I grew up in the UK and moved to the US in 1974 - ouch - a few years ago that! But I follow UK cycling news as well as the forums, the FIRST URL below popped up recently. The SECOND URL below is in response to the first and is also worth reading. One point that the second report made really grabbed my attention, this:

---
... according to Thomas Konig and Mark Wilson, two trauma surgeons who volunteer on London's air ambulance service, 86 per cent of cyclist deaths are women, despite there being three times as many male cyclists as female ones. A 2007 Transport for London survey gave the reason: "Women may be over-represented in (collisions with goods vehicles) because they are less likely than men to disobey red lights."

And this leads to a counterintuitive point. As The Times says today, "jumping a red light can actually be a safer option than lining up alongside HGVs (Heavy Goods Vehicle - I think) at the lights like a racetrack starting grid." An apparent recklessness, or more accurately an assertiveness, is far safer for cyclists on busy roads than trundling along slowly, meekly hiding by the kerb.
---

And this gives one furiously to think! I know as a cyclist that I have a very pronounced and wide view of the conditions that surround me at any given point, very - but VERY - much more than that of folks in cars and trucks. I am also far more nimble on my bike. I can react very quickly to a "perceived" threat and thereby avoid it - even if this means breaking the law. As both a cyclist and a car driver I know this to be true, but the car driver who never rides or walks has a completely different perception of reality.

Anyway - not sure where this is leading, but there are some interesting facts and so I thought I’d pass them along.

Thoughts?

Lawrence

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public...cle3306502.ece

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/to...eople-cycling/