wphamilton

You answered your own objection IMO. Distraction arises from a lack of focus, and your own decision to allow yourself to be distracted. Something like music is just a media for it, and could as easily be any other mechanism.

I find internal dialog to be more distracting. In fact, music can quiet the dialog and help one focus, which would make it less distracting than without.

genec

I've always enjoyed the sounds of outdoors... except where those "outdoors" tend to be along busy roads.

I recall one situation... Mission Bay Park in San Diego, where there was a nice peaceful quiet bay adjacent to a linear park with plenty of sidewalks for brisk walks. The bay was nice and quiet, but on the other side of the park, opposite of the bay, was Interstate 5 with steady highway traffic ruining the peaceful quiet of the bay. That walk was greatly enhanced by headphones.

genec

My internal dialog tends to be music... I often have a song in my head when cycling or walking.

Trueblood

I actually did read the entire article before the post, and up to this point, have not weighed in on whether the headphones could be a contributing factor or not. Some think it had nothing to do with the headphones, as evidenced by some of the posts here. Strong opinions, for and against, vary. The popcorn had to do with the expected opinions, not the tragedy. My cut and paste comment was in response to someone's assertion that I somehow distorted the article. Since I quoted only the precise title of the article and the url, this required clarification.

I have expressed opinions about headphones in other threads. BTW, the rule for roundabouts in the UK is to yield to traffic already on the roundabout. The article indicates that she entered the roundabout alongside the lorry which was already on the roundabout. Mr. Bill has a video of said roundabout above. Assuming the lorry was not electric, do I think headphones were a contributing factor and are generally dangerous in high traffic areas? Most definitely.

It's all fine and good to speak from the perspective of mainly cycling in rural areas or uncrowded MUPs, but in high traffic areas and cities, it is extremely dangerous IMO. I expect that is why many lawmakers have seen fit to make it illegal.

Feldman

Yes, it's hard to figure how some drivers hear anything. My favorite was sitting on my bike at a stoplight a few years ago next to a Mazda RX7 where the stereo was causing three distinct separate rattles each time a bass note sounded.

Chris0516

Stupid!!

May she rest in peace.

But if someone is more interested on keeping themselves from getting extremely bored. Instead of paying attention to the road!! It doesn't matter what method of transportation!!!!

CliffordK

There was no collision. The bicycle hit the curb.

We only have one big (small by British standards) roundabout here. Two lane.

While I ride to the right almost always, I tend to take the lane in the roundabout. One doesn't want vehicles to cut in front of the bikes.

So... yield at beginning to any vehicle already in the system. Pull left (USA) to middle of lane and hit the roundabout at full speed. Pull right only as I exit.

The only bike/truck collision possible would be a rear-end collision, and still rather unlikely as I'm usually out of the roundabout before anybody ever catches up to me.

I just have troubles blaming a bike running into a curb due to a truck coming up beside her as being anything but the cyclist's fault. But, witness statements should also help determine where each person/vehicle was.

italktocats

"Cycling with headphones kills mother as coroner says she caused her own death" i read this 14 times and still can figure it out "The lorry driver did not stop and said he had not "felt, heard or saw" the cyclist" welcome to uk m8 plus nice coroner not doing his job righte

AlexCyclistRoch

I would've made some snarky remark about "removing herself from the gene pool", but I see she has already procreated....

coominya

But then you have to carry a smartphone, and I leave that at home as much as humanly possible. Oh I love them, I just suspect mine is trying to become a girlfriend and consume too much of my time.

Here is what I use, an old piece of technology from the 00's. The early iriver's had a bad interface and the latter ones relied on an integrated lipo, but these little Goldilocks ones have up to 2GIG of plug and play storage and run off AA batteries, either eneloops (japanese ones) or stock alkaline. Why is this important? because you get days of music and lectures and if the battery runs down you toss in another, no waiting to recharge. Sorry for the long rant.




And yes, you can still get them SH, but they are getting scarce.

coominya

Even the best of the best have a bad day die pointlessly. We're all just inches or seconds away from death, including me, and including you.

coominya

Yes yes! That's what I wanted to say, I just didn't understand it until you said it.

linberl

Indeed! When I ride without my music, my brain is busily engaged in solving all my problems and the rest of the world issues as well. I am not 100% present. But if I have my music on in the background (low volume level and non-noise isolating earbuds), then I am laser focused on my surroundings and constantly scanning. Everyone is different, I guess, but music tunes out my distractions rather than creating them. The music actually heightens my awareness by keeping me from settling into a cycling stupor.

jefnvk

I agree. People ask me all the time how I can stand EDM nightclubs. Truth be told, it is the only place my mind settles down and stops thinking about anything and everything and can just relax.

That said, I only ride one earbud, in my right ear (non-traffic side) and at a level I can still hear.

mr_bill

All those who believe the HGV operator couldn't see the person on a bicycle, raise your hand.

All those who believe the person on the bicycle couldn't see the HGV without turning her head, raise your hand.

All those who believe the Coroner's Inquest found truth, raise your hand.


-mr. bill

howsteepisit

And your point is?

mr_bill

Is your hand raised, or not?

-mr. bill

howsteepisit

Regardless, you are being obtuse. Hand is raised, or not- what is your point?

Rollfast

It must have been pretty funky to lose track and die from it.

italktocats

because thats people want to think, you can read the reactions here; SHE was wearing them, not ME, IM BETTER THAN HER

mr_bill

Actually, a witness said she didn't turn her head. This is possible if the person on the bicycle did *NOT* turn her head, or, if the person on the bicycle DID turn her head but the witness did not see that.

The coroner concluded that the person on the bicycle didn't see the HGV, that, and headphones maybe distracted her possibily, but no matter what, the HGV operator is totally exonerated.

Again, look at the roundabout video and street view from the entrance to the roundabout that I've posted.


How does the HGV operator *NOT* see the person on a bicycle (where the red car is) - while going through the roundabout?

How could a person on a bicycle, EVEN WITHOUT TURNING THEIR HEAD, not see the HGV while she was approaching the rotary entrance?

Did the Coroner find blinders on the side of the road too?

-mr. bill

jefnvk

My hand is up and waiving furiously.

Assuming that is the roundabout in question (I do not see any roundabout on Flatiron in Howden at all), still very easily. The cyclist would have been on the far side of the red car, as England drives on the opposite side of the road. Judging by the actions of many, even here, of zipping by a line of stopped queued up cars, her vision could have very easily been obstructed, and the truck may well have not seen a cyclist on the far side of the vehicles. Especially so, if the line was stopped and he had no reason to expect the bike to come out on the other side. Even more so, if she popped out as or after his cab was at that road, as his vision would have been on the opposite side of the truck on the inside of the circle.

mr_bill

Yeah, you could speculate that, except there wasn't testimony that there was a queue of cars waiting at the entrance. (That is, the queue of cars is the same as the blinders found on the side of the road.)

p.s. That is the roundabout where the crash took place.

-mr. bill

mr_bill

A63 starts out Hull Rd, then Selby Rd on the way into Howden, then becomes Northolmby Street in the Howden, then Bridgegate, Flatgate and finally back to Hull for the final leg to the roundabout.

Those of us who grew up with old roads are used to the fact that straight roads are not, and names of roads are always changing at near whim.

-mr. bill

jefnvk

And you are speculating that there was a clear and unobstructed view, unless I am missing something in that article or you have extra information. You asked how they could have not seen each other. I gave an answer.