Accidents

A worrying story from the NY Times:

For years, the New York City Transportation Department has held a trump card in the roiling debate over its many roadway interventions: When officials said the measures, like pedestrian plazas and bike lanes, had made streets safer, the numbers appeared to back them up.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/27/nyregion/in-reversal-new-york-city-tra...

Interesting that the IMechEng is now pushing for technology solutions to cycle safety with regard to trucks - good news if you ask me as this body has some influence plus a lot of intellectual weight:

Lorries need to be fitted with technology to prevent ‘blind-spot’ deaths, say engineers
New report also calls for vehicles to be installed with systems that automatically alert emergency services when involved in road traffic accidents
19 April 2012

Interesting piece this from the BBC;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16030644

Things are not so rosy for cyclists in the Netherlands as they might be:

According to research by Dutch traffic safety research organisation SWOV, there were some 640 fatalities in 2010. This included 162 cyclists. Cyclists have seen their share in fatalieies increase from 20% in 2000 to 25% in 2010. This is being attributed to a rise in older cyclists with poorer vision and slower reaction times. Seriously injured cyclists have also increased from in 2000 to 11,000 in 2010 and account for 50% of the injured.

My neighbour who is a keen cyclist, had an accident the other week, fell from his bike whilst turning right. No other traffic involved. He broke his hip. On learning of this another neighbour remarked " he always wears a helmet.
I pointed out that he wore a helmet on his head , NOT ON HIS BUM.
Most cyclists involved in accidents break arms or leg or collar bone, a helmet would not help them
Barogerl