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Bicycle deaths on the rise nationally, study finds

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Old 09-24-17, 03:02 PM
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Originally Posted by jon c.
This is true, but because life is not lived in a vacuum it is also true of pretty much everything else we do.

We'll never get out of here alive.
Yeah, bicycles are generally operated by human beings. As are motor vehicles. There are your weak links right there just for starters.
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Old 09-24-17, 08:20 PM
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Originally Posted by I-Like-To-Bike
Who, besides yourself, ever claimed that "bad driving is acceptable"?
There you go again.
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Old 09-25-17, 08:47 AM
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The numbers for Traffic deaths-motor vehicle deaths
has risen-2015 I think- for the first time in 30 or so years
The FEDS NHTSB blame distracted driving for the increase in deaths

According to them the rise is deaths is more than would be expected for the increase in miles driven.

TEXTING is the why-Distracted Driving is FED SPEAK for texting playing with electronic crap and other things
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Old 09-25-17, 11:06 AM
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Originally Posted by genec
Wow, from that site comes this revelation:


67% of crashes are at non intersection locations. The site later mentions that 33% of crashes are at intersections, thus confirming that 67%.

This exactly opposite of what we've been told for so many years... that intersections are dangerous...
How much time do cyclists spend in intersections versus places that are not intersections?

2%? 10%?

Probably not 33%.

(So much statistics fail in this thread.)

Last edited by njkayaker; 09-25-17 at 11:13 AM.
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Old 09-25-17, 11:10 AM
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Originally Posted by bbbean
How am I overestimating the denominator? According to the article, 1 in 3 Americans ride a bike. There are roughly 330 million Americans, so why wouldn't I use 110 million?

Tell you what. Lets say that I exaggerated dramatically and the total is only 1 million Americans on a bike. That puts the probability at .08%, leaving us with a 99.92% chance of surviving the year without a fatal accident.

Are you happier with those odds?
It's still almost certainly wrong.

Assuming 1 out of 3 Americans ride bikes, it seems likely that most of them ride bikes rarely.

Your naive risk is the result of being diluted the many people taking a bicycle out once in a while for a short ride.

(So much statistics fail in this thread.)

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Old 09-25-17, 11:12 AM
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Originally Posted by hotbike
Bicycle deaths on the rise nationally, study finds - The Morning Call

Excerpt:

"....
1st: Florida — 150 deaths

2nd: California — 129 deaths

3rd: Texas — 50 deaths

4th: New York — 36 deaths

5th: Louisiana — 34 deaths

12th: New Jersey — 18 deaths

13th: (tie) Pennsylvania — 16 deaths

13th: (tie) South Carolina — 16 deaths
..."
The article concludes there's a "trend" based on an increase from one year.

(So much statistics fail in this thread.)

https://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/t/pe...facts/bicycles

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Old 09-25-17, 11:13 AM
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Originally Posted by njkayaker
How much time do cyclists spend in intersections versus places that are not intersections?

2%? 10%?

Probably not 33%.

(So much statistic fail in this thread.)
Try to keep in mind that the Vehicular Cycling advocates constantly harped that intersections are the most dangerous place, and that overtaking collisions are just not that big of a deal... they said this for years... in fact their leader, whom I am not allowed to mention by name (he wrote a book called Effective Cycling) for years touted mirrors as a distraction and not needed by cyclists (in spite of the fact that he wanted cyclists to act like drivers of vehicles... and all other vehicles on the road have mirrors).
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Old 09-25-17, 11:14 AM
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Originally Posted by njkayaker
The article concludes there's a "trend" based on an increase from one year.

(So much statistics fail in this thread.)
Yeah and the NHTSA noted an increase in the rate of automobile deaths with only one year of data too...
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Old 09-25-17, 11:25 AM
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Originally Posted by genec
Yeah and the NHTSA noted an increase in the rate of automobile deaths with only one year of data too...
It's one thing to "note" the increase. It's another thing to imply that a it indicates a "trend".

Also, what's different about the statistics of automobile deaths (and accidents) compared to those stats for cyclists?
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Old 09-25-17, 11:29 AM
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Originally Posted by genec
Try to keep in mind that the Vehicular Cycling advocates constantly harped that intersections are the most dangerous place, and that overtaking collisions are just not that big of a deal... they said this for years...
You don't seem to recall correctly what was said.

The VC advocates (some of them?) say that most people are most concerned with overtaking collisions but that overtaking collisions are rare. They also say that overtaking collisions (when they occur) are the most deadly.

Originally Posted by genec
in fact their leader, whom I am not allowed to mention by name (he wrote a book called Effective Cycling) for years touted mirrors as a distraction and not needed by cyclists (in spite of the fact that he wanted cyclists to act like drivers of vehicles... and all other vehicles on the road have mirrors).
I think bicycle mirrors are fine but there is no data that they do anything to avoid overtaking collisions.

And you completely avoided the problem in your comment.

Originally Posted by njkayaker
Originally Posted by genec
Wow, from that site comes this revelation:

67% of crashes are at non intersection locations. The site later mentions that 33% of crashes are at intersections, thus confirming that 67%.

This exactly opposite of what we've been told for so many years... that intersections are dangerous...
How much time do cyclists spend in intersections versus places that are not intersections?

2%? 10%?

Probably not 33%.

(So much statistics fail in this thread.)
33% means that the risk of collisions in intersections are much, much higher than not in intersections.

Last edited by njkayaker; 09-25-17 at 02:42 PM.
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Old 09-25-17, 12:23 PM
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Can you take me with on a ride to this mythical place where so little time is spent in intersections?

(I spend so much time in intersections that even with autopause my average speed is horrible. Still faster than motorcars though.)

Grossly underestimating the numerator this time. Whatever makes folks feel better.

-mr. bill
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Old 09-25-17, 01:06 PM
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Originally Posted by njkayaker
It's still almost certainly wrong.

Assuming 1 out of 3 Americans ride bikes, it seems likely that most of them ride bikes rarely.

Your naive risk is the result of being diluted the many people taking a bicycle out once in a while for a short ride.

(So much statistics fail in this thread.)
There's certainly a lot of interpretation fail.

If the homicide rate in your city is 1 per 100,000, then you stand a 1/100,000 chance of being murdered this year.

Of course, if you opt to engage in the drug trade with known gang members in bad neighborhoods between mindnight and 4 AM and flash a lot of cash, you're a lot more likely to be that 1 in 100,000 than some little old lady who watches TV all day and only goes out to get groceries at high noon on weekdays.

But none of that was included in the original statement. There is a difference between stating raw odds at the population level and discussing contributing factors or considering additional variables.

If you are given two pieces of information (number of bicycle deaths per year (X) and number of cyclists (Y)), you can pull out a perfectly useful statistic: A cyclist chosen at random stands a Y/X chance of being kiled in an accident this year.

While I'd agree that that isn't especially useful if the question is "How safe is cycling for me?", that question will require far more information and consideration of variables that the population level question.

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Old 09-25-17, 01:13 PM
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Originally Posted by bbbean
There's certainly a lot of interpretation fail.

If the homicide rate in your city is 1 per 100,000, then you stand a 1/100,000 chance of being murdered this year......

BB
Stop being so damn rational.

Like you, I find limited usefulness if broad population statistics. I'm reminded of the old saw about the statistician who drowned in a river with an average depth of two feet.
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Old 09-25-17, 01:35 PM
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Originally Posted by njkayaker
You don't seem to recall correctly what was said.

The VC advocates (some of them?) say that most people are most concerned with overtaking collisions but that overtaking collisions are rare. They also say that overtaking collisions (when they occur) are the most deadly.


I think bicycle mirrors are fine but there is no data that they do anything to avoid overtaking collisions.

And you completely avoided the problem in your comment.



33% means that the risk of collisions in intersections are much, much higher than not in intersections.
First and foremost, if you are going to jump in this late, read all the damn posts...

I quoted the data from the site in a later post... that data said 67%of all deaths occured in non intersection areas, and 33% of deaths occurred at intersections. That is a total of 100% of all deaths.

This is also counter to the VC notion that more deaths happen at intersections.
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Old 09-25-17, 02:09 PM
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I am going to speculate that percentage of accidents and deaths will increase faster than the increase of riders. From encouraging some non-riders to ride, I've seen there is good reason why many adults don't ride bikes; they are simply unsafe, clumsy, inattentive and unfocused..and shouldn't be riding bikes. Their natural inhibition to be non-riders was a good choice on their part, think Darwin.

Maybe is would be a entirely different in a city like Copenhagen, but considering the dangers of riding in most US cities and burbs there are inherent reasons for some non-biking people to stay non-bikers, ..imho.
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Old 09-25-17, 02:35 PM
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Originally Posted by FrenchFit
I am going to speculate that percentage of accidents and deaths will increase faster than the increase of riders. From encouraging some non-riders to ride, I've seen there is good reason why many adults don't ride bikes; they are simply unsafe, clumsy, inattentive and unfocused..and shouldn't be riding bikes. Their natural inhibition to be non-riders was a good choice on their part, think Darwin.

Maybe is would be a entirely different in a city like Copenhagen, but considering the dangers of riding in most US cities and burbs there are inherent reasons for some non-biking people to stay non-bikers, ..imho.
Cyclists don't die on their own. Bad drivers smash into them as well as into each other.

Many adults are simply unsafe, clumsy, inattentive and unfocused..and shouldn't be driving. Unfortunately, their decision to stay in their cars mean the risk of fatality for all road users remain high.

But people are fixated on blaming the victims of road fatalities on the victims.

When the number of bad drivers are reduced, so will the fatalities of cyclists, pedestrians, and motorists.

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Old 09-25-17, 02:41 PM
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Originally Posted by genec
First and foremost, if you are going to jump in this late, read all the damn posts...

I quoted the data from the site in a later post... that data said 67%of all deaths occured in non intersection areas, and 33% of deaths occurred at intersections. That is a total of 100% of all deaths.
Which you weirdly claimed indicated that intersections were not more dangerous.

Again, cyclists spend much more time outside of intersections. If intersections were equally or less dangerous, the percentage of deaths should be much less than 33%.

Originally Posted by genec
This is also counter to the VC notion that more deaths happen at intersections.
Citation needed.

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Old 09-25-17, 02:46 PM
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Originally Posted by Daniel4
Cyclists don't die on their own. Bad drivers smash into them as well as into each other.

Many adults are simply unsafe, clumsy, inattentive and unfocused..and shouldn't be driving. Unfortunately, their decision to stay in their cars mean the risk of fatality for all road users remain high.

But people are fixated on blaming the victims of road fatalities on the victims.

When the number of bad drivers are reduced, so will the fatalities of cyclists, pedestrians, and motorists.
I am being pragmatic. Those bad drivers, and illegal drivers, are not leaving the road anytime soon in the US.

Those of us that bike regularly will easily say the our good judgment and some skill has kept us out of bad situations. Some people don't have a lot of either, and they are statistics waiting to be read.

It isn't blame. I am a terrible dancer, but I have no shame about it. If bad dancing could get you killed, I sure shouldn't be talked into doing it, even by well meaning friends.
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Old 09-25-17, 02:50 PM
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Originally Posted by bbbean
There's certainly a lot of interpretation fail.

If the homicide rate in your city is 1 per 100,000, then you stand a 1/100,000 chance of being murdered this year.
No, this is wrong.

The risk to a particular person is actually unknown.

Originally Posted by bbbean
Of course, if you opt to engage in the drug trade with known gang members in bad neighborhoods between mindnight and 4 AM and flash a lot of cash, you're a lot more likely to be that 1 in 100,000 than some little old lady who watches TV all day and only goes out to get groceries at high noon on weekdays.
The "1 in 100,000" is an average that includes people high-risk people and little old ladies. The risk to the little old ladies is going to be less than "1 in 100,000".

The silly "1 out of 3" statistic is mostly comprised of "little old ladies" (people who don't ride bicycles much). If you ride regularly, your risk is going to be higher.

Originally Posted by bbbean
While I'd agree that that isn't especially useful if the question is "How safe is cycling for me?", that question will require far more information and consideration of variables that the population level question.
Yes, your "statistic" is "isn't especially useful" at all. It's actually not useful at all.

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Old 09-25-17, 02:55 PM
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Originally Posted by mr_bill
Can you take me with on a ride to this mythical place where so little time is spent in intersections?
You spend 33% of your time in intersections? Really? I don't think that's even possible in NYC.

Is the oddly excessive amount of time you spend in intersections true for everybody on average?

Also, it's possible that "per mile" correlates to risk better than "per time".
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Old 09-25-17, 03:12 PM
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Originally Posted by njkayaker
Yes, your "statistic" is "isn't especially useful" at all. It's actually not useful at all.
Sorry you don't like my post.
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Old 09-25-17, 05:04 PM
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Originally Posted by njkayaker
Also, it's possible that "per mile" correlates to risk better than "per time".
It’s certain you will find the smallest numerator possible.

-mr. bill
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Old 09-25-17, 05:07 PM
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Let's add Parking Enforcement Officers as another victim of bad drivers.

https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2017/09/25/tempted-to-abuse-a-parking-enforcement-officer-dont-even-think-about-it-editorial.html
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Old 09-25-17, 05:09 PM
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Originally Posted by njkayaker
Also, it's possible that "per mile" correlates to risk better than "per time".
Per mile or per time unit means nothing if there are no motor vehicle encounters.

Cyclists don't usually just crash and die on their own. But motorists do on a regular basis.
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Old 09-25-17, 05:20 PM
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Originally Posted by Daniel4
Per mile or per time unit means nothing if there are no motor vehicle encounters.

Cyclists don't usually just crash and die on their own. But motorists do on a regular basis.
They don't "usually" but they do. And, if they do, it's a significant event for them.

Why are you only concerned with deaths?
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