Shane Ross' new speeding penalties

John_Rambo

John_Rambo wrote: »

The same stats that prove cyclists make better drivers! Much faster reaction times and far superior awareness than non-cycling drivers. A lot of professional racing drivers cycle for you good reason.

This is bull sh1t of the highest order.

osarusan

Sienna Black Sacrifice wrote: »

This is bull sh1t of the highest order.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2018/10/09/cyclists-are-better-drivers-than-motorists-finds-study/#417b84a86f6c

Cyclists who drive are better behind the steering wheel than motorists, a new analysis has found. The link between cycling and safer motoring was revealed by a UK insurance firm which offers specialist motor insurance policies for cyclists. This analysis correlates with an earlier study which found that cyclist-drivers tend to have faster reaction times than non-cyclists.
Nick Day of Chris Knott Insurance said an analysis of his firm's crash data showed that cyclists make less than half the number of insurance claims as non-cyclists.


...


This insurance company’s commercial decision is also informed by a study published last year in Accident Analysis & Prevention which found that motorists who self-identified as cyclists were better able to spot potential road hazards. Study author Vanessa Beanland of Australian National University noted that the “demands of cycling” appears to hone awareness skills.
In a lab setting Beanland and her associates found that cyclist-drivers responded to fresh information more quickly than motorists who did not cycle.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the cyclist-drivers were significantly faster at detecting the appearance of fellow cyclists.

...

Beanland’s study concludes that “cycling experience is associated with more efficient attentional processing for road scenes” and she suggests that road safety would be improved for all if more motorists also cycled

John_Rambo

Sienna Black Sacrifice wrote: »

This is bull sh1t of the highest order.

If you can find evidence contrary to my post stick it up here chief!

Truth is, cyclist are generally fitter and slimmer than your average sedentary driver like yourself. Fitter people have faster visual reaction times. Cyclists that are drivers have more cross-experience on the road giving them a better all-round insight and understanding.

Far far superior road users.

You should actually take up cycling to improve your driving skills, you'll see a difference in a short amount of time.

nelly17

Cyclist drivers also leave plenty of room for cyclists and not be too pushy about getting past

Wibbs

Sienna Black Sacrifice wrote: »

This is bull sh1t of the highest order.

It makes prefect sense that regular cyclists will make for better drivers generally.

1) they're likely going to be physically fitter than their sedentary fellows and fitness correlates wth reaction times.

2) They're also likely to be younger overall and again youth correlates with reaction times.

3) There's more physical and mental coordination involved with riding a bike. You can't exactly daydream or be half asleep, which would translate well to driving(I'd also put motorbike guys in this category). Hell I know some that can barely walk across a room without bumping into furniture and are about as coordinated as a drunk octopus, yet have driving licences(they shouldn't in my humble).

4) They have no "driver aids" at all, so this would tend to increase wariness. A bike's brakes are pure crap compared to a cars(yes they can generally stop more quickly, but they weigh nothing and are going more slowly). They're also more aware of speed and nearly every cyclist has fallen off and knows how even coming off at much above walking pace hurts*.

5) they're much more vulnerable as road users so have to be more situationally aware of other road users and conditions(I'd put bikers in this category too).

So yeah I can see how that stat holds up TBH.


*earlier in the thread I got static for doing 90KPh on the inside lane of a motorway and how this was so "slow" and my confidence and my jalopy's capabilities were called into question. Now I bloody love speed and dislike pedantic whining health and safety types and said jalopy is capable of 200Kph(allegedly, on a closed road/autobahn...) and gets there quickly enough. However I'm also aware of how things can go very quickly and badly wrong at speed. I've seen it happen. I've experienced it happening. People can forget that a head on impact at 50Kph is roughly equivalent to driving off the second floor of a high rise car park. That will hurt. Hitting something at 90 will hurt like hell.

Wibbs

nelly17 wrote: »

Cyclist drivers also leave plenty of room for cyclists and not be too pushy about getting past

This is where it goes a bit daft. Cyclists aren't automatically saints either. Maybe for your average commuter pedal pushers on their sit up and beg boneshakers and dayglo helmets, but some of the biggest speed demon thrill seekers I've known behind the wheel were/are avid hardcore let's see if I can hit 100kph down this hill on my 8 grand Campagshimanolo stripped down racing snake bike cyclists. Many moons ago(90's IIRC) I remember a car mag looked into what other sports types would make good racing and rally drivers and pro cyclists and downhill skiers were right at the top. Love speed, zero fear, great coordination and reaction times.

mgn

John_Rambo wrote: »

The same stats that prove cyclists make better drivers! Much faster reaction times and far superior awareness than non-cycling drivers. A lot of professional racing drivers cycle for you good reason.

With big heads to fit in their superior awareness no doubt.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

This thread has nearly everything.....

What we need now is discussion of:
1. Overtaking lanes.
2. Fog Lights.
3. Nissan Leaf.
4. Drink driving.
5. Uninsured drivers.
6. Dodging car tax.
7. Petrol versus Diesel.

amcalester

Bailey Slow Pastrami wrote: »

This thread has nearly everything.....

What we need now is discussion of:
1. Overtaking lanes.
2. Fog Lights.
3. Nissan Leaf.
4. Drink driving.
5. Uninsured drivers.
6. Dodging car tax.
7. Petrol versus Diesel.

Don't forget roundabouts.

mgn

Bailey Slow Pastrami wrote: »

This thread has nearly everything.....

What we need now is discussion of:
1. Overtaking lanes.
2. Fog Lights.
3. Nissan Leaf.
4. Drink driving.
5. Uninsured drivers.
6. Dodging car tax.
7. Petrol versus Diesel.

Ask the cyclist the know everything.

cdaly_

nelly17 wrote: »

Cyclist drivers also leave plenty of room for cyclists and not be too pushy about getting past

Wibbs wrote: »

This is where it goes a bit daft. Cyclists aren't automatically saints either. Maybe for your average commuter pedal pushers on their sit up and beg boneshakers and dayglo helmets, but some of the biggest speed demon thrill seekers I've known behind the wheel were/are avid hardcore let's see if I can hit 100kph down this hill on my 8 grand Campagshimanolo stripped down racing snake bike cyclists. Many moons ago(90's IIRC) I remember a car mag looked into what other sports types would make good racing and rally drivers and pro cyclists and downhill skiers were right at the top. Love speed, zero fear, great coordination and reaction times.

Not automatically saints 'tis true but, on the bike I see how vulnerable I can be and I learn coping strategies which reduce my risk when mixing it up with motor traffic.

Having been there, while in the car, I understand why that prat on the bike is 'all over the road' ('cos (s)he's taking the lane to ensure that a driver wanting to overtake has to cross to the other side of the road so the overtake is safer) and I understand just how dangerous it is for me (driving) to 'just squeeze by'.

OTOH, give me an open road, good sightlines and a nice descent and I'll push for that 100kph (best yet was 82kph descending off Spelga Dam in the Mournes)...

John_Rambo

Yeah, I’d be much more cycle aware than most drivers and never ever have “near misses” with cyclists, yet where I drive is a very popular cycle route and commuter area.

Even with erratic cyclists, I can more or less read what they’re going to do by reading their body posture, looking at where they’re looking, observing the way they’re acting and the way they’re cycling.

xckjoo

Ah lads. Ye were doing so well. If you cycle like a dick you probably drive like a dick and vice-versa. "cyclist" and "driver" aren't a different species. Your personality doesn't change depending on the number of wheels under your ass.

GreeBo

mgn wrote: »

What planet are you living on.Drive around any town and within 5 minutes you will see someone idot up on the footpath or going through a red light.Or maybe you only see what you want to see.The cyclists have rules but the ignore them.The would rather complain about the motorist.

Perhaps they see red lights the same way you see speed limit signs...?:cool:

cdaly_

Incidentally, you know speed limits don't apply to bicycles. How come we're talking about them in a speed limit thread?

Bruthal

John_Rambo wrote: »

And don’t forget, cyclists tend to have much better reflexes and faster reactions that car drivers

Do they lose these powers, when in their cars?

Bruthal

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Motorists have killed 4,000 people in Ireland over the last 15 years. Cyclists have killed zero people over the same period.

Many, if not most cyclists, are motorists.

Eric Cartman

cdaly_ wrote: »

Incidentally, you know speed limits don't apply to bicycles. How come we're talking about them in a speed limit thread?

Every time we have any thread where theres an opportunity to come in to this forum and have a go at motorists from a cycling perspective , a few hop the fence to defend the terrible standard of cycling in Ireland , then retreat to the cycling forum where the same standard of biased bile would earn you a ban were it the other way round. Standard fare these days.

John_Rambo

John_Rambo wrote: »

If you can find evidence contrary to my post stick it up here chief!

Truth is, cyclist are generally fitter and slimmer than your average sedentary driver like yourself. Fitter people have faster visual reaction times. Cyclists that are drivers have more cross-experience on the road giving them a better all-round insight and understanding.

Far far superior road users.

You should actually take up cycling to improve your driving skills, you'll see a difference in a short amount of time.

I’ve honed my skills driving much bigger machinery than cars never mind riding a bike added to that years pushing on in fairly powerful cars I’d gladly take on any cyclist in any reaction, awareness or judgment of surroundings test etc.

I’ve done bits of cycling in the brief period I lived in a city center 1km from work but have absolutely no interest in it now even if I didn’t live in the country and commute into the city for work I still wouldn’t be bothered cycling, who would want to be out in that rain this evening for instance rather in a nice warm car. It also certainly made zero difference to driving skills and I call total bull on any “study” that says cycling improves driving as it’s total nonsense.

Also not cycling does not mean people don’t exercise in other ways.

mgn

John_Rambo wrote: »

The same stats that prove cyclists make better drivers! Much faster reaction times and far superior awareness than non-cycling drivers. A lot of professional racing drivers cycle for you good reason.

I must be a good driver so.I learned how to ride a bike when i was about 5 and there were no stabilisers in my day.Learned how to drive a tractor when i was about 10 and drive a car around the yard when i was 13.Now we adult cyclist on about their superior awareness to cycle a F*ucking bike.

Alanstrainor

Well lads I think we're done here, we've gone a long way from where this thread started.