Why are pedestrian deaths not as well reported as cyclists?
- Thread starter roryer
- Start date
hash tag
Books, not bombs
With three cyclists killed on London roads in the last week, this has been raised on the news again. Unfortunately I cant find this years figures but last year it was reported that 16 cyclists died in comparison to 77 pedestrians 
. We console ourselves in that we have some of the safest roads in the world, but any death is a death too many. I also see this morning that many from the cycling fraternity are pressing for more money to be spent. Why so much on cyclists, why not pedestrians or safety in general?
London pedestrian deaths and cycle injuries soar
. We console ourselves in that we have some of the safest roads in the world, but any death is a death too many. I also see this morning that many from the cycling fraternity are pressing for more money to be spent. Why so much on cyclists, why not pedestrians or safety in general?London pedestrian deaths and cycle injuries soar
Winot
I wholeheartedley agree with your viewpoint
With three cyclists killed on London roads in the last week, this has been raised on the news again. Unfortunately I cant find this years figures but last year it was reported that 16 cyclists died in comparison to 77 pedestrians
London pedestrian deaths and cycle injuries soar
I don't think you'd find many cyclists who would disagree that pedestrian safety is also worth spending money on. After all, most of us are pedestrians too. The target for public funds to divert isn't that earmarked for pedestrian safety - it's the road budget, which dwarfs the rest and is rising.
fredfelt
Mostly unknown member
With three cyclists killed on London roads in the last week, this has been raised on the news again. Unfortunately I cant find this years figures but last year it was reported that 16 cyclists died in comparison to 77 pedestrians
London pedestrian deaths and cycle injuries soar
I'm very much in favour of making our streets more person friendly. That includes both for pedestrians, cyclists and investment in public transport. The headline figure of casualties doesn't even consider the lives lost to air pollution, which mostly comes from vehicles. On average air pollution takes around six months of everyone's life. For those who live in cities, and next to main roads, you use years to measure the reduced life expectancy.
Perhaps a more revealing question is why lazy journalists rant about the carnage that cyclists cause on the road. It's close to being a certainty that those 77 pedestrian fatalities you mention are incidents involving pedestrians and cars.
Few commutes can be done by walking. Investing huge amounts of money into walking is likely to make little difference in the level of pedestrian fatalities as this does little tackle the biggest factor in the problem. Namely, car dependency and continuing policies which entrench this dependency.
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
chances are at least two of them involve cycles.
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
was getting off a bus the other night and a couple of cyclists thought it a good idea to race at about 20mph between the buses and the pavement, at the bus stop.
they weren't so cocky once a few of us passengers vented our wrath at them.
Spymaster
Plastic Paddy
BigTom
Well-Known Member
With three cyclists killed on London roads in the last week, this has been raised on the news again. Unfortunately I cant find this years figures but last year it was reported that 16 cyclists died in comparison to 77 pedestrians
London pedestrian deaths and cycle injuries soar
I saw on twitter that two pedestrians died in the last couple of days as well but the ES didn't report either.
Fairly sure it's already been said but a strong cycling campaign network plus cycling articles being good click bait labs they get coverage where pedestrians don't.
As others have just said, ime cyclists generally want more person friendly streets. Iirc from the Waltham Forest mini Holland they're was a huge drop in crashes so presumably makes things safer for pedestrians, swapping shared pavements and pavement cycling for segregated cycle lanes would too and also puts another physical barrier between pedestrians and motorised vehicles which should help.
Plus more cycling means fewer driving though at least one of the pedestrians killed this week was hit by a truck driver.
I'm surprised the difference in numbers is so high in London, iirc around the same number of cyclists and pedestrians are killed each year in the UK.
Not sure what campaigning groups exist for pedestrians though, sustrans sort of despite their cycling roots I guess
BigTom
Well-Known Member
Also think it's worth mentioning a couple of other positive things.
West Midlands police operation close pass (cycling safety op targeting drivers who pass too close) has directly led to operation safer crossing which is currently being piloted. This will target drivers at selected areas with high collision stats with pedestrians, I don't know the details but I'll try to remember to post up the blog they say is on its way about it.
British Cycling calls for further action and investment following deaths of three cyclists in London in a week
British cycling statement re deaths of cyclists, don't think it mentioned pedestrians but the call is for govt to spend more than 1% of transport budget on cycling and walking, and the turning the corner campaign (linked in that article) is campaigning to change rule 170 to give priority to pedestrians waiting to cross a side road (or zebra crossing? Think that's a different rule not sure) and not just if they're already crossing along with giving cyclists the same priority.
West Midlands police operation close pass (cycling safety op targeting drivers who pass too close) has directly led to operation safer crossing which is currently being piloted. This will target drivers at selected areas with high collision stats with pedestrians, I don't know the details but I'll try to remember to post up the blog they say is on its way about it.
British Cycling calls for further action and investment following deaths of three cyclists in London in a week
British cycling statement re deaths of cyclists, don't think it mentioned pedestrians but the call is for govt to spend more than 1% of transport budget on cycling and walking, and the turning the corner campaign (linked in that article) is campaigning to change rule 170 to give priority to pedestrians waiting to cross a side road (or zebra crossing? Think that's a different rule not sure) and not just if they're already crossing along with giving cyclists the same priority.
hash tag
Books, not bombs
On the radio overnight they had a phone in about cyclists dying on our streets and more should be done to protect them. Bearing in mind 3x as many pedestrians are dying on our streets than cyclists, not one mention did I hear of a pedestrian death. I have little against cyclists, but this is being blown up out of all proportion.
bi0boy
Power User
If you get your proportions right you will realise there are far more pedestrians than cyclists so that, proportionally speaking, you'd expect more pedestrian deaths even if the chances of a cyclist and a pedestrian dying were equal.
hash tag
Books, not bombs
Very sorry to hear of any death. A rare story of a pedestrian being killed in an accident. Hidden away in this story is mentioned another pedestrian death.
Female pedestrian dies after being struck by lorry on busy Euston road
Female pedestrian dies after being struck by lorry on busy Euston road
Dogsauce
I’ve got Skol but I’m not a Scholar
Because running articles/phone-ins on pedestrians isn't a polarising issue, so doesn't generate interest and discussion/clicks/ad revenue. Cycling is highlighted precisely because it can be turned into a heated 'them and us' issue. Almost everyone is a pedestrian at some point during their daily routine, so it's hard to do the same with that. Capitalism innit.
fredfelt
Mostly unknown member
As well as the response from Dogsauce, the lack of exposure to the issue of both death from trauma on the roads, and premature death from pollution may be due to the lack of appetite to do anything about it.
For some driving is taken as a right. Any attempts to make it safer through lower speed, rationing through price, or by higher emission standards is seen as a affront to personal liberty. Efforts to reduce the impact of driving is often polarised by a war on the motorist, or the state overstretching into a nanny state.
With much of the popular press championing personal liberty over issues which impact on the wider society it's not a cause that sits neatly with much of the popular press. Nor with some posters here, scroll up and you'll see examples of attempt to turn any wider debate into anecdotes about themselves.
Winot
I wholeheartedley agree with your viewpoint
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
Bahnhof Strasse
Met up with Hannah Courtoy a week next Tuesday
For sake a balance, you never see car drivers doing that, much! Outside home, there is rarely a change of lights where a red is not jumped by a motorised vehicle. Then there is the issue with driving on the phone and speeding....
Seriously?
In my nearly 28 years of driving I can't recall seeing a car going through a red light more than 3 or 4 times. Ye this is happening 100's of times a week outside your house?!??! Call the filth dude.
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
you see it now and again, but it is extremely rare - i see thousands of red lights in a year and maybe 3, 4 times a year i see a car go through the red.
bicycles, on the other hand: as plentiful as raindrops.
Bahnhof Strasse
Met up with Hannah Courtoy a week next Tuesday
tbf I don't see much when I'm driving cos I'm normally looking at my phone or skinning up.
For sake a balance, you never see car drivers doing that, much! Outside home, there is rarely a change of lights where a red is not jumped by a motorised vehicle. Then there is the issue with driving on the phone and speeding....
As well as the drivers who think amber is an order to accelerate rather than stop.
mojo pixy
...שלא נמצא בשמאל
I'm a complete bastard when I'm on a bike. I'm just as bad when I'm driving a motor vehicle. In my defence I do have good days, when I'm as meek as a lamb, but driving a 1-litre runabout (worse still, riding a fucking bike) in a city full of impatient SUV and audi drivers smoking weed and talking on their phones isn't always easy.
I like it when I get to drive the work minibus
I like it when I get to drive the work minibus
BigTom
Well-Known Member
We had this discussion on another thread, you are not counting the drivers who cross on red just after their green phase, they are all going through a red light, and it happens all the time, they even have cameras at some lights to try to stop/catch motorists doing it.
hash tag
Books, not bombs
My patch is Wandsworth. If you want evidence that motorists are continually jumping red lights, have a look at the number of camera's now being installed to catch
offenders. I have not been out much recently, but know that camera's have in the last year been installed on West Hill at the junction with West Hill Road and the others
at North Side Wandsworth Common at it's junction with Trinity Road. I am led to believe that there are a few more around.
offenders. I have not been out much recently, but know that camera's have in the last year been installed on West Hill at the junction with West Hill Road and the others
at North Side Wandsworth Common at it's junction with Trinity Road. I am led to believe that there are a few more around.
ferrelhadley
There is no love between us anymore.
In 2014 the DfT counted 1775 road deaths.
797 car occupants.
446 pedestrians
339 motor cyclists
113 cyclists
80 "other"
As a portion of journey miles
That is to say you are about as likely to be killed walking a mile as cycling that mile.
But you are about 3 times as likely to report an injury cycling a mile than walking it.
498 pedestrians were reported to be hit by pedal cyclists vs
5289 by motorcyclists
20094 by motor cars
1064 by buses
1487 by LGVs
435 by HGVs
A total of 24748.
2% of pedestrian collisions were from cyclists.
Clearly the biggest issue facing pedestrians then as per this thread.
797 car occupants.
446 pedestrians
339 motor cyclists
113 cyclists
80 "other"
As a portion of journey miles
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/467465/rrcgb-2014.pdf
That is to say you are about as likely to be killed walking a mile as cycling that mile.
But you are about 3 times as likely to report an injury cycling a mile than walking it.
498 pedestrians were reported to be hit by pedal cyclists vs
5289 by motorcyclists
20094 by motor cars
1064 by buses
1487 by LGVs
435 by HGVs
A total of 24748.
2% of pedestrian collisions were from cyclists.
Clearly the biggest issue facing pedestrians then as per this thread.
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SpookyFrank
A cheap source of teeth for aquarium gravel
Doesn't fit the 'cars vs bikes war' narrative that so many papers are so fond of. The fact that cars kill thousands every year directly, and many thousands more through the pollution they cause, is simply not a story. It's just something that we've decided to accept as a society.
