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Oxford and Cambridge cycle survey reveals top tips for reducing risks
=====================================================================
A new report has been published describing the training, skills and
experiences of 5,000 cyclists in Oxford and Cambridge.
The survey was commissioned by a group of organisations led by
Oxfordshire County Council and Cambridge City Council.
It revealed that around 40% of cyclists had avoided accidents - coming
off their bikes once in ten years or even less often, and the survey
went on to give some clues to why this is.
For instance, when asked for tips on cycling, the most common piece of
advice people gave for reducing risks was to be aware of everything,
to observe other road users and anticipate their movements.
The second most popular piece of advice was about positioning on the
road - to ride a metre or so out from the kerb or from parked cars so
as to avoid hazards and to deter drivers from overtaking too closely.
The most serious types of accidents involved a vehicle overtaking a
cyclist. Women seem to be more likely than men to have these types of
accident.
The survey also found that women were more likely to say they find it
hard to look back over their shoulders and to tell when it is safe to
pull in to traffic. More work needs to be done to understand why this
is the case.
The most common type of incident by far was slipping or skidding due
to a hazard such as a pothole, metal cover, ice, loose gravel, a
greasy road or a low kerb at a shallow angle.
Cllr David Robertson, the County Council's Cabinet Member for
Transport, said: "There is a lot to learn from this survey both for
the authorities and the individual cyclists.
"We plan to use these findings to improve conditions and training
advice particularly through links with our partners on the project."
The report is available to download from
www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cyclingsurvey
Notes:
1. The Oxford & Cambridge Cycling Survey, conducted by Dr Ian Walker
of Bath University on behalf of Oxfordshire County Council. Available
to download from http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cyclingsurvey.htm
2. Key findings of the survey were:
o Close to 5,000 people returned a survey form. The peak age range of
respondents was 21-30.
o The most common reasons for bicycle trips were commuting and
shopping.
o The longest journey a person regularly made by bicycle was,
typically, 3.3 miles.
o The clear majority of bicycles were traditionally framed, with
derailleur gears, rim brakes, and battery lamps front and rear.
o Men were substantially more likely than women to carry out routine
maintenance on their bicycles.
o One-third of respondents had experienced an accident in the past
year, 72% of which resulted in no actual injury.
o 61% of seriously injurious accidents (and 93.8% of all accidents)
were not reported to authorities. Even for serious accidents caused by
a motorist, less than one-third were reported.
o Women have been found more likely than men to experience certain
types of serious accident; accordingly, they reported being
substantially less able to look back over their shoulders and to tell
when it is safe to pull into traffic.
Partner organisations
The Oxford and Cambridge Cycle Survey was led by Oxfordshire County
Council in partnership with Cambridge City Council, and the following:
" Oxford City Council
" Cambridgeshire County Council
" University of Oxford
" Cambridge University
" Oxford Brookes University
" John Radcliffe Hospital NHS Trust
" The Oxford Bus Company
" BMW Plant Oxford
" Stagecoach Oxford
" Oxfam
" CTC - the national cyclists' organisation
" Oxford Primary Care Trust
Contact
Dr Ian Walker, Bath University on 07881 908508
Celia Jones, Oxfordshire County Council on 07775 638994
Clare Rankin, Cambridge City Council on 01223 457108
Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk
88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at CHS, Puget Sound
=====================================================================
A new report has been published describing the training, skills and
experiences of 5,000 cyclists in Oxford and Cambridge.
The survey was commissioned by a group of organisations led by
Oxfordshire County Council and Cambridge City Council.
It revealed that around 40% of cyclists had avoided accidents - coming
off their bikes once in ten years or even less often, and the survey
went on to give some clues to why this is.
For instance, when asked for tips on cycling, the most common piece of
advice people gave for reducing risks was to be aware of everything,
to observe other road users and anticipate their movements.
The second most popular piece of advice was about positioning on the
road - to ride a metre or so out from the kerb or from parked cars so
as to avoid hazards and to deter drivers from overtaking too closely.
The most serious types of accidents involved a vehicle overtaking a
cyclist. Women seem to be more likely than men to have these types of
accident.
The survey also found that women were more likely to say they find it
hard to look back over their shoulders and to tell when it is safe to
pull in to traffic. More work needs to be done to understand why this
is the case.
The most common type of incident by far was slipping or skidding due
to a hazard such as a pothole, metal cover, ice, loose gravel, a
greasy road or a low kerb at a shallow angle.
Cllr David Robertson, the County Council's Cabinet Member for
Transport, said: "There is a lot to learn from this survey both for
the authorities and the individual cyclists.
"We plan to use these findings to improve conditions and training
advice particularly through links with our partners on the project."
The report is available to download from
www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cyclingsurvey
Notes:
1. The Oxford & Cambridge Cycling Survey, conducted by Dr Ian Walker
of Bath University on behalf of Oxfordshire County Council. Available
to download from http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cyclingsurvey.htm
2. Key findings of the survey were:
o Close to 5,000 people returned a survey form. The peak age range of
respondents was 21-30.
o The most common reasons for bicycle trips were commuting and
shopping.
o The longest journey a person regularly made by bicycle was,
typically, 3.3 miles.
o The clear majority of bicycles were traditionally framed, with
derailleur gears, rim brakes, and battery lamps front and rear.
o Men were substantially more likely than women to carry out routine
maintenance on their bicycles.
o One-third of respondents had experienced an accident in the past
year, 72% of which resulted in no actual injury.
o 61% of seriously injurious accidents (and 93.8% of all accidents)
were not reported to authorities. Even for serious accidents caused by
a motorist, less than one-third were reported.
o Women have been found more likely than men to experience certain
types of serious accident; accordingly, they reported being
substantially less able to look back over their shoulders and to tell
when it is safe to pull into traffic.
Partner organisations
The Oxford and Cambridge Cycle Survey was led by Oxfordshire County
Council in partnership with Cambridge City Council, and the following:
" Oxford City Council
" Cambridgeshire County Council
" University of Oxford
" Cambridge University
" Oxford Brookes University
" John Radcliffe Hospital NHS Trust
" The Oxford Bus Company
" BMW Plant Oxford
" Stagecoach Oxford
" Oxfam
" CTC - the national cyclists' organisation
" Oxford Primary Care Trust
Contact
Dr Ian Walker, Bath University on 07881 908508
Celia Jones, Oxfordshire County Council on 07775 638994
Clare Rankin, Cambridge City Council on 01223 457108
Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk
88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at CHS, Puget Sound
