5 ms·

I would love to bike, but the major issue is that every single person I know who's biked for more than 1 year has gotten into some type of accident (around 10 p

by dokein 9y ago

I would love to bike, but the major issue is that every single person I know who's biked for more than 1 year has gotten into some type of accident (around 10 people), whether car, car door, or poorly maintained road. These are all 30s and work-at-the-office types so maybe they're not the most coordinated, but they are also not doing stupid shit.

thesmallestcat 9y ago
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- dokein 9y ago
  My concern is that everyone I know has had an accident, even if minor. It sounds like you have had accidents too. Although we can go slower, be more aware, etc., this suggests that the fundamental issue is structural -- if every single nurse in your hospital as accidentally administered the wrong medication, you should improve the identity verification process rather than just sending them for more training.
  - thesmallestcat 9y ago
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    - dokein 9y ago
      By nature of it being an accident, it seems hard to control whether it's a minor scrape or more serious injury. In any case, every person has their own risk tolerance -- hard to say what is objectively correct -- and subjectively it's too high for me.
      - deleted 9y ago
        [deleted]
      - bluntfang 9y ago
        Maybe the problem is with the word accident? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puK5CwThaq4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puK5CwThaq4
matt4077 9y ago
It's now generally thought that, even without a helmet, the positive health effects of biking outweigh the dangers from accidents. And while everyone who bikes will take a fall at some point, the vast majority of those actually result in only a few scratches. I know it seems terribly scary to imagine falling of a bike. But I've done so twice in about 12,000k, and the joy of biking far outweighs the pain I've suffered.
- dokein 9y ago
  I think that's probably true of all biking, but do you know if that's true for biking in NYC specifically? Also, if there's a 100% chance of a 1 year increase in lifespan, but a 3% chance of a 33 year loss, would you take it? If you are optimizing for maximum years over a large population the answer is yes, but I'm only optimizing for one life. It's also not necessarily true that e.g. age 50 -> 51 is equal in value with age 80 -> 81.
T-hawk 9y ago
Counter-anecdote here. I've biked to work on and off for a total of about 5 years worth over my career, at distances of about two miles each way, in a dense city. I've never had any accident with a car. My one collision ever was with a pedestrian who started into his crosswalk against his light (I had green), thinking he could cross ahead of me but I was already leaning to go ahead of him; we both fell over but no injuries or damage. It's really not that hard to bike safely. Most accidents involve the cyclist putting themselves in a vulnerable position somehow. You can't get right-hooked by a car if you don't put yourself on its right side. Keep alert with your head up, not looking down at your phone or cycling computer or pedaling cadence. Watch all the traffic around you. You read drivers' minds when they're going to turn without signaling. Look an entire block ahead of you for any parked car showing signs of activity and potential dooring. Forget about trying to assert your right-of-way and ignore trying to make speed and time records; those don't matter; slow down and look everywhere at every questionable intersection or turn or when in a dooring zone. Keep alert and read your entire environment, and you can go years without any cycling accident. I've done it.
- bo1024 9y ago
  > It's really not that hard to bike safely. I have to disagree. Depending on the infrastructure and drivers you face, staying uninjured as a city cyclist is as much luck as skill. In many places, you can do everything mentioned and still get in accidents, or the things you mention are impossible.

by dokein 9y ago

thesmallestcat 9y ago

dokein 9y ago
My concern is that everyone I know has had an accident, even if minor. It sounds like you have had accidents too. Although we can go slower, be more aware, etc., this suggests that the fundamental issue is structural -- if every single nurse in your hospital as accidentally administered the wrong medication, you should improve the identity verification process rather than just sending them for more training.
- thesmallestcat 9y ago
  .
  - dokein 9y ago
    By nature of it being an accident, it seems hard to control whether it's a minor scrape or more serious injury. In any case, every person has their own risk tolerance -- hard to say what is objectively correct -- and subjectively it's too high for me.
    - deleted 9y ago
      [deleted]
    - bluntfang 9y ago
      Maybe the problem is with the word accident? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puK5CwThaq4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puK5CwThaq4

matt4077 9y ago

It's now generally thought that, even without a helmet, the positive health effects of biking outweigh the dangers from accidents. And while everyone who bikes will take a fall at some point, the vast majority of those actually result in only a few scratches. I know it seems terribly scary to imagine falling of a bike. But I've done so twice in about 12,000k, and the joy of biking far outweighs the pain I've suffered.

dokein 9y ago
I think that's probably true of all biking, but do you know if that's true for biking in NYC specifically? Also, if there's a 100% chance of a 1 year increase in lifespan, but a 3% chance of a 33 year loss, would you take it? If you are optimizing for maximum years over a large population the answer is yes, but I'm only optimizing for one life. It's also not necessarily true that e.g. age 50 -> 51 is equal in value with age 80 -> 81.

T-hawk 9y ago

Counter-anecdote here. I've biked to work on and off for a total of about 5 years worth over my career, at distances of about two miles each way, in a dense city. I've never had any accident with a car. My one collision ever was with a pedestrian who started into his crosswalk against his light (I had green), thinking he could cross ahead of me but I was already leaning to go ahead of him; we both fell over but no injuries or damage. It's really not that hard to bike safely. Most accidents involve the cyclist putting themselves in a vulnerable position somehow. You can't get right-hooked by a car if you don't put yourself on its right side. Keep alert with your head up, not looking down at your phone or cycling computer or pedaling cadence. Watch all the traffic around you. You read drivers' minds when they're going to turn without signaling. Look an entire block ahead of you for any parked car showing signs of activity and potential dooring. Forget about trying to assert your right-of-way and ignore trying to make speed and time records; those don't matter; slow down and look everywhere at every questionable intersection or turn or when in a dooring zone. Keep alert and read your entire environment, and you can go years without any cycling accident. I've done it.

bo1024 9y ago
> It's really not that hard to bike safely. I have to disagree. Depending on the infrastructure and drivers you face, staying uninjured as a city cyclist is as much luck as skill. In many places, you can do everything mentioned and still get in accidents, or the things you mention are impossible.