I was in two minds whether to write about this subject because, as cyclists, we are all reluctant to dwell on the possibility of being hurt or worse while out riding. And yet, when we sign up for a club ride, or rent a bike anywhere in the world, we are asked to acknowledge we understand cycling is a potentially risky activity. What’s more, we don’t have to look far for people close to us who have suffered a serious accident while out riding. I know cyclists who have forsaken riding on roads with motor traffic because they have been so affected by the loss of biking friends. As much to reassure myself as to inform others, I thought I would explore the facts.
Luckily, most of my own accidents over the years have not involved motor traffic or other road users and I have only suffered bruising, gravel rash, broken fingers and a cracked shoulder. I will emphasize, though, that on three occasions my injuries would have been much worse had I not been wearing a helmet. Consequently, you need to be careful interpreting research like this What evidence is there that cycle helmets save lives? I found which suggests wearing a helmet has little effect on the outcome. This may only be true in the specific case of car-bike high speed collisions.
I still ride on highways with motor traffic, mindful of the scenarios that expose me to risk. When I rode across Canada in 2022, I would set off at sunrise long before most people were on the road and always used strobing front and rear lights. I try to avoid riding directly into low sun at dawn or dusk as even strobe lighting can be missed by drivers coming up behind you. Similarly, I won’t ride on roads in dense fog or driving snow. Where possible, I select roads with wide shoulders but this is not a foolproof strategy for avoiding collisions as I have witnessed disturbing incidents where impatient drivers used the shoulder to overtake slower traffic.
Once or twice a year, though, the news that a high-profile cyclist has been struck down by traffic while out riding makes me reappraise my choices. Most recently, it was the death of Hannah Henry the BC Triathlete in Arizona that made me look at the risks of riding in the US. There appears to be a wide variation across the country depending on the amount (or lack) of cycling infrastructure, the density of traffic and the percentage of tourists. Florida holds the unenviable reputation of being the most dangerous place to cycle returning 20% of America’s 1100 cycling deaths each year. In Canada, we suffer some 74 cycling fatalities a year.
While the numbers may sound appalling, an American study tried to put them into some sort of perspective.( Relative risk in cycling,) Apparently, you are twice as likely to be killed as a passenger or driver in a car than be killed by a car while cycling and thirty time more likely to die if you are riding a motor bike.
How does any of this data inform a cyclist of the risks involved in their sport? Well, if you cycled 2 hours a day, 300 days of the year for 50 years,( 1 million kilometres) your chances of being killed on your bicycle would still less than 1 in a hundred.
Even if the statistics convince you it’s safe enough to continue riding it is hard to pass a white Ghost Bike without feeling for the victim, their family and friends. The idea of installing a white bike near the scene of a fatal accident originated in the US about 20 years ago but has since spread worldwide. It was an Instagram post from the guy who was preparing a Ghost Bike in memory of Hannah Henry that prompted me to write these words.
