"All serious cyclists get seriously injured eventually"?

[Coluber42]

I've had an ongoing discussion about this with my better half. He's also a cyclist, and that's not going to change or anything. But he takes a very fatalistic view that everyone who rides a lot eventually gets seriously injured in an accident; that it's practically unavoidable no matter how careful you are; and that there's a car out there with his name on it.
I tend to be more optimistic and take the view that serious accidents are avoidable, that they don't happen to *absolutely everyone*, that conditions where we commute are generally improving, etc. Basically, I like to believe that I have some modicum of control over my own fate.

We are both careful, experienced riders with good handling skills, we wear helmets, we use lights and reflective clothing and so on, but we do ride a lot. We ride a lot in the city, we ride at night, we ride in rural areas where people don't expect to see bicycles. And both of us ride long distances alone sometimes.

But a couple of our friends have recently had bad accidents (also good, experienced riders who were doing everything they were supposed to be doing, and got hit due to a driver's idiocy) and although they have made really remarkable recoveries, I've had a harder time holding up my end of the argument.

Neither of us is going to give up cycling or anything like that. But I'd really like to believe that getting taken out by a driver's stupidity isn't inevitable.

[Mr. Pink]

Not true. Plenty of cyclists make it to the grave without hitting the pavement.

[El Chaba]

I have slightly more than 300K miles on the bicycle(s) odometer.....and I have been hit by a car once....a dog twice...and a deer once....The deer was the most serious injury.....If you are looking to minimize risk, I gather that you believe that rural riding is more dangerous than urban riding...I would guess differently....I am risk averse and I view the recent trend of people riding at night as borderline insane...I don't care what types of lights are being used...

[ptourkin]

10,000 miles in each of the last two years without anything serious and then a victim of a road rage collision on Thursday and a serious crash on a descent with a three-day hospital stay this on Saturday. The first was the result of an asshole, the second, probably my own carelessness. I think that the odds grow favoring an eventual pavement meeting eventually with mileage.

[bobswire]

I've been riding since the 70's, I've had a few falls but nothing dramatic or bone breaking. Maybe if you are a crit or downhill racer your odds are greater but on whole cycling is as safe as you make it baring someone running over you. You probably have a greater chance of being hit as a pedestrian as you do a cyclist.

[Lewis Moon]

Just don't be stupid. That is all.

[FlashUNC]

···· happens.

Some of it is avoidable. Some it isn't.

The longer you ride, the greater the chance you'll get caught up in something eventually. Can you mitigate that risk? Sure. And is it inevitable? Hardly. But can it be eliminated? Definitely not.

[Fixed]

if you ride a lot
you will crash sometime .
how bad it is depends
do your part stay in shape
check your bike out every ride
don't ride like a bike messenger
cheers

[batman1425]

Riding is an inherently dangerous sport. We share our turf with a crowd of cell phone texting, makeup applying, lunch eating distracted motorists operating 4000lb vehicles that ALWAYS win in a crash with a bike. Dangerous encounters with these folks, despite diligence on the part of the cyclist are not always avoidable. Does this mean you will get hit if you ride a lot? Of course not and by riding smart and safe, you can reduce that likelihood dramatically.

However, when you are out on public roads, sometimes sh*t happens and the more often you ride, the better your chances of encountering one these distracted drivers. Your safety on the road is not completely in your hands. There is always some risk.

Racing is a different story. If you race a lot, especially crits, it isn't a matter of if you crash, but when.

[moose8]

This is one of those things I think about and then try to make myself not think about. It's just the utter randomness that you can't control for - we've all seen horror stories where people riding on a shoulder get taken out where it seemed safe or someone runs a red light or is drunk or the like. Ultimately to me it seems we are exposing ourselves to risk out there but the benefits outweigh those risks by our calculus. Like anything else I guess it's kind of control what you can and hope for the best. For me it means going slow in cities (I used to ride too fast which seemed to cause a lot more near misses) and I assume everyone in a car around me is an inattentive poor driver. Yet two weeks ago I still crashed totally of my own doing because I somehow hit a patch of ice as I was dismounting and my ribs still hurt. It was minor but that may be just because I was relatively lucky.

[David Kirk]

I think a lot of it boils down to luck - but - we often make our own luck.

If you commute in urban conditions, after dark, in the rain, and don't have a light you won't have much 'good luck'.

If on the other hand you ride in very rural areas only, wear bright colors, have good bike handling skills and are very aware of what's going on around you then you will have more 'good luck'.

I think the idea that the more you are out on the bike the better your chances of getting hurt would be hard to argue against. After all if you don't ride a bike your chances of getting hurt on one are pretty small. In my view it all comes down to stacking the odds in your favor to minimize risk.

I recall a number of years ago there being an outrage that a guy riding a bike was hit and unfortunately killed. He was riding at night, home from the bar, dark clothing, no lights and in traffic. Some came out and said it was just a sign of disrespect and disregard for the for cyclists and that cycling had become too dangerous. As sad at the incident was it wasn't a sign of how dangerous cycling was but instead how dangerous it is to be stupid.

All that said - do I think that it is inevitable that you will get hurt while riding if you are a lifer? No I don't. But it can happen and we all take a risk and while making your own luck can minimize that risk it is never zero.

dave

[oldpotatoe]

I've had an ongoing discussion about this with my better half. He's also a cyclist, and that's not going to change or anything. But he takes a very fatalistic view that everyone who rides a lot eventually gets seriously injured in an accident; that it's practically unavoidable no matter how careful you are; and that there's a car out there with his name on it.
I tend to be more optimistic and take the view that serious accidents are avoidable, that they don't happen to *absolutely everyone*, that conditions where we commute are generally improving, etc. Basically, I like to believe that I have some modicum of control over my own fate.

We are both careful, experienced riders with good handling skills, we wear helmets, we use lights and reflective clothing and so on, but we do ride a lot. We ride a lot in the city, we ride at night, we ride in rural areas where people don't expect to see bicycles. And both of us ride long distances alone sometimes.

But a couple of our friends have recently had bad accidents (also good, experienced riders who were doing everything they were supposed to be doing, and got hit due to a driver's idiocy) and although they have made really remarkable recoveries, I've had a harder time holding up my end of the argument.

Neither of us is going to give up cycling or anything like that. But I'd really like to believe that getting taken out by a driver's stupidity isn't inevitable.

Pay yer money, take your chances. You can 'what if' yourself out of anything.

[mvrider]

After breaking my collarbone in December (in my first serious crash in 35 years), a neighbor said to me, "Now you're a real cyclist!"

[bobswire]

After breaking my collarbone in December (in my first serious crash in 35 years), a neighbor said to me, "Now you're a real cyclist!"

Kinda like when I fell headfirst off a deck overhang onto concrete while repairing decorative lattice and breaking both wrists and one elbow crowned me a real carpenter.

[bikinchris]

Not true. Unless you are of the opinion that every time you do anything, you are going to be hurt.
Many people are hurt in their own shower. That doesn't mean everyone who showers WILL get hurt.
Find a League of American Bicyclists Road 1 or Road 2 course in your area. It will reduce your chance of a car/bike crash by orders of magnitude. There is a LOT of wives tales out there about road safety. Learn where the dangers really are and aren't.

[beeatnik]

It's dawned on me that the safest time to ride in LA is between 4 and 5:30am. About the same number of cars as in the late evening, but no one is on their phones since the people they would be texting are still asleep.

[commonguy001]

There are plenty ways to limit risk but sometimes it just happens.

You can't account for someone who is 86 years old with cataracts and drives a silent old Buick with the sun in his eyes and doesn't see much of anything let alone guys on bikes.

I've been hit hard and didn't break anything other than my will to ride for a while. I've also taken less than big hits that have broken things that take months to sort out.

Same goes for motorcycles - people say everyone goes down but I know a number who haven't. I've gone down a number of times but it is what it is and you take your chances.

[Stan Lee]

I know at least a hundred people who ride on a regular basis and only a couple who have been seriously injured. My feeling is if you are careful the odds are strongly in your favor that you'll be fine.

[ceolwulf]

All serious TV-watchers/potato chip eaters develop serious health problems eventually.

[MadRocketSci]

Death is the #1 killer in the United States

[echelon_john]

Texting is the wild card in the deck. No way to predict/prevent being taken out by someone who isn't even looking.

[avalonracing]

There is a saying among motorcyclists, "There are two types of (moto) riders, those who have been down... and those who are going down." As a motorcyclist I'd like to believe that this isn't true. I have had some close calls and I like to think that maybe that is all there will be.

Now back to bicycling. I have been riding for 25 years and raced quite a bit. Most of the crashes I have witnessed have been in races and some were quite nasty. I was lucky that all of the race mishaps that I was involved in were minor.

On the road in a high population area I have had countless near-misses with motorists. Good bike skills, experience and A LOT of luck has kept me upright. However I did have a major bike crash. It was a freak accident with no one around and completely my fault. It required an ambulance ride and a few doctors visits after that. My point? Anything can happen at anytime, just stay aware and know that you have to be ready for anything, especially when you don't expect it.

[sc53]

I know how to minimize my risk -- I don't ride after dark (on purpose) and I carry lights in my bag just in case I am delayed; I mostly ride in groups; I obey the traffic signs and signals; I don't flip off motorists even stupid ones. However, the one thing I can't decide on is whether to ride all the way over on the white line on a rural or semi-rural road without a shoulder, or to ride about a foot or more to the left of the white line to supposedly "force" following motorists to drive around you. I tend to do the white line thing and have been buzzed by drive-by drivers more than I like. I am wondering if traveling further out into the lane will make me safer? There is a dichotomy of opinion on this and I ride with people who do each method. I still haven't decided which is safer. A texting driver is not going to go around you because he won't see you. At least if you're all the way over on the white line you may only get slammed by his mirror instead of his front bumper.

[Mark McM]

I think the title should be changed to "All serious cyclists get seriously injured eventually - if they live long enough".

There is a chance that we'll be seriously injured every time we ride - but the chances are very low. If we live long enough, odds are that our number will eventually come up - but it might take so long for that to happen that we'll have died from something else in the meantime. By taking extra safety steps, we can decrease the chances that we'll have a serious bike injury before we die from something else.

Also, why does he think it just applies to "serious" cyclists (whatever that means)?

[cfox]

No need to guess, there are lots of stats out there. The ones you will find suggest your significant other is correct. Some depends on what injuries you consider "serious", but according to the CDC, in 2010 there were 515,000 emergency room visits due to cycling injuries. Honestly, riding an unprotected vehicle in traffic with .5 mm of lycra and a foam cooler on your head doesn't add up to the safest activity in the world. It sure is fun, though.

here are some head injury stats (source AANS):

Cycling: 85,389
Football: 46,948
Baseball and Softball: 38,394
Basketball: 34,692
Water Sports (Diving, Scuba Diving, Surfing, Swimming, Water Polo, Water Skiing, Water Tubing): 28,716
Powered Recreational Vehicles (ATVs, Dune Buggies, Go-Carts, Mini bikes, Off-road): 26,606
Soccer: 24,184
Skateboards/Scooters: 23,114
Fitness/Exercise/Health Club: 18,012
Winter Sports (Skiing, Sledding, Snowboarding, Snowmobiling): 16,948
Horseback Riding: 14,466
Gymnastics/Dance/Cheerleading: 10,223
Golf: 10,035
Hockey: 8,145
Other Ball Sports and Balls, Unspecified: 6,883
Trampolines: 5,919
Rugby/Lacrosse: 5,794
Roller and Inline Skating: 3,320
Ice Skating: 4,608

The top 10 sports-related head-injury categories among children ages 14 and younger:

Cycling: 40,272
Football: 21,878
Baseball and Softball: 18,246
Basketball: 14,952
Skateboards/Scooters: 14,783
Water Sports: 12,843
Soccer: 8,392
Powered Recreational Vehicles: 6,818
Winter Sports: 6,750
Trampolines: 5,025

[fiamme red]

Also, why does he think it just applies to "serious" cyclists (whatever that means)?Well, casual cyclists who go out and ride the local rail trail a few times a year have a much smaller chance of injury than serious cyclists (even those who are good bike handlers) who put in big miles every year on all sorts of roads.

[Exonerv]

Interesting numbers, but they appear to be skewed by the shear number of people engaged in a particular activity.

For instance, at first glance it appears that cycling is as twice as dangerous as football. But by those numbers you're also more likely to incur a serious head injury playing golf than ice hockey.

[Mark McM]

Interesting numbers, but they appear to be skewed by the shear number of people engaged in a particular activity.

For instance, at first glance it appears that cycling is as twice as dangerous as football. But by those numbers you're also more likely to incur a serious head injury playing golf than ice hockey.

And the sport of boxing, where participants are purposely trying to render each other unconscious by hitting one another in the head, doesn't even make the list.

For these numbers to be meaningful, you'd also have to know the number of participants, and the hours of participation.

[mgm777]

To me, cycling is similar to my other passion, aviation, in that to do it safely over the long haul, requires risk analysis and mitigation. Here's what I do:
-avoid riding early am rides with low sun.
-avoid riding at dusk -- low sun & possible impaired drivers.
-avoid riding through busy cities at rush hour.
-try to ride roads with wide shoulders.
-wear bright clothing...avoid the Johnny Cash all-black look.
-avoid talking about accidents and crashes...don't want to jinx myself.

Admittedly, there is a huge "stuff happens" component to doing anything that could be inherently detrimental to one's safety. However, my mantra has always been to control the controlables and mitigate the risk. As the flying adage says...
"There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots” -Harry Copeland

[MattTuck]

This sounds like it could be a final exam for a class on logic. First of all, it cannot be proven to be false. If someone has not yet been seriously injured, then they can be grouped as a 'non-serious' cyclist.

All you can really say is that probabilistically, if the rate of accidents is 1 out of 10,000 miles ridden, then as you ride more, you have more chance of being injured. No surprise there, nor should it be a surprise that some people may be injured several times, while others ride many thousands of miles without being injured at all. It is the normal distribution ;)

[Ahneida Ride]

.1.) ride with visible clothing

2.) Get a really good light (aka Dinotte)
use it in the daytime

3.) ride with a decent helmet

[sitzmark]

The "road" is a dangerous place irrespective of vehicle. Comes with the territory, but certainly not "All" (serious) cyclists will be injured seriously.

Ironically, my gut is that the more time spent in a car raises one's chance of being seriously injured or killed than on a bicycle. The number of motorists killed each year would fill a small stadium. There are many sophisticated correlative data splits needed to draw any meaningful statistical conclusions - location, time of day, distance traveled per outing, participation days, etc. A starting point for available date would be the US 2012 census on fatalities involving motor vehicles http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s1105.pdf

A quick look suggests fatalities involving "pedalcyclists" and automobiles between 1990-2009 is consistent (if not declining) on an annual basis, despite a 25% growth in the number of registered drivers and about 40% more miles traveled. Obviously lacking is any correlative data in the report relating to growth/decline of road-going cyclists, cycling miles traveled, etc. An estimate is probably available somewhere.

So while it isn't "safe" to be a cyclist, the odds probably aren't as dire as the thread title might suggest.

[firerescuefin]

Would be a more accurate title.

I think about it. It frames the routes that I take, the time a day I take them, and who I ride with.

When I was younger, it was anything, anywhere, anytime.

I don't fool myself to think it isn't there, or that I have eliminated all or even a huge percentage of it. But I am comfortable for the most part with the risk that I assume.

Someone mentioned texting being a game changer. Couldn't agree more.

[bobswire]

Yep, know your abilities and ride within them.

[Jaq]

http://www.skygod.com/quotes/safety.html

Replace "flying" or "aviation" with "cycling" et viola. The simple (to me) fact is this: every human endeavor has an associated risk, even an actual cost in human lives. Figure out what your own personal risk/reward ratio is and live happily ever after.

Personally, I just figure that absolutely every car on the road is actively trying to kill me. Death Race 2014. So far, no accidents I couldn't ride away from.

[benb]

In all of these risks there are ways to slice and dice the statistics that are more important than the overall #s.

Ignoring cycling for a moment I used to motorcycle a lot for about 10 years on top of my cycling. Most everyone (especially non motorcyclists who never get any information except from the news) seems to know motorcycling is super dangerous and there is nothing you can possibly do to make yourself safer and you're going to die real soon.

When someone actually signs up for motorcycle safety courses (which are much more rigorous than car driver education BTW) they immediately start slicing and dicing the stats in a really meaningful way.

For example the common things with motorcycling choices that were always trotted out:
- % of fatalities the rider was drinking
- % of fatalities the rider did not have a license
- % of fatalities the rider had never taken formal training or was self taught
- % of fatalities the rider was not wearing a helmet.
- % of fatalities the rider was riding late at night

You start making the choices to not fall into those categories and your chances started looking drastically better.

The same thing applies to cycling.

- % of accidents were drinking
- % of accidents were riding the wrong way in the road
- % of accidents were turning left from the right lane
- % of accidents were riding at night without lights

The thing is there isn't really formal training for cyclists and it doesn't really seem like anyone is really working the #s to figure out what makes cyclists more or less safe.

You make the decisions as to which of these subgroups you want to fall into.

IMO though racing raises your risks way up compared to most other "serious" cyclist behavior. Participating in big organized rides & charity events adds some risk too. Racing on the road always felt to me more dangerous than anything I participated in motorcycling, including open track days. (Motorcycle racing is way way more dangerous though) I never crashed a motorcycle on the road (did on the track) and have only had one bicycle crash (t-boned at low speed by a truck, no injuries). I can't even recall how many racing accidents I had.. and I only really raced 2 years.

[JasonF]

I spent two weeks in intensive care and two years of follow-up surgery after being run over by an illegally-overweight and out of control cement truck. None of the blinky lights on my bike and bright colors I currently wear would've made a damn bit of difference. My number just wasn't up that morning and I still ride.

This video is worth watching: it's an ER doc's perspective on the various ways people make it to his exam room. He's actually a well-known fitness author and avid cyclist. Not surprisingly, road cycling is near the top of his things to avoid:

http://youtu.be/xoPCIUwc4zY

[MadRocketSci]

ride where there is no cell signal for AT&T, Verizon* if possible...these tend to be those more rural twisty climbs, where there is plenty of tower line-of-sight blockage going on. Driver speeds tend to be slower as well....motorcycles, not so much.

* T-mobile and Sprint are N/A for these places

[sparky33]

I've had an ongoing discussion about this with my better half. He's also a cyclist, and that's not going to change or anything. But he takes a very fatalistic view that everyone who rides a lot eventually gets seriously injured in an accident; that it's practically unavoidable no matter how careful you are; and that there's a car out there with his name on it.
But a couple of our friends have recently had bad accidents (also good, experienced riders who were doing everything they were supposed to be doing, and got hit due to a driver's idiocy) and although they have made really remarkable recoveries, I've had a harder time holding up my end of the argument.


The uptick in serious accident news in the area certainly makes the risks hit closer to home. I am more likely to believe the fatalistic view is true in the Boston suburbs in recent years. more people more distractions.

Riding safe, avoiding certain roads, being visible...just swaying the odds back toward the good guys.

[verticaldoug]

The uptick in serious accident news in the area certainly makes the risks hit closer to home. I am more likely to believe the fatalistic view is true in the Boston suburbs in recent years. more people more distractions.

Riding safe, avoiding certain roads, being visible...just swaying the odds back toward the good guys.

I always view the automobile as the apex predator of North America. I think I've seen every known critter on the pavement as roadkill at some point. Just like prey anywhere, a cyclist needs to stay alert. That's why I am always dismayed by those who wear headphones cycling.

[Coluber42]

At a certain point, it's sort of a moot discussion. Neither of us is either paralyzed by fear or convinced that nothing bad will ever happen. I'd certainly never argue that the risk isn't there. But I'm not going to sit around worrying about it, either. And neither of us is going to stop or anything; we're both lifelong cyclists, we take all our vacations by bike, we get around town by bike, we go riding most weekends. I've never even had a drivers' license.

I didn't mean to imply that riding in rural areas is riskier, to the person who mentioned that. I only meant that we ride a lot and in lots of different settings. For that matter, I think that in a lot of cases riding late at night is actually the safest time. I know of lots of roads that really suck to ride on during the day, but are calm and pleasant at night. If you have good lights and reflective gear, you're if anything more noticeable to a driver than during the day because there isn't as much other stuff competing for their attention. And there is just so much less traffic, period. Obviously, areas with lots of bars or clubs are another story.

I certainly know that bad things can happen. Actually I've had a handful of minor accidents with cars over the years, but no major injury or damage. But what it comes down to is that while I know intellectually that something bad could happen any time I leave the house, I don't have a visceral fear of it.

In any case, I refuse to accept that serious accidents are inevitable.

[bironi]

Thanks for posting a good thread.

[paredown]

I'm not a fatalist (or at least not a consistent one) but they are called "accidents" for a reason. Some may be preventable--caution and good sense in equipment, routes, choices of riding partners etc can all limit risk.

Some are less so--my last hard fall was on a Brooklyn street where an illegal parker took up the LH side on a one way street forcing me out into the traffic lane in a lot of traffic, where I dropped the front wheel into a pothole that you could lose a VW in. Didn't even see the pothole since I was concentrating on not getting clipped by the two lanes of traffic now converging into one...

One thing I can say for sure--F=M*A. When you are older and heavier, you hit harder.

OTOH, I posted on another board this summer about a motorcycle crash I witnessed--buncha guys out for their Sunday morning blast (seemed to be speeding when they passed me) and someone pulled out (or turned) in front of them. It was sobering to witness the carnage--and it reminded me not to ride like a jerk (or like a bike messenger).

Clearly some accidents are preventable.

[carpediemracing]

I heard somewhere that an average driver gets in a serious car accident every ten years.

Although that pops up in my head now and then it doesn't keep me from driving. I do try to drive well, aware of my surroundings, don't cut corners (like in normal driving I try never to go over the line in curves or in turns), etc. I normally drive faster than the posted limit on the highways, pretty close to it on local streets (3-8 mph over is my typically range, i.e. 28 in a 25 and 53 in a 45, and at a DOT meeting I learned that this is approximately what the state expects).

Due to various knock on wood things I'll only say that I was in a car accident that I drove away from in 1995 (started driving 1985).

I broke my first bone in my life in 2009, in a crash where a racer inexplicably swerved across half the road at about 30 mph with one turn left in the race. Such was the blatant danger that the official at the race requested the racer be suspended for a year (no go on the suspension).

Raced each season starting in 1983, doing virtually all crits. I'm no pro so no 100 race seasons but for a good 10-15 years I was doing 40-55 races a year, basically all but one or two here and there being crits. For about 10? years much of my summer training was at night - I'd either ride to Stamford and do loops there or, for a year or so, I'd use my train pass to go into NYC and ride up and down Manhattan on the big avenues (6th, 5th, Broadway, etc). My riding often started at 10 or 11 PM and continued to 1 AM or so (NYC trips were more like 9-11 PM due to the train thing). I preferred to be off the road when the bars close in CT, at 1 AM. A few times I stuck to sidewalks at that time and continued after the roads cleared of all the party people.

I think that it's a combination of various factors but a very aware rider/driver/etc earns the opportunity to avoid something that perhaps a less aware/attentive person simply doesn't realize is happening.

For example a friend of mine once crashed right next to me. We were on a straight road, no traffic, you could see for freakin ever (Gainesville FL area), and he rode off the road into a 3' deep ditch. Why? He was fiddling with his bike computer. When he talks he looks at you in the eye, even if he's driving. This has led to full lane wandering, like a full lane change by accident.

Another friend gets into this red haze kind of thing, when training and racing. He gets so focused on a goal that he loses track of the ancillaries, which sometimes end up significant things. He's pulled out to pass another rider just as a car approached - he never saw the car because he was so intent on the rider he was about to pass. He kept using a wheel where the freehub would sometimes not engage. He crashed twice, with broken bones each time, due to the freehub not engaging. If it were me I'd toss that wheel, and I told him as much. For him there were other things about it that grabbed his attention (light weight, cool looking, etc), stuff that wouldn't matter to me if I broke bones in two different crashes because of those wheels. Believe it or not he still has the wheels, years later.

Will those riders crash more than me? Well they already have. Is it because they're unlucky? Not really.

[bikinchris]

I know how to minimize my risk -- I don't ride after dark (on purpose) and I carry lights in my bag just in case I am delayed; I mostly ride in groups; I obey the traffic signs and signals; I don't flip off motorists even stupid ones. However, the one thing I can't decide on is whether to ride all the way over on the white line on a rural or semi-rural road without a shoulder, or to ride about a foot or more to the left of the white line to supposedly "force" following motorists to drive around you. I tend to do the white line thing and have been buzzed by drive-by drivers more than I like. I am wondering if traveling further out into the lane will make me safer? There is a dichotomy of opinion on this and I ride with people who do each method. I still haven't decided which is safer. A texting driver is not going to go around you because he won't see you. At least if you're all the way over on the white line you may only get slammed by his mirror instead of his front bumper.

You ride away from the edge for about a dozen good reasons. Take an LAB Road 1 course to learn them and why/how they work and make the most sense.
Who says the texting driver isn't going to hit you on the edge? Or shoulder?

[jtakeda]

If you ride a lot you will eventually get hit. It might not be serious, but you a car will almost definitely collide with you.

[bikinchris]

If you ride a lot you will eventually get hit. It might not be serious, but you a car will almost definitely collide with you.

You must be the husband in question, huh?

[jtakeda]

You must be the husband in question, huh?

Haha.

Just sayin, it's nearly inevitable, especially with the amount of cars that are on the road.

You might not get T-boned but a side view mirror, a stop short, someone pushing you off the road, etc. It's a good chance something will happen in your lifetime.

I thought I wouldn't get hit because I'm pretty cautious, then a lady turned right over two lane and hit me.

[rain dogs]

I find these broad, sweeping general "safety" statements disingenuous.

I'd be interested in a definition of "serious" in both instances... and "eventually"

And then...? What is the thrust of the statement? Is it to inspire safety on the bike? Or to discourage cycling? Or just contribute to more anxiety/fear in life?

It's difficult to have a reasoned conversation with such a broad statement which may or may not be true.

I can tell you this. I've ridden my whole life and have experienced, shared, seen and achieved some of the most beautiful moments in my life when with a bicycle. Should I give that up because of a statement like this? Should I live in fear going forward? Should I go out and buy a car?

I find these statements, or similar ones, discourage cycling and discourage children from getting on bikes. I can tell you this, the more people out of cars and on bikes or feet, the healthier, happier and safer we will all be.

And that is backed up by scientifically proven correlations between physical activity and life expectancy as well as between cycling and life expectancy*.

So stop with the fear and the cars already and ride your darn bike :banana:

and take care all

http://www.fietsberaad.nl/library/repository/bestanden/do_the_health_benefits_of_cycling_outweigh_the_ris ks.pdf
*http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10847255 (Bicycling to work decreased risk of mortality in approximately 40% after multivariate adjustment, including leisure time physical activity. Leisure time physical activity was inversely associated with all-cause mortality in both men and women in all age groups. Benefit was found from moderate leisure time physical activity, with further benefit from sports activity and bicycling as transportation.)
*http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/165/12/1343.abstract

[velotel]

Good think I'm not a serious cyclist, just ride for fun. I was starting to get worried reading the post until I remembered it only had to do with serious cyclists. Whew!

[CDM]

No need to guess, there are lots of stats out there. The ones you will find suggest your significant other is correct. Some depends on what injuries you consider "serious", but according to the CDC, in 2010 there were 515,000 emergency room visits due to cycling injuries. Honestly, riding an unprotected vehicle in traffic with .5 mm of lycra and a foam cooler on your head doesn't add up to the safest activity in the world. It sure is fun, though.

here are some head injury stats (source AANS):

Cycling: 85,389
Football: 46,948
Baseball and Softball: 38,394
Basketball: 34,692
Water Sports (Diving, Scuba Diving, Surfing, Swimming, Water Polo, Water Skiing, Water Tubing): 28,716
Powered Recreational Vehicles (ATVs, Dune Buggies, Go-Carts, Mini bikes, Off-road): 26,606
Soccer: 24,184
Skateboards/Scooters: 23,114
Fitness/Exercise/Health Club: 18,012
Winter Sports (Skiing, Sledding, Snowboarding, Snowmobiling): 16,948
Horseback Riding: 14,466
Gymnastics/Dance/Cheerleading: 10,223
Golf: 10,035
Hockey: 8,145
Other Ball Sports and Balls, Unspecified: 6,883
Trampolines: 5,919
Rugby/Lacrosse: 5,794
Roller and Inline Skating: 3,320
Ice Skating: 4,608

The top 10 sports-related head-injury categories among children ages 14 and younger:

Cycling: 40,272
Football: 21,878
Baseball and Softball: 18,246
Basketball: 14,952
Skateboards/Scooters: 14,783
Water Sports: 12,843
Soccer: 8,392
Powered Recreational Vehicles: 6,818
Winter Sports: 6,750
Trampolines: 5,025

More head injuries playing golf than hockey. Wouldn't have thought

[PSC]

Got hit in the end of November, lots of broken ribs. I looked the guy in the eye as he pulled out in front of me. Well at least I smashed in his windshield and tore off his side view mirror, as I bounced and rolled off his car. Back to riding and don't worry much about it, when your time is up it is up. At least I am on my doing what I love.

[dstahl1965]

I have been riding for the last 15 years logging 3500 miles per year. I have been hit by a car once (no injury), bike once (broken collar bone), goose once (it was flying and I hit it with my right brake lever, no injury to me), and I went down on black ice (sprained wrist).

[ceolwulf]

More head injuries playing golf than hockey. Wouldn't have thought


I'm seeing a business opportunity. Golf helmets.

[Tom]

More head injuries playing golf than hockey. Wouldn't have thought

More people play golf than hockey. Also no beer carts on the ice. Plus hockey players are more coordinated. When they do get drunk and fall down they generally don't land face first.