PepeM

Are there statistics showing an increase in traffic accidents since the proliferation of smartphones? Just curious.

Nachoman

Sangetsu

Riding has always been dangerous, and before cell phones and GPS there were people smoking, eating, drinking, or even reading books while driving. I don't think roads are any more dangerous than they have ever been. I've been hit three times over the years, resulting in bumps and bruises to myself, and settlements from the drivers' insurance companies.

OldTryGuy

I believe that there is currently a greater risk of injury from vehicular traffic due to the increased number of vehicles on the roads and the increased number of incompetent drivers of said vehicles.

p.s.-getting ready to head out for 66+ miles of relatively quiet, dark roads as it is approaching 1AM EDT so I can complete segment one of today's "double my age+ birthday ride."

Northwestrider

I also would prefer to ride quiet country roads, but that is not always possible . When I do need to ride near traffic I do keep checking my mirror more often .

Sangetsu

I was a traffic homicide investigator for a large police department until 2008, with 10 years experience in that position. There are good and bad years over that time, but no increase in the trend of accidents or fatalities. There have always been large numbers of incompetent drivers on the road. In the suburbs there are more cars and drivers, but in the cities the numbers have been consistent for a long time.

I have no problems riding in traffic, it is no better or worse than it ever was. I ride with the belief that anyone driving a car is deaf, dumb, and blind, and ride accordingly.

kermie

This is how I ride as well. Be it on a motorcycle or on a bicycle. I'm invisible. Don't ever assume people see you, because usually, they don't. I wear bright clothes on the bicycle, and use the brights on my motorcycles during the day. My eyes are always darting around looking for trouble.

fietsbob

Small town here.. its the weekend tourists that are the heavy traffic.

RichSPK

I wonder if someone sells an air horn with a remote button?

There's this, but I imagined a non-electronic solution:
Kleinn 333 Sniper Remote Control Air Horn Activation System

Not an air horn, but this might work:
https://www.amazon.com/Hornit-dB140-.../dp/B006TDEV20

RichSPK

It's an 'alley cat' race. I don't know a lot about them and that video is from years ago. I imagine they discourage much of that behavior or the race series wouldn't be allowed to continue.

canklecat

Mebbe I'll get a vuvuzela. Seems to irritate the heck out of thousands of people at a time.

jfowler85

Yup. Also: applying makeup.


The only instance wherein a vehicle has made contact with my bicycle, there was no cell phone involved, the driver simply didn't know what the **** was going on around him. Also, today I locked up my rear tire when a young driver cut a left turn just in front of me as I was doing probably close to 30mph downhill...while she was making eye contact with me, no cell phone involved. I chased her down, saw that she was just a young stupid kid, and after her apologizing profusely I reigned in my sailor's tongue before it ripped loose and implored her to use a blinker next time.


In my own experience, naïve youngsters, drivers' misjudgment of my speed (or assuming I'll slow/stop for them when I have the right-of-way), and drivers neglecting their mirrors have been the most hazardous for my health.

bargeon

Google is your friend

Distracted Driving : Facts And Statistics

Smartphones may have role in rise of U.S. traffic deaths | Reuters
The number of deaths from traffic accidents in the United States jumped 8.1 percent in the first half of 2015, suggesting smartphones and other driving distractions could be making America's roadways more dangerous,

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that deadly traffic accidents in the US increased 8.1% over the first six months of this year.
The road regulator suggested smartphones and other driving distraction to be the largest cause of traffic fatalities.
NHTSA administrator Mark Rosekind told Reuters that the increase in smartphone use has the significant role on traffic fatalities.

Gresp15C

I assume that bikes follow the same rules as cars, and it's illegal to race on an open road.

wphamilton

I am curious to hear from those who have decided to never ride on busy streets, was there one specific incident that was the last straw, that convince you that it can never be safe enough?

PepeM

From that article:

Can't really look at six month data and then try to make a general statement. Journalists love doing just that though.

Daniel4

I also wonder how many motorists who get into collisions vow never to drive again. In my city, collisions occur every day.

Z953

In spring of '15 I thought that I would work up to riding from home to the N/W corner of Disneyland because it was 12 miles one way. I got my crappy Schwinn mountain bike ready and started working on my goal. The first run I went 5 miles each way, a few days later I did 7 miles each way.

That's all it took before I gave up: Ball Road is terrible in rush hour traffic. After getting the crap scared out of me from buses, UPS trucks, big rigs and most of all, soccer moms in their over-sized SUV's or teens on their phones I decided that it wasn't worth it and didn't even bother getting back on a bike for exercise purposes until a couple of months ago when I realized that I have a perfect bike path that I can see from the front yard of my house that parallels the LA River. Got a proper road bike and I've done over 300 miles since then (hey, I'm only a beginner). It's so nice when you there are no cars around.

I'm sorry to see that you gave up your motorcycle too. I don't think that I can ever do that, I love riding the twisties too much. Fortunately I don't need to commute on it anymore because I only live 12 minutes away from work now. But you're right, it's really dangerous for us motorcyclists.

TimothyH

No, the opposite is true.

The rules:

• Get to the checkpoints and to the finish as fast as possible.
• It must be done on a bike.

Other than that, anything and everything goes. Such behavior is par for the course and expected.

There is no race series. They are organized in each location individually by a couple of guys who think it up and post about it on facebook.

Alley Cat racing grew organically out of the fixed gear community. Nowadays some of the races are held regularly and draw large crowds from all over the world. There are some big prizes and sponsorship but the idea of a sanctioning body and decorum is not part of alley cat racing.


-Tim-

PolarBear007

Yeah, i stay off busy roads/streets as well. I'm not willing to risk my mobility and/or life to prove a point. No way. The fact that so many Americans will not even accept the most basic responsibility for their wrong/stupid/illegal actions simply serves to cement my decision. It's an endemic fact of our culture.

Even though i live in a *very* bicycle-friendly community i simply don't trust car/truck drivers here. This state has the 18th worse drivers in the nation and 2nd worse for obeying traffic signs/signals - and i see it everyday.

From the basic, cell-phone immersed/distracted driver to those who are putting on make-up i see negligence daily. Then there are the ego-manics who believe everyone else must yield to them else matters escalate to road rage, assault, etc.

So yeah, i stay on back-streets and take MUP's whenever possible. Let the cagers kill themselves - a bike ride just isn't worth the risk.

fietsbob

I live in a town that Gets quiet at Night.

kbobb1

I know 3 people who have been hit by cars while biking in the last 6 months and one of them was killed. He biked thousands of miles each year and his wife and son are devastated. We miss him immensely. i will not bike on roads - sorry but my life and health are worth more than a bike ride.

Not only is it smartphones, makeup and eating that distract drivers but the electronics in the car now are utterly confusing and a gigantic waste - the radio/bluetooth/gps/dvd thing that is in our new car is an abomination - it absolutely requires you to divert your attention from the road, and not just for a second, to navigate through all the bull s**t on the screen. I think car makers are doing this intentionally so there are more accident s and they can sell more cars. I absolutely refuse to play their game - i plug in my old fashioned MP3 player before i leave my driveway and turn it off only after i turn off my car. I think cell phones should be disabled when the internal GPS detects the phone is moving faster than 3 mph - if you cant remember directions to your destination you are probably too stupid to operate a deadly motor vehicle. If you need to talk to someone that badly pull over and do it.

Also people should have to re-take their drivers test every 5 years including a written test for the traffic code. We need to weed out the idiots and keep them on buses.

San Rensho 

Op. And on what planet does anyone bicy le on main roads? Planet Darwin.? Find the least traveled residential roads, side roads for your ride. They are infinitely safer than main roads. It may be longer but i dont care as long as im alive.

SteffyMacD

When I first got my bike I was too scared to ride in the road - I'd drive my bike to a MUP and ride around.

Now that I use it for commuting I find myself torn every day about where to bike. There's a MUP right near my house, but it doesn't connect directly to the train station, so it really only gets me part of the way there.
Most days the sidewalks aren't busy so I'll bike on them (eugh, I know, bad form), although recently I have started taking the roadway more often just so I can move along faster. But then I'm always worried about a car door suddenly opening or someone who just isn't paying attention clipping into me.

It's hard. The roads are, for me, generally more fun because I can bike MUCH faster. But then I find myself wondering how long my luck will go before I get hit. I'm as cautious as I can be and always assume that any car I see cannot see me, but it only takes one mistake

SDRR

You also for got, reading the paper, book, or taking selfies