unterhausen

that actually sounds a little low to me

I was going to title this thread "data is obvious"

Article is here

It's really hard to understand the hysteria over a few bike crashes given the easy acceptance of the bloodbath caused by motor vehicles. Quoting from the article:
Compare this to 26 accidents involving cyclist/pedestrian collisions with no fatalities.

It's obvious where the police should spend their resources, but they are out enforcing the bell requirement and bike lane violations instead of stopping bad motorists.

CB HI

Probably just talking about the injuries that cabbies cause.

gmt13

There is no question that cars injure more pedestrians because probability is a function of the number of encounters. There are far less pedestrian-bike encounters ergo a lower probability of injury.

In any case: politics,regulation, and enforcement respond to community outrage, which is more often based on perception rather than reality.

-G

atbman

Drivers are normal people, therefore any collisions they cause are a part of normal life.
Cyclists are a deviant minority, pouring scorn, by their choice of transport, on normal people.
Therefore, any harm they cause, whether slight, serious or, rarely, fatal, is cause by deviant, and therefore abominable behaviour.
Anyone injuring or killing in this way is therefore, inherently evil and untrustworthy.

I thought that was obvious

B. Carfree

That is a sad, but accurate, statement regarding our current situation. For about a decade I lived where motorists were considered the deviants and I didn't fully appreciate it. I hope to live in such a place again before I die.

spunkyj

You know how the saying goes. There are lies, damned lies, and then Statistics. The numbers provided are meaningless unless normalized by the number of drivers and cyclists on the road respectively (e.g. the number of collisions PER motor vehicle and the number of collisions PER cyclist). Still, given the lower speed and weight of a cyclist+bike it isn't surprising that cyclist collisions are on average less severe. The unfortunate "hysteria" you speak of over rare cyclist/pedestrian fatalities is simply an outlet for people who already disliked cyclists, and now have a concrete example to point to: "I just knew those dangerous cyclists who are always in my way were gonna kill someone eventually"...etc. Unfortunately some bad apples on both sides (including a large number of non-cyclists who ride bikes around without having a clue as to the rules and etiquette of the road) have really polarized the issue. Its certainly not a fair or balanced reaction, and probably best ignored. Most people lashing out have already made up their minds and can't be reasoned with in my experience.

009jim

Yes and where does the outrage appear - from the news media - so if jerks in the media have a grudge against cyclist then it's all over. Seldom do I read an article in the paper that I do not form the opinion it is a one sided viewpoint and usually not the truth of the matter.

unterhausen

I knew this argument was going to be made. However, in NYC the police resources are stretched and cyclists are relatively rare. They are running dragnets to harass cyclists for things that don't matter, and ignoring the elephant in the room, i.e. the amazing recklessness of motorists.

rekmeyata

That does it. The fear has finally gotten to me, I'm hanging up my bikes and moving to the middle of the Arizona desert and live off the grid.