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Cyclists make for better drivers, study concludes

Researchers in Australia find that those with experience of riding a bike process visual information more quickly

People with experience of cycling are more attentive when at the wheel of a car, according to a study from Australia which sought to establish how people process visual information while driving.

The study was conducted by Lisa J Hansen, of the Australian National University, Canberra, and Vanessa Beanland of the University of the Sunshine Coast.

It was published in the journal, Accident Analysis & Prevention, under the title, Do cyclists make better drivers? Associations between cycling experience and change detection in road scenes

They were looking to expand on existing research that established a link between the length of time someone has been driving and their attentional allocation.

For this study, which sought to examine the impact of non-driving factors, they compared drivers who had cycling experience (‘cyclist-drivers’) with those who did not have any.

The researchers said that based on existing situation awareness field test studies, they expected the cyclist-drivers group to perform better.

Subjects were split into three groups. The largest comprised 42 experienced motorists aged 30-50, of whom 17 were women and 25 men. There were also 22 drivers and 20 driver-cyclists.

Participants took what is called ‘change detection flicker test’ in which they had to choose whether two alternating images they were shown were identical or different.

The image being either a road sign, a car, a pedestrian or a bicycle, and according to researchers, the type of picture shown affected accuracy, with members of all groups slower at detecting changes to road sign images.

And while accuracy did not vary significantly across groups, “cyclist-drivers were significantly faster than drivers at identifying changes, with the effect being largest for bicycle and sign changes,” researchers said,

They added: “Results suggest that cycling experience is associated with more efficient attentional processing for road scenes.”

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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20 comments

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Beecho | 6 years ago
2 likes

Disappointing article. I read ‘drivers’ as ‘lovers’...

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Joden | 6 years ago
1 like

My guess is you would get similar results for participants in any sport that involves hand eye coordination and quick reactions. What makes cyclists good drivers is they are well practised in second guessing other road users.

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Canyon48 | 6 years ago
2 likes

Re the comments about motorcyclists.

To be fair, most the motorcyclists I come across when I'm cycling are out on their weekend rides in the countryside on their pride and joy - often we're heading to the same cafe! So I probably see the good side more often.

When I'm cycling through Bristol, most the moped riders (deliveroo and dominoes especially) seem to want to end up under the wheels of a lorry.

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Goldfever4 | 6 years ago
6 likes

I'm a motorcyclist but I've never driven a car.

I can really associate with the comment above about the similar sense of vulnerability - absolutely true even if the scenarios tend to be a little different. A close pass gives you a fright and can be very scary, whereas on a motorbike you often can react and respond to situations as they develop (if you're good, before they develop). I think it is best summed up as: On a bicycle the dangers are usually behind you and you normally can't see them coming or do much about them. On a motorcycle, they're usually in front of you so you can. Not 100% accurate, but mostly.

What this means is that yes, I also think motorcyclists can read a road better, respond to situations faster and better and will adjust speed to the conditions better than car drivers. RE descending - Those who have done advanced training will know to maximise visibility around a corner to go through it faster, so sticking to the RHS of the lane on a left corner and vice versa. This gives you more time to react to hazards and see where the corner tights or opens. The horizon point is also useful.

However, I also agree that as a group we can be monumental dickheads when it comes to respecting other road users, speed limits and wildlife. Personally I'm not but I've been known to fall out with my mates when they drive like assholes.

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Username replied to Goldfever4 | 6 years ago
4 likes

Goldfever4 wrote:

However, I also agree that as a group we can be monumental dickheads when it comes to respecting other road users, speed limits and wildlife. Personally I'm not but I've been known to fall out with my mates when they drive like assholes.

 

I ride both. I think like most of these discussions it's difficult to put yourself in the other road user's position until you have actually experienced it.

This morning I was on my road bike, stopped in an ASL at a red light, when a motorcyclist filtered up to me. In fairness to him he didn't enter the ASL but it was a fairly loud and intimidating engine note. His respect of the ASL probably shows he was riding with consideration but waiting there with nothing protecting me but Lycra felt very exposed; unless he cycles, it's unlikely he knew how intimidating that motorbike was.

I also spent a year as a white van driver once. An old school non-turbo, slow as a slow thing, white van. It taught me to think ahead, far ahead, and now as a car driver, or motorcyclist, I make sure I never hog lane two on a motorway where I could be blocking a van driver trying to plan an overtake of a slower moving HGV in lane one.

I've long thought that cycling on the roads ought to be part of the driving test. Maybe not in the test itself but like there is a written component these days, maybe there should be an observed cycle ride component too. Of course it could never be implemented because it would fail a risk assement: our roads are too dangerous.

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Goldfever4 replied to Username | 6 years ago
2 likes

Username wrote:

Goldfever4 wrote:

However, I also agree that as a group we can be monumental dickheads when it comes to respecting other road users, speed limits and wildlife. Personally I'm not but I've been known to fall out with my mates when they drive like assholes.

I ride both. I think like most of these discussions it's difficult to put yourself in the other road user's position until you have actually experienced it.

This morning I was on my road bike, stopped in an ASL at a red light, when a motorcyclist filtered up to me. In fairness to him he didn't enter the ASL but it was a fairly loud and intimidating engine note. His respect of the ASL probably shows he was riding with consideration but waiting there with nothing protecting me but Lycra felt very exposed; unless he cycles, it's unlikely he knew how intimidating that motorbike was.

I also spent a year as a white van driver once. An old school non-turbo, slow as a slow thing, white van. It taught me to think ahead, far ahead, and now as a car driver, or motorcyclist, I make sure I never hog lane two on a motorway where I could be blocking a van driver trying to plan an overtake of a slower moving HGV in lane one.

I've long thought that cycling on the roads ought to be part of the driving test. Maybe not in the test itself but like there is a written component these days, maybe there should be an observed cycle ride component too. Of course it could never be implemented because it would fail a risk assement: our roads are too dangerous.

I completely agree. Generally, bikers stick our head in the sand about what we expect to do once we have filtered and find ourselves at the front of a queue. Most of the time the biker ends up crossing the stop line (or going past the ASL) which is obviously poor and is less than ideal for cyclists.

Avatar
ChrisB200SX replied to Goldfever4 | 6 years ago
0 likes

Goldfever4 wrote:

Username wrote:

Goldfever4 wrote:

However, I also agree that as a group we can be monumental dickheads when it comes to respecting other road users, speed limits and wildlife. Personally I'm not but I've been known to fall out with my mates when they drive like assholes.

I ride both. I think like most of these discussions it's difficult to put yourself in the other road user's position until you have actually experienced it.

This morning I was on my road bike, stopped in an ASL at a red light, when a motorcyclist filtered up to me. In fairness to him he didn't enter the ASL but it was a fairly loud and intimidating engine note. His respect of the ASL probably shows he was riding with consideration but waiting there with nothing protecting me but Lycra felt very exposed; unless he cycles, it's unlikely he knew how intimidating that motorbike was.

I also spent a year as a white van driver once. An old school non-turbo, slow as a slow thing, white van. It taught me to think ahead, far ahead, and now as a car driver, or motorcyclist, I make sure I never hog lane two on a motorway where I could be blocking a van driver trying to plan an overtake of a slower moving HGV in lane one.

I've long thought that cycling on the roads ought to be part of the driving test. Maybe not in the test itself but like there is a written component these days, maybe there should be an observed cycle ride component too. Of course it could never be implemented because it would fail a risk assement: our roads are too dangerous.

I completely agree. Generally, bikers stick our head in the sand about what we expect to do once we have filtered and find ourselves at the front of a queue. Most of the time the biker ends up crossing the stop line (or going past the ASL) which is obviously poor and is less than ideal for cyclists.

I think the highway code says, when filtering, you are supposed to stop behind the first vehicle stopped before the white line. So that would usually be behindthe first car, rather than behind a bike in the ASL. But it would probably work better for all if the ASL was for motorbikes too, or maybe a 2-stage ASL, front half for motorcycles, second half for cycles?

Avatar
Goldfever4 replied to ChrisB200SX | 6 years ago
0 likes

ChrisB200SX wrote:

Goldfever4 wrote:

Username wrote:

Goldfever4 wrote:

However, I also agree that as a group we can be monumental dickheads when it comes to respecting other road users, speed limits and wildlife. Personally I'm not but I've been known to fall out with my mates when they drive like assholes.

I ride both. I think like most of these discussions it's difficult to put yourself in the other road user's position until you have actually experienced it.

This morning I was on my road bike, stopped in an ASL at a red light, when a motorcyclist filtered up to me. In fairness to him he didn't enter the ASL but it was a fairly loud and intimidating engine note. His respect of the ASL probably shows he was riding with consideration but waiting there with nothing protecting me but Lycra felt very exposed; unless he cycles, it's unlikely he knew how intimidating that motorbike was.

I also spent a year as a white van driver once. An old school non-turbo, slow as a slow thing, white van. It taught me to think ahead, far ahead, and now as a car driver, or motorcyclist, I make sure I never hog lane two on a motorway where I could be blocking a van driver trying to plan an overtake of a slower moving HGV in lane one.

I've long thought that cycling on the roads ought to be part of the driving test. Maybe not in the test itself but like there is a written component these days, maybe there should be an observed cycle ride component too. Of course it could never be implemented because it would fail a risk assement: our roads are too dangerous.

I completely agree. Generally, bikers stick our head in the sand about what we expect to do once we have filtered and find ourselves at the front of a queue. Most of the time the biker ends up crossing the stop line (or going past the ASL) which is obviously poor and is less than ideal for cyclists.

I think the highway code says, when filtering, you are supposed to stop behind the first vehicle stopped before the white line. So that would usually be behindthe first car, rather than behind a bike in the ASL. But it would probably work better for all if the ASL was for motorbikes too, or maybe a 2-stage ASL, front half for motorcycles, second half for cycles?

I've no idea what the solution is, but going right to the front is so common (and fair to want to be at the front, because bikes can make progress from stationary much faster than any other vehicle). All I know is, the bike usually ends up in an illegal position doing that, and we all look up and whistle as if we didn't see anything.... Not a great collective attitude to have, but better than getting squished. A worthwhile point to mention that filtering away from the back of a queue is an extremely useful safety precaution, just as much as it is about making progress through traffic.

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brakesmadly | 6 years ago
5 likes

Not only do regular cyclists process information better, we don't have the feeling of assumed invulnerability that it seems many motorists do. We know collisions hurt, and even if ensconsed in a steel shell with crumple zones and airbags, there's still the possibility of injury. So we take fewer risks.

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BehindTheBikesheds | 6 years ago
3 likes

Passed my driving test after 7 official lessons plus two 'lessons' (rather driving expeditions) off the missus in our old car 18 months previous. Didn't start lessons until just after 23rd b/day, never needed to drive tbh but baby and new job changed that.

The only issue I found was how much less space i had to make certain maneouvres and how slow people/other motorists were at making decisions.

Doing my test I remember telling the examiner not to be too late in giving me instruction where to go because that wouldn't replicate how one would travel on road either on bike or in car and that I always planned well ahead, not sure his reaction but he did as he was told  3

The really odd thing was the emergency stop, it all happened in slow motion, I was thinking I'd reacted fairly slowly given what I thought was the passage of time but when I asked him afterwards he said I was really fast to react and that my reading of the road was extraordinarily good (for a newbie), he also advised i do an advanced course after getting a few miles under my belt which I duly did a few years later. 

The thing you have to do as a driver is constantly be checking yourself and your actions, assess everything you do and why. Don't take what you do for granted or do it 'automatically' because that's when you stuff up, that's why it's so important not to have distractions because driving should need your full concentration ALL the time, just as you would when you're cycling in traffic and constantly assessing your actions and that of others around you.

if you do this as a person riding a bike hopefully you would do this driving a killing machine and be better at it and safer for all around you, that's not to say that some people on bikes are any better if taking the way they ride which for far too many is just like moronic motons.

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Canyon48 | 6 years ago
4 likes

Perhaps unsurprising. I imagine most motorcyclists are similarly better drivers.

From what I have experienced, generally, motorcyclists are the best (and often friendliest) road users. They also know the fastest lines down descents, which is great when you can follow them at 40+ mph  4

Avatar
BehindTheBikesheds replied to Canyon48 | 6 years ago
4 likes

wellsprop wrote:

Perhaps unsurprising. I imagine most motorcyclists are similarly better drivers.

From what I have experienced, generally, motorcyclists are the best (and often friendliest) road users. They also know the fastest lines down descents, which is great when you can follow them at 40+ mph  4

Sorry but as a % of an actual group motorcyclists are the worst risk taking pricks, in towns and cities it's not great but at least they are fairly limited, on suburban roads they are a menace and I get no extra room from them than I would do your average cager.

Avatar
Dnnnnnn replied to BehindTheBikesheds | 6 years ago
4 likes

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

wellsprop wrote:

Perhaps unsurprising. I imagine most motorcyclists are similarly better drivers.

From what I have experienced, generally, motorcyclists are the best (and often friendliest) road users. They also know the fastest lines down descents, which is great when you can follow them at 40+ mph  4

Sorry but as a % of an actual group motorcyclists are the worst risk taking pricks, in towns and cities it's not great but at least they are fairly limited, on suburban roads they are a menace and I get no extra room from them than I would do your average cager.

Motorcyclists (like cyclists, drivers and everyone else) aren't a homogenous group. The good ones probably do benefit from the additional perspective they get on two wheels. And then there are the ones racing and pulling wheelies in urban streets.

It's probably more about the kind of person you are. More considerate people use the extra perspective they have well; others won't.

I'm not sure how much weight to attach to this study - just because you do well in a lab test, that doesn't make you a good driver. It's probably more about your attitude.

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Bluebug replied to Dnnnnnn | 6 years ago
0 likes

Duncann]</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>[quote=wellsprop

wrote:

I'm not sure how much weight to attach to this study - just because you do well in a lab test, that doesn't make you a good driver. It's probably more about your attitude.

Agreed.

The study used a very small group of people  and just backs up anaedoctal evidence that those who ride a bike regularly  have better hazard perception.

To probably prove the hypothesis the study would have to use more subjects of different age groups particularly those in age groups 17-21, 21-25 and 55+ who are involved in more accidents according to insurance data. 

Avatar
Edsonytic replied to Bluebug | 6 years ago
0 likes

Bluebug wrote:

Duncann wrote:

I'm not sure how much weight to attach to this study - just because you do well in a lab test, that doesn't make you a good driver. It's probably more about your attitude.

Agreed.

The study used a very small group of people  and just backs up anaedoctal evidence that those who ride a bike regularly  have better hazard perception.

To probably prove the hypothesis the study would have to use more subjects of different age groups particularly those in age groups 17-21, 21-25 and 55+ who are involved in more accidents according to insurance data. 

The purpose of the study was not to prove an hypothesis but rather "to compare change detection ability between drivers with and without cycling experience" (taken from the discussion section of the original article).

Regarding age, the authors ensured no significant differences in age, sex, and driving experience. Comparing the results between different age groups would be a matter for another study.

The study did not conclude that cyclists are deffinitely better when driving but mereley that "Overall the current findings are consistent with theoretical prediction". It was the person who only read the abstract before writting their own piece who understood that.

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rliu replied to BehindTheBikesheds | 6 years ago
0 likes
BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

wellsprop wrote:

Perhaps unsurprising. I imagine most motorcyclists are similarly better drivers.

From what I have experienced, generally, motorcyclists are the best (and often friendliest) road users. They also know the fastest lines down descents, which is great when you can follow them at 40+ mph  4

Sorry but as a % of an actual group motorcyclists are the worst risk taking pricks, in towns and cities it's not great but at least they are fairly limited, on suburban roads they are a menace and I get no extra room from them than I would do your average cager.

Yeah I have to say in South East London motorcyclists or moped riders tend to be yobs or wannabe gangsters. One caused me to crash into the back of stationary flatbed truck because he undertook me with next to zero room from a bus lane, and two weeks ago another motorcyclist overtook a car and then me just as I was going round a traffic island in a residential street, with a set of no motor traffic throughflow bollards just a few hundred metres up the road, when I remonstrated with him he then started revving his engine and feigning swerving to ram me to intimidate me.

You may find nice motorcyclists in leafy areas who are hobbyists with nice bikes, but near me I'd rather take my chances with a minicab than bikers.

Avatar
Username replied to rliu | 6 years ago
2 likes

rliu wrote:

Yeah I have to say in South East London motorcyclists or moped riders tend to be yobs or wannabe gangsters.

 

I can't subscribe to that generalisation. It's like saying all cyclists are red-light-jumping yobs.

I live in central London, we have our fair share of idiots on mopeds and moped enabled crime is a big problem at the moment, but most motorcyclists are just guys and gals trying to get to work and back home again in one piece.

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StraelGuy | 6 years ago
3 likes

And do creatures of an ursine persuasion relieve themselves in the woods?

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a1white | 6 years ago
0 likes

"...more quicvkcly" ?

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don simon fbpe replied to a1white | 6 years ago
0 likes

a1white wrote:

"...more quicvkcly" ?

DO NOT DO THE FLICKER TEST!!!

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