely to do good than harm, but they are judging cycling based purely on the - thankfully very rare - moments when things have gone wrong, and in a specific way.

i wouldn't claim to have cycled a tenth as much as some people on this forum, but i can tell you this - my couple of injuries - six stitches in my chin and a bit of glue in my top lip in one accident, a sprained ankle in another - are dwarfed by the pleasure and health benefits i've received from cycling.

(that said, i've heard enough about injuries in actual cycle racing to make me think twice about ever trying it).

Chuchote

Today's batch, from Mark Fox of Shankill and Patricia O'Riordan of Rialto.

http://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/letters/cycling-and-the-environment-1.3056942

It is no surprise that the Environmental Protection Agency recently noted that it is clear that current and planned policies are simply not sufficient to meet the EU target for Ireland of achieving a 20 per cent cut in greenhouse gases (based on 2005 levels) by 2020.
Commuting by bicycle replaces the use of fossil fuel-based transport methods, and you would think it should be encouraged. However, the infrastructure for cyclists remains poor and unsafe. For example, commuting cyclists have to contend on a daily basis with the need to avoid broken glass littering Dublin’s cycle paths, which is often not removed for months. This forces cyclists to use glass-free bus lanes to reduce the risk of puncture, but to the chagrin of some taxis and bus drivers honking their horns.
It seems that in the hierarchy of commuters, the cyclist is regarded as an unwanted inconvenience while the needs of fossil fuel-based commuting methods are prioritised and preferred.
Is it any wonder that transport-based emissions will continue to rise unabated?

==

The skateboarders are all very quiet compared to the cyclists. Are they just a mellower bunch?

Roadhawk

Chuchote wrote: »

Today's batch, from Mark Fox of Shankill and Patricia O'Riordan of Rialto.

http://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/letters/cycling-and-the-environment-1.3056942

...still quite puzzled with the hype on air pollution in Ireland...looking at the following links from the EEA and EPA... Ireland seems to be better than good in the stats/graphs.

http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/air-quality-in-europe-2016

http://www.epa.ie/air/quality/
http://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/air/quality/epaairqualityreport2015.html

mcgratheoin

Roadhawk wrote: »

...still quite puzzled with the hype on air pollution in Ireland...looking at the following links from the EEA and EPA... Ireland seems to be better than good in the stats/graphs.

Not sure if i'm reading you correctly if you're talking about the emissions reference, but air pollution and emissions aren't the same thing. Air pollution covers particulate matter (e.g. soot/smog), nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, lead etc... Mainly things that are a short to medium term risk to health rather than the gases that contribute to climate change.

magicbastarder

of course we're not too bad. we don't have to deal with our own pollution. our major population centre is on the east coast of an island where the prevailing wind is from the south west.

Carawaystick

magicbastarder wrote: »

i wouldn't claim to have cycled a tenth as much as some people on this forum, but i can tell you this - my couple of injuries - six stitches in my chin and a bit of glue in my top lip in one accident, .

If Only you had worn a helmet... :rolleyes:

I can't understand why the doctors aren't trying mandate only helmets meeting the FIA 8860-2004 standard.
It could save life :rolleyes: so you double your cancer risk by not cycling.

Chuchote

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/high-court/haulier-who-left-cyclist-paralysed-permitted-to-appeal-driving-ban-1.3062627?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Haulier who left cyclist paralysed permitted to appeal driving ban
Tim Walsh was jailed for three years after he admitted dangerous driving causing serious injury to Vincent O’Driscoll
Mary Carolan

A haulier whose dangerous driving left a cyclist paralysed has been permitted appeal a 15-year driving disqualification handed down to him three years ago.
Tim Walsh (51) from Moneen, Glanworth, Co Cork, was also jailed for three years after he admitted dangerous driving causing serious injury to Vincent O’Driscoll on the Cork-Macroom road in August 2013.
Walsh had not appealed his sentence but, after finishing it last year, when he sought to return to work he found he wanted to appeal the disqualification element. However, he was out of time to do so.
As a result of an application to the Court of Appeal, he was granted a short extension of time to allow him appeal the disqualification.
In July 2014, the Circuit Criminal Court heard there were 70 defects on the truck which hit Mr O’Driscoll but Mr Walsh, who knew about them for two months, had done nothing to remedy them.
The defects included a broken side mirror which the trial judge said was instrumental in restricting Walsh’s view as he overtook Mr O’Driscoll’s bike.
Mr O’Driscoll (31), a former triathlete, was knocked off his bike and left paralysed after his spinal column was crushed.

Apparently he's got a job in Haulbowline, and not having a car is tough on him. (He lives 56km from there.)

I love Sean nos

magicbastarder wrote: »

a bit of glue in my top lip in one accident

Did you crash into someone making a model airplane?

buffalo

Two great posts from non-MSM outlets:

http://cyclist.ie/2017/04/helmets-hi-vis-safety/ - Phil Skelton writes a reasoned and well thought-out piece on the dangers of the helmet/hi-vis brigade, and why cycling is good for the individual and society at large.

http://irishcycle.com/2017/04/26/6-problem-areas-with-cycling-in-ireland-today-and-the-solutions/ - Cian Ginty identifies where we're going wrong in Ireland wrt cycling, and how we can potentially fix it.

radia

Chuchote wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/high-court/haulier-who-left-cyclist-paralysed-permitted-to-appeal-driving-ban-1.3062627?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Apparently he's got a job in Haulbowline, and not having a car is tough on him. (He lives 56km from there.)

I'd love the judge to suggest to him that that's within cycle commuting distance.

CramCycle

radia wrote: »

I'd love the judge to suggest to him that that's within cycle commuting distance.

20km from Kent Station, presumably he is not 20km from another bus stop or train line. Easily doable. An extra 3 hours commuting a day is not much to pay to keep him off the roads.

Chuchote

CramCycle wrote: »

20km from Kent Station, presumably he is not 20km from another bus stop or train line. Easily doable. An extra 3 hours commuting a day is not much to pay to keep him off the roads.

Depends on his shifts; he may be working non-train hours.

radia wrote: »

I'd love the judge to suggest to him that that's within cycle commuting distance.

Or that he get a motorcycle licence but still be forbidden to drive other vehicles.

Chuchote

I failed to notice this statement by the judge:

Mr Justice Peart said the court had, to a large extent, excluded from its consideration what appeared to be very significant aggravating factors.

What aggravating factors are more aggravating than a truck with 70 un-mended defects, and a crash that leaves someone with a crushed spine and a life ruined?

Weepsie

Bit on cyclists thoughts on the Luas works from the dregs that is thejournal. Comments are pretty typical whataboutery...

http://www.thejournal.ie/luas-complaints-cross-city-cyclists-3360140-Apr2017/

HivemindXX

Why is it that these people only think about how essential their driving licence is AFTER they have it taken away for being dangerous.

I think if truck, bus and taxi drivers knew they were MORE likely to have their licence taken for bad driving the standard would go up a lot. In fact we have the crazy situation where someone who drives all day for their job, often in a vehicle that is inherently more dangerous than a car, is LESS likely to be put off the roads when their driving is found to be dangerous.

tomasrojo

Phil Skelton's article is very well put. One small error, about Dublin Bikes:

I am unaware of a single fatality of a rider of one of these bicycles, but just imagine the added congestion and pollution without them.

There was one fatality, but there have been many millions of trips.

One other:

Cycling helmets are made of a polystyrene material with a plastic covering and are designed to crack open on impact.

They're designed so that the liner will crush at impact speeds (as in, impact speed of the helmet on a hard surface, not the speed of the rider) of 20km/h or lower without breaking. That's the test you have to pass to sell your helmet in the EU. I've never really been clear whether helmets splitting is of benefit. They're certainly not supposed to do it a low speeds.

V-man

Chuchote wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/high-court/haulier-who-left-cyclist-paralysed-permitted-to-appeal-driving-ban-1.3062627?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Apparently he's got a job in Haulbowline, and not having a car is tough on him. (He lives 56km from there.)

He gave the cyclist a punishment for life.
Heart breaking......

http://www.stickybottle.com/latest-news/cyclist-left-paralysed-suicidal-and-mourning-the-body-i-used-to-have-after-hit-by-truck/

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/haulier-jailed-over-crash-which-left-cyclist-paralysed-1.1882662

Imposing sentence, Judge Ó Donnabháin said he knew the particular stretch of road well and for anyone to try overtaking there in any truck would be criminally negligent. “But to do it in this truck with all these defects including brakes, lights and a broken mirror which restricted his view and had an impact in the collision simply beggars belief,” he said.

Why should these people be allowed to drive ever again?

tomasrojo

V-man wrote: »

Why should these people be allowed to drive ever again?

That's the thing that always bothers me. His attitude to the safety of others was so cavalier that it's quite clear he's unsuited to being a professional driver. If you were so neglectful of professional standards in your work as a doctor you'd be struck off.

Chuchote

Deedsie wrote: »

Exactly, driving is a privilege and it should be taken away from people who are proven to be unsuitable to share the roads with others. Anyone who is caught driving intoxicated to me should be a ten year ban from driving. They know the law and choose to do it anyway regardless of the potential consequences it may cause.

And take away the car. Permanently. Sell it and put the money into the roads fund.

HivemindXX

V-man wrote: »

Imposing sentence, Judge Ó Donnabháin said he knew the particular stretch of road well and for anyone to try overtaking there in any truck would be criminally negligent. “But to do it in this truck with all these defects including brakes, lights and a broken mirror which restricted his view and had an impact in the collision simply beggars belief,” he said.

Why should these people be allowed to drive ever again?

Actually, on reflection, I'd like to call out that judge for being a credit to the position. So many times I've read about judges making excuses from the bench and imposing ludicrously lenient sentences for dangerous driving that I had basically lost all hope of getting any justice as a cyclist in Ireland if I were ever the victim of dangerous driving. I'm thinking in particular of an incident where a driver was found guilty in an incident where they had been speeding and gone through a red light and ended up crippling a pedestrian. The judge imposed a fine and stated something like "accidents happen, we're not robots".

Judge Ó'Donnabháin has restored my hope that justice might be done to some extent. So thanks to them for serving justice in this case and for not falling for the idea that it's too much to expect people to drive in a safe manner at all times.

radia

Weepsie wrote: »

Bit on cyclists thoughts on the Luas works from the dregs that is thejournal. Comments are pretty typical whataboutery...

http://www.thejournal.ie/luas-complaints-cross-city-cyclists-3360140-Apr2017/

Some potential solutions to minimising danger to cyclists from tram tracks: http://road.cc/content/news/215067-device-answer-tram-track-danger-cyclists
The focus is on filling the groove in the rails with a material that compresses when a heavy tram passes over it, but remains level with the surface when a light bike passes over it.

Besides the main info on that page, Eric D's comment a little further down has some interesting additional links:
veloSTRAIL
Zurich
CityCyclingEdinburgh