berner

I don't put too much credibility on statistics, not because they contain no useful information, but because in the activities I engage in, statistics do not contain the full story. Statistics deal with large numbers of incidences and have little to do with individuals. For example, the ninja cyclist in dark clothing riding at night and with headphones in place is at a higher risk than a careful, attentive and fully aware rider.

Rollfast

The probability of dying in general is 100%, based on data compiled by Adam and Eve.

Drew Eckhardt 

For skydiving they're quoting the per-jump rate, although 100-200 jumps a year is a normal recreational number. Extrapolating from that isn't meaningful because the total includes tandem student jumps that are exceedingly safe and less current occasional skydivers more likely to kill themselves. About 1 in 1000 is a good per-participant ball-park; in 2012 there were 35,000 USPA members and 24 fatalities.

Most accidents aren't fatal. Broken legs are common, and "to femur" is a frequently used verb.

duckbill

A sedentary lifestyle is conducive to the auto industry, fast-food industry, pharmaceutical industry and believe it not the government. At home on the couch way of life or in traffic is a good way of controlling the masses. Putting the cyclist or pedestrian in the headlines gives their cause credibility. When they can't calculate our life direction, only chaos can be assumed.

I-Like-To-Bike

Take the P&R ranting to the appropriate list.

RomansFiveEight

Won't touch the government one as this isn't P&R, but; I do think it's the 'other way around'. Sedentary lifestyles CREATED fast food and the like, and now they exist because it continues.

I know that's common idealism around here; but I don't think if everyone who physically could rode a bike did, that there'd be no more cars. Plenty of folks' lifestyle just doesn't support that. People whose job requires them to travel frequently, for example. People who have family far away that they see frequently, etc. And rural folks. Rural folks actually produce fewer emissions despite more miles; because they take long trips in warmed-up cars and don't sit in traffic. i.e., they are getting much better fuel economy for those miles, with warmed up catylitic converters which are more effective at removing some of the harmful emissions.

No doubt the world would be a safer, healthier place with more cyclists (or just more active people; walk to work, whatever). But I don't know that there's a 'conspiracy' against us. We're just the minority, and as long as we're the minority, there won't be much energy spent trying to make life better for us. Poor quality badly placed bike lanes are par for the course and even those feel like a big 'favor' to us in the minds of the masses. The best way to solve that is education but, that's tough. And it's hard to convince someone content with their unhealthy, sedentary lifestyle that they ought to get out of their car and sweat to get to work because it'll help other people. Let's face it, a component of a sedentary lifestyle is indeed a level of self-centeredness.

andr0id

I try to keep track of that in Austin. There are usually about a dozen or so "cyclist" deaths. Usually about half of those involve riding in the middle of the night with no lights while drunk.

The 3 or 4 a year that are recreational or commuters cycling safety are the ones that "count" with regards to being a predictor of danger to my cycling activity.

asmac

One can hope.

Dave Cutter

Yes... I tend to calculate the safety the same way. However, there are mathematical risks (of error) when arbitrarily paring down stats.

In other words... since I would NEVER consider cycling (or driving) while drinking... I eliminate that risk from my concern. However, for all we know a large number of those (fatal cycling events that evolved alcohol) may have also evolved what would normally be considered non-drinkers. Or at least those that normally didn't drink and bicycle.

If I had better stats... and also eliminated other personally relevant stats.... like: blue eyed, minority, sexagenarians, over six foot tall.... I could conclude my odds of a fatal cycling event would be about ZERO. But I am sure those "calculations" would be flawed.

I honestly don't know if drunks tend to forget to use bicycle lights, or is they don't use lights to avoid detection by the police. Or if it is lights use that are at the root of drunk cycling deaths. Or if drunkenness causes the mistakes and/or unpredictability that causes the accidents. I wish we all had better stats and information.

Of this I feel certain: High traffic areas are risky. High traffic areas are even riskier at night. Not being seen in high traffic areas... is suicidal. Being impaired... increases risks.

gpsblake

Cycling per hour is more deadly then driving per hour. We accept that risk. A fender bender for cars can often be deadly for a cyclist. However, there's a lot more that can be done to help our safety. Most of all it's driver education, cycling education, and actually enforcing laws. Better traffic lanes. And making ourselves more predictable and visible.

There are a lot more dangerous things people love to do. Climbing Mount Rainer in the winter, parachuting, riding those "hoverboards", etc. Nothing wrong with it.

Despite that, would I give up cycling? Only if I couldn't physically do it anymore.

RomansFiveEight

The health benefits of cycling actually outweigh the risks. In other words, while cyclists are more likely to be injured on the roads; they are so much less likely to have certain diseases and health complications; that it's actually a "net gain" in survivability. i.e., even with the accident risks, you'll probably live longer as a cyclist than as a sedentary, seat-belted and airbag protected car driver.

principia 650

well i am from the Boston area and we have candlepin here. my high single was 172 and hi three was 421. did not bowl the 172 the same night as the 421 . my highest average carried for the season was 115.

baron von trail 

Gothic Sunshine

I ride at night more often than during the day. Often take a bus out and return by bike late when the headways are long. Always felt safer on a bicycle at night than during regular commute hours. Then again, I use front and rear lights and reflective tires, and I also avoid salmoning or riding drunk.

Chris0516

Ah, ok.