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PostPosted: Tue Feb 14, 2006 21:39 
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Teeny snip appeared in today's "Express" about a 32 year old woman cyclist who died after being involved in a collision with a lorry.

The 32 year old law student was listening to the tunes on her iPod when she reported fell off her bike and ended under the wheels of a lorry in Acton, West London. Her devastated and shocked friend believes that

Quote:
She would have heard the lorry if she hadn't had the iPod


Kevin Clinton - Head of reoad safety for RoSPA also tells the reporters that wearing iPod head phones (or even Walkman/CD) can be the difference between avoiding an accident and being hit.


Yeah - I know the militants will regard this as more "lycra laddering" - and trying to foist blame to the cyclist and not the lorry driver. Information per the press seems to indicate she did not hear the approaching lorry and lost balance at wrong second through some lapse in concentration.


Human beings do rely on ears to warn of danger just as much as eyes and smell. If driving - sound of dustbin men, ice cream vans, lorry engines, van engines, tractors, grass cutting machines ... all tell me something to expect - and I extend to my rides on my bicycle too.

Yes - I have my in-car stereo on at a low volume and I can well understand how riding in rhythm to fave tunes makes for a pleasurableride - but you have to ensure that volumes are not set at rate to prevent hearing vital traffic clues and also - there is a very real danger of damaging your hearing anyway by prolonged and loud use of these headphones.


Not bashing cyclists nor even suggesting that Patricia was to blame (and from the photo - I would say a sad loss of a woman with beautiful looks and a promising career and condolences to all reading who may know her)
- but we do need to ensure that if we listen to any musical device through any form of personal stereo - we do not compromise our safety or damage our hearing by playng these devices too loudly.

And if cycling - especially in towns - our ears can save our lives. Think about it and keep it safe ... :wink:

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PostPosted: Tue Feb 14, 2006 22:23 
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Mad Moggie wrote:
And if cycling - especially in towns - our ears can save our lives. Think about it and keep it safe ... :wink:

yes they can but hearing a truck (or other vehicle) won't stop it running you down.
(and no, I would never wear any headphones while riding or driving)


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PostPosted: Wed Feb 15, 2006 00:21 
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Looks like typical media witch hunt to me.

You don't have to hear a lorry to see it. If she went up the inside of it then , then a tragic error on her part, if the lorry overtook her, then it should have known she was there.

I don't see how the iPod has anything to do with.

Goodness we have some dreadful reporting.


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PostPosted: Wed Feb 15, 2006 17:11 
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I have never ridden with headphones on listening to music so maybe I shouldn't comment. I do find however that I can think through a knotty problem on the bike that would cause a serious lapse of concentration if I did it driving the car. So maybe I'm not always paying as much attention on the bike as I should be.

Also unless you have a mirror, hearing another vehicle coming up behind doesn't give you all the information you really need and turning your head to look behind may result in you varying your course such that you get knocked down anyway.

A bit of a tricky one this, knowing what influence, if any, the iPod had on the incident. :(


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PostPosted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 01:49 
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As a cyclist who has done literally 10's of thousands of miles with a personal stereo playing I found that it didn't impair my road sense noticeably. It was only a 'problem' if somebody asked me for directions as I'd have to shut it off / pull out one ear. Seriously, I used it to while away the hours on long runs, or change the tape to keep up my cadence & aggression for shorter blasts. I have eyes and observational skills that go beyond hearing cars / lorries. I know where they are or should be through constant observation & peripheral vision. To this day, the ONLY instances where I will remove the distraction (<<<I agree) of music is when cycling off-road or driving in 'tricky' or 'unfamiliar' territory as all concentration is required to complete the primary task.

Media witch hunt, and the need to lay blame somewhere. (Media philosophy:- Can't blame the driver if it REALLY wasn't his fault - NEVER blame the deceased, blame something else...usually speed).

Any loss of life is a tragedy regardless of the media involvement and is not a trivial matter - but I do see another bandwagon approaching.....


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PostPosted: Sun Feb 19, 2006 01:30 
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As a 66-year old pedestrian I certainly wouldn't risk walking the streets of
London NW10 while listening to a Walkman or an I-Pod.


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PostPosted: Tue Feb 28, 2006 21:28 
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A cycle ride is more hazardous than a car one though.

In a car you spend large amounts of the time driving along a road without making manouevres that involve other vehicles (apart from the obvious one in front) and when you do it is usually at a clearly marked junction. Of course that is why the biggest hazard can be caused by the parked vehicle because they are the one you are least prepared for.

On a pushbike you are rarely travelling with the flow of the traffic. In normal flow vehicles are overtaking you and in traffic queues you are overtaking them, thus awareness is the key issue.

That doesn't mean you are intensely concentrating. On a pushbike I find I automatically see and hear a lot more than I do in a car. I haven't tried cycling whilst listening to my musical device and I'd probably find it easy enough for much of the time but I do feel I would probably lose some of my sense of awareness - it's not so easy to quickly switch it off.


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