Do any of you feel like going without a car and getting around on foot or by bike compromises your safety?
As a woman, I would not be safe walking around at night in many if not most places. I am positively DONE with the experience of men thinking I am a streetwalker, simply because I was on foot at night. And no, I do not dress provocatively.
Even for men who don't have to worry about someone dragging them into an alley and raping them, what about getting creamed by a car? Those bike lanes are pretty narrow.
If the idea is to maximize your lifestyle, then we have to consider the substantial downside that going car-less has.
Safety concerns about biking
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jacob
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The death rate of cycling is comparable to driving a standard car. The death rate of SUVs is slightly higher (harder to avoid accidents in a large vehicle). The death rate of motorcycling is much higher. If you add in the health benefits, then you'll come out ahead on the bike.
There are at least a couple of bike safety related threads on the forums. I'd recommend reading the book Effective Cycling. A lot of risk comes from the lack of experience in riding a bike in traffic.
PS: I do feel that driving compromises my safety. If there were no cars, traffic related deaths would effectively drop to zero. About 30000 American's die in traffic each year. That's comparable to gun related deaths (half of which are suicide).
There are at least a couple of bike safety related threads on the forums. I'd recommend reading the book Effective Cycling. A lot of risk comes from the lack of experience in riding a bike in traffic.
PS: I do feel that driving compromises my safety. If there were no cars, traffic related deaths would effectively drop to zero. About 30000 American's die in traffic each year. That's comparable to gun related deaths (half of which are suicide).
I'm a woman and I ride my bike around dicey neighborhoods regularly. I respond to the "hey baby" remarks with a "thanks!" or a complement to them and keep going. A lot of times the person who yells that is expecting to be cussed out, so they'll just laugh. Smile, nod, or wave at people when you make eye contact like a polite human being and you're generally treated as such. If you really feel unsafe, this is the time to treat red lights like a yield or do the right turn to go straight thing so you don't have to stop. I go through the bad neighborhoods on a well-trafficked, well-lit road and *especially* don't ride the sidewalk here (but really you shouldn't do that anywhere). I will go out of my way to avoid going up a particularly steep hill in a rough area at night. Going down a hill is good though. I haven't been dragged off my bike and raped yet, but it's a possibility. I'm comfortable that it's a statistically remote possibility, but people have different tolerances for risk. I like to think a person on a bicycle wearing a bunch of thrift store clothes doesn't look like a lucrative target for robbing as opposed to someone in an SUV (carjacking, anyone?) but maybe I'm kidding myself. Again, it hasn't happened yet, but could someday. I am not overly worried about the cars hitting me as long as I pay attention and ride responsibly.
I don't feel unsafe at all.
Effective Cycling offers a pretty good technique for managing bicycle un-friendly places. In a nutshell, you have all the rights and responsibilities of a car. By law you can take the lane if you feel you need the entire lane to be safe. You do not have to, nor should you, cringe along the side riding in the gutter or the door zone. Make the car traffic change lanes around you. You'll be more visible and less prone to being run over.
Of course, this doesn't always work as there's always some jackass that wants to "teach you a lesson". But it is a good method to have in your toolkit.
I'm lucky that I can ride a wide bike lane to a bike trail all the way to work. Half of the distance is completely devoid of any automobile traffic. When I get to campus, the bike traffic can be a little scary but all the students are gone for the summer and I only have to reach the outer edge of the university. I don't have to ride through it.
Effective Cycling offers a pretty good technique for managing bicycle un-friendly places. In a nutshell, you have all the rights and responsibilities of a car. By law you can take the lane if you feel you need the entire lane to be safe. You do not have to, nor should you, cringe along the side riding in the gutter or the door zone. Make the car traffic change lanes around you. You'll be more visible and less prone to being run over.
Of course, this doesn't always work as there's always some jackass that wants to "teach you a lesson". But it is a good method to have in your toolkit.
I'm lucky that I can ride a wide bike lane to a bike trail all the way to work. Half of the distance is completely devoid of any automobile traffic. When I get to campus, the bike traffic can be a little scary but all the students are gone for the summer and I only have to reach the outer edge of the university. I don't have to ride through it.
+1 on Effective Cycling. It was reassuring to learn that virtually all car-bike collisions fit into one of a few categories, and each category can be prevented by a simple precaution. Essentially,
- ride defensively
- follow traffic rules as a car would
- in particular ride with traffic in the right lane (not against traffic and not on sidewalks)
- if opening doors or incoming traffic from the right is a concern, take the lane
- stay out of car blind spots
- look behind you before changing lanes
This website summarizes this stuff:
http://bicyclesafe.com/
but Effective Cycling is more thorough.
- ride defensively
- follow traffic rules as a car would
- in particular ride with traffic in the right lane (not against traffic and not on sidewalks)
- if opening doors or incoming traffic from the right is a concern, take the lane
- stay out of car blind spots
- look behind you before changing lanes
This website summarizes this stuff:
http://bicyclesafe.com/
but Effective Cycling is more thorough.
Here in Malta (Europe) I would feel very unsafe:
-very narrow roads (limited space since it's a small island)
-traffic is very congested (over 300.000 registered vehicles on 378 km2)
-cycling is highly untypical, so drivers don't pay attention to you
-no cycling lanes
-bumps in the road
etc. etc.
I guess it all depends on the local circumstances in your locality and how you feel about going around. Perhaps you could use pavements (go slowly!) if you don't trust the road full of cars. I agree with most of what KevinW writes.
In The Netherlands, where I'm originally from, everybody rides a bike from the age of 3-4.
This is a normal sight in a medium sized city of 250.000 inhabitants: http://tinyurl.com/67zqfh8
If I see this, it makes me want to go back so badly!
Traffic rules are adapted to provide safety for cyclists. When there is an accident involving a car and one or more cyclists, in almost all cases the law deems it the fault of the driver of the car.
It's wonderful >:)
-very narrow roads (limited space since it's a small island)
-traffic is very congested (over 300.000 registered vehicles on 378 km2)
-cycling is highly untypical, so drivers don't pay attention to you
-no cycling lanes
-bumps in the road
etc. etc.
I guess it all depends on the local circumstances in your locality and how you feel about going around. Perhaps you could use pavements (go slowly!) if you don't trust the road full of cars. I agree with most of what KevinW writes.
In The Netherlands, where I'm originally from, everybody rides a bike from the age of 3-4.
This is a normal sight in a medium sized city of 250.000 inhabitants: http://tinyurl.com/67zqfh8
If I see this, it makes me want to go back so badly!
Traffic rules are adapted to provide safety for cyclists. When there is an accident involving a car and one or more cyclists, in almost all cases the law deems it the fault of the driver of the car.
It's wonderful >:)
When discussing safety and injury/death rates, you have to consider the entire picture.
For instance, if you are only riding your bike you will probably travel less overall miles over a given time period, therefore safety is increased. You'll also keep off the interstate roads, where most auto deaths occur due to speed. Once you account for these things, I suspect bicycling to be more attractive.
The stat I find interesting is cars to motorcycles. The injury/death rate per registered motorcycle is only half that of cars. However, people don't put as many miles on their motorcycles. The injury/death rate per MILE on a motorcycle is 6x as compared to cars.
Given all that, I still choose to own only my bicycle and motorcycle. But I also moved from 15 miles between home and work (and an interstate highway) to less than 4 miles (and 45mph speed limit).
I don't know where that leaves me with safety statistics... Probably a wash... But it's a lot more fun to be on a bike than in a car!
For instance, if you are only riding your bike you will probably travel less overall miles over a given time period, therefore safety is increased. You'll also keep off the interstate roads, where most auto deaths occur due to speed. Once you account for these things, I suspect bicycling to be more attractive.
The stat I find interesting is cars to motorcycles. The injury/death rate per registered motorcycle is only half that of cars. However, people don't put as many miles on their motorcycles. The injury/death rate per MILE on a motorcycle is 6x as compared to cars.
Given all that, I still choose to own only my bicycle and motorcycle. But I also moved from 15 miles between home and work (and an interstate highway) to less than 4 miles (and 45mph speed limit).
I don't know where that leaves me with safety statistics... Probably a wash... But it's a lot more fun to be on a bike than in a car!
Yes, I worry about it. However, as Jacob said, I also worry about safety when driving. I know personally far more people who have been killed/severely injured in car accidents than bike accidents. I have had one "bad" biking injury where I had to get out of the way of a car quickly and wound up slamming against a wooden railing, which scraped several layers of skin off my shin. Ouch, but nothing that could not be cleaned up at home.
I do live in an area with a lot of cyclists so cars are, I think, more cyclist-aware.
In terms of safety as a woman, I feel far safer on a bike than walking--you are moving much faster than anyone on foot is. I have had some nasty incidences with guys following me in cars when I have been on foot. This has never happened on my bike. That said, I do take some precautions. There are some areas where I will not bike alone at night. If I'm going anywhere further than the grocery store I do figure out what my options are for getting home before leaving. If I don't like any of them, I don't go. This has yet to severely limit my social life (I do live near a bus line, so this can be a good alternative to biking at night). I also have several neighbors with cars who could be called on to pick me up if I found myself unexpectedly stranded somewhere. I am always insistent on giving people $$ for gas if they give me a ride so I don't feel like this is really freeloading, plus I am happy to help them out in other ways if they need it. If I were facing a really unpalatable ride home for some reason and couldn't get public transport or a friend to pick me up, there is always the last-ditch option of a cab, which taken on a very occasional basis is still cheaper than owning a car.
Also, I know it doesn't necessarily help when you are biking down a dark street at 2AM, but in most sexual assaults the victim knows their attacker. You are far more likely to be raped by someone you know than by a random stranger on the street.
I do live in an area with a lot of cyclists so cars are, I think, more cyclist-aware.
In terms of safety as a woman, I feel far safer on a bike than walking--you are moving much faster than anyone on foot is. I have had some nasty incidences with guys following me in cars when I have been on foot. This has never happened on my bike. That said, I do take some precautions. There are some areas where I will not bike alone at night. If I'm going anywhere further than the grocery store I do figure out what my options are for getting home before leaving. If I don't like any of them, I don't go. This has yet to severely limit my social life (I do live near a bus line, so this can be a good alternative to biking at night). I also have several neighbors with cars who could be called on to pick me up if I found myself unexpectedly stranded somewhere. I am always insistent on giving people $$ for gas if they give me a ride so I don't feel like this is really freeloading, plus I am happy to help them out in other ways if they need it. If I were facing a really unpalatable ride home for some reason and couldn't get public transport or a friend to pick me up, there is always the last-ditch option of a cab, which taken on a very occasional basis is still cheaper than owning a car.
Also, I know it doesn't necessarily help when you are biking down a dark street at 2AM, but in most sexual assaults the victim knows their attacker. You are far more likely to be raped by someone you know than by a random stranger on the street.
I dislike inhaling car fumes while cycling especially when breathing really heavily. I am also sensitive to noise, and one is exposed to levels of noise that can cause hearing damage and tinnitus while riding along side traffic. I wish more cities were like Amsterdam where the car is tamed and pedestrians and cyclists can easily move about without too many obstacles.
I sometimes wear Etymotic concert earplugs when biking. They're supposed to reduce all frequencies somewhat equally, so you can still hear everything, it's just quieter. They're really helpful for blocking out car horns, which otherwise can be overwhelming.
@jzt83, There's nothing on a car's air intake that filters out those fumes.
@jzt83, There's nothing on a car's air intake that filters out those fumes.
Personally when I was working I never felt safe enough to ride my bike to work consistently. I think it all depends on your circumstances, I worked both very early and late shifts at work. So I would come in at all hours and I never lived that close to work (between 10-45 miles). My DH has never owned a car and always rode to work/school. He has always been able to lived (by design) reasonably close (1-4 miles) to where he works. We only selected housing that had a safe easy riding route for him.
The deciding factor for me was not whether I felt safe riding a route at night, because I feel I could handle the cars and can avoid the weird people, but would I feel comfortable changing a flat or doing a minor repair in the dark along the route I traveled. Yes this could happen in a car as well, but justifiable or not I felt safer sitting inside my vehicle.
I EREd earlier this year and am now happily car free, but I control better where I live in relation to where I need to go and have the time to do errands during the daylight. We compromised and had one older car between DH and I while I worked and for us it just made life easier and safer. Trying to juggle two careers was just a pain for us logistically. Now we are down to one person working we can control everything better and are able to give up the car lifestyle.
The deciding factor for me was not whether I felt safe riding a route at night, because I feel I could handle the cars and can avoid the weird people, but would I feel comfortable changing a flat or doing a minor repair in the dark along the route I traveled. Yes this could happen in a car as well, but justifiable or not I felt safer sitting inside my vehicle.
I EREd earlier this year and am now happily car free, but I control better where I live in relation to where I need to go and have the time to do errands during the daylight. We compromised and had one older car between DH and I while I worked and for us it just made life easier and safer. Trying to juggle two careers was just a pain for us logistically. Now we are down to one person working we can control everything better and are able to give up the car lifestyle.
I wonder about those statistics. For instance, would they change if more people rode more frequently?
during rush hour commute
on busier, narrow roads
in the rain
in the snow/ice
at night
through sketchy neighborhoods
with heavier luggage
with passengers (!?)
there's always some jackass that wants to "teach you a lesson".
And then there's those guys to worry about too.
I probably mentioned this elsewhere here, but take a look at Ken's statistics on his Is Cycling Dangerous? page. Then read the sad note at the top of the home page.
during rush hour commute
on busier, narrow roads
in the rain
in the snow/ice
at night
through sketchy neighborhoods
with heavier luggage
with passengers (!?)
there's always some jackass that wants to "teach you a lesson".
And then there's those guys to worry about too.
I probably mentioned this elsewhere here, but take a look at Ken's statistics on his Is Cycling Dangerous? page. Then read the sad note at the top of the home page.
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Cailyn Brown
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2011 6:51 am
Bike riding is a lot of fun, but accidents happen. The safest way to use your bike is for transportation, not play or stunts.
While biking, use of helmets are very important that the U.S. government has created safety standards for them. Even the helmet should have a sticker that says it meets standards set by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Also its better to wear bright clothes and put reflectors on the bike which would help you to stay safe. This helps other people on the road to see you. Always follow the road/traffic rules. It's a must and also very important for safe biking.
Just you need to be a little conscious while biking by avoiding rash driving, then you'll find that there is nothing more safer than biking.
While biking, use of helmets are very important that the U.S. government has created safety standards for them. Even the helmet should have a sticker that says it meets standards set by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Also its better to wear bright clothes and put reflectors on the bike which would help you to stay safe. This helps other people on the road to see you. Always follow the road/traffic rules. It's a must and also very important for safe biking.
Just you need to be a little conscious while biking by avoiding rash driving, then you'll find that there is nothing more safer than biking.
As a woman: I second what tac said. Disturbing as it is, you're far more likely to be assaulted by someone you know than by a stranger on a dark night. As part of a free self defense class at the Y, we looked over a bunch of statistics on where/when/who of assaults on women. They weren't the scenarios that people are constantly warning women about. That said, I'm sure there are neighborhoods scarier than the ones I've lived in. It's always a good idea to carry basic bike tools and know how to do things like fix a flat to make sure that you won't have to push a broken bike through an area you thought you'd be riding through.
As a general cyclist: I try really hard to wear my helmet. I go through periods of lapsing on this cause it's hot and dorky, but I try to stay on the wagon. I have bright lights on the back and front. I think more accidents actually involve cars approaching bicycles from the front (left hand turn of death), so it's not enough just to have a rear blinky. I also went all out for our bike tour and got a big old dorky reflective vest. If somebody hits me and kills me in my orange vest, with my helmet, my bright yellow trailer, my trailer flag, and my lights, then my time was just up. I also try never to ride on sidewalks and to ride like a car. Cars making right hand turns are never looking for cyclist to the right.
I also like the bikepool idea. I wish it were more common, because I think group riding is effective.
As for the fumes, I have considered becoming queen of the dorks by adding a fume mask of some sort to my helmet and vest.
As a general cyclist: I try really hard to wear my helmet. I go through periods of lapsing on this cause it's hot and dorky, but I try to stay on the wagon. I have bright lights on the back and front. I think more accidents actually involve cars approaching bicycles from the front (left hand turn of death), so it's not enough just to have a rear blinky. I also went all out for our bike tour and got a big old dorky reflective vest. If somebody hits me and kills me in my orange vest, with my helmet, my bright yellow trailer, my trailer flag, and my lights, then my time was just up. I also try never to ride on sidewalks and to ride like a car. Cars making right hand turns are never looking for cyclist to the right.
I also like the bikepool idea. I wish it were more common, because I think group riding is effective.
As for the fumes, I have considered becoming queen of the dorks by adding a fume mask of some sort to my helmet and vest.
I've seen 2 cyclists get hit. 1 crossed a car's path at a stop sign, the other at a stop light.
Never assume they see you and/or will stop.
I generally go around the rear of cars that are waiting. It serves 2 purposes:
1) I don't have to guess or react to what the driver will do.
2) I don't have to get waved across (permission) or wave thanks.
Never assume they see you and/or will stop.
I generally go around the rear of cars that are waiting. It serves 2 purposes:
1) I don't have to guess or react to what the driver will do.
2) I don't have to get waved across (permission) or wave thanks.