KPTV and Safety in Numbers...

[K'Tesh]

KPTV did a story tonight (9/6/08 ) in its 10 p.m. newscast on bikes and safety in numbers.

Apparently Australia found that as the number of bike riders increases the number of bike/car crashes decreases... So, lets welcome all the Newbies, and lead by example.

Of course I can't find the video/article on their website (yet...) but I did find a related article online.

Rubberside Down!
K'Tesh

[Simple Nature]

I saw that too so it was not just your imagination.

It seems a DUH! consideration but I guess it may not be obvious to everyone.

I feel much safer riding when I'm expected to be there then when not.
That's one reason I ride with PV into the west side environs of rural Wash.Co.
There *IS* safety in numbers!

[K'Tesh]

An off topic tangent was starting, so I moved them to their own thread:
Australia, and Madatory Helmet use...

Rubberside Down!
K'Tesh

[wsbob]

Following, is a statement from that online article from Science Daily, 'A Virtuous Cycle: Safety In Numbers For Bicycle Riders', that I would really hesitate to take at face value:

" Dr Rissel says transport authorities should highlight the fun, convenience and health and environmental benefits of cycling, rather than what he views as an undue emphasis on danger and safety messages, which can deter cyclists: "We should create a cycling friendly environment and accentuate cycling's positives rather than stress negatives with 'safety campaigns' that focus on cyclists without addressing drivers and road conditions. Reminding people of injury rates and risks, to wear helmets and reflective visible clothes has the unintended effect of reinforcing fears of cycling which discourages people from cycling." "

I don't understand why Dr Rissel doesn't realize that reminding people to wear helmets and reflective visible clothes can be part of highlighting the fun, convenience and health and environmental benefits of cycling.

About another statement in that online article, it would be interesting if someone better than me at analyzing statistics were to compare conclusion drawn in the following excerpt from that article...:

"Safety concerns are among the most significant barriers preventing Australians from cycling, including among those who cycle regularly, according to the report, titled Cycling: Getting Australia Moving. Despite this, over 1.68 million adults cycled in 2006, an increase of almost 250,000 since 2001. During this period, Australian capital cities experienced an average 22 percent increase in bicycle journeys to work. The city of Melbourne led with a 42 percent increase, while the city of Sydney lagged the field with a nine percent increase. 2006 figures reveal that 12,132 Sydneysiders cycle to work."

...with the conclusions drawn from studies that suggest implementation of helmet laws decrease ridership. The conclusions in the above statement may indicate that decreases in ridership Australia may have experienced in the 90's (I'm guessing that's approximately when the helmet laws went into effect) have been made up somewhat.

Common sense suggests to me that greater numbers of people riding bikes is going to increase the awareness of people driving cars to the presence on the road of people riding bikes amongst them. I think there's probably a bunch of factors that play into whether greater numbers of people on bikes on the road really makes biking safer. Riding on a bike club ride with 10-15 riders or more might be safer than a rider alone in some situations. A situation where there are a lot of people on bikes distributed throughout a given area might well be safer, by virtue of their visibility by numbers than would a handful.

Bottom line, seems to me, is that somehow, regardless of how improved the visibility of people driving cars to people riding bikes is, somehow emphasizing that driving and riding safe, in support of the fun, convenience and health and environmental benefits that biking can offer, is essential.

[wsbob]

I ask all of you that are reading:

Isn't this thread about Australia and safety in numbers related to greater numbers of bikes on the road, and how their findings compare to the experience in Portland or beyond?

Wouldn't 'Austrailia and Safety in Numbers...', 'Oregon and Safety in Numbers...', or 'Portland and Safety in Numbers...' be a more accurate title for this thread? In their story, did KPTV do anything more than report what Australia concluded about greater safety occurring as a result of more bikes on the road?

Of the two comments moved, one was from Krampus, questioning the validity of bike safety related conclusions associated with that country in view of studies conducted in that country having concluded that mandatory helmet use resulted in a decline of bike ridership. The other was my comment, offering more ideas related to his comment, though indirectly related to the main topic of this thread.

Tangentially related...yes, but not off topic.