On 17 Oct 2004 10:10:54 -0700 someone who may be
(Silas Denyer) wrote this:-

I have
actually been stopped for speeding on my bicycle, for instance,

Have you really?

Since motor vehicle speed limits don't apply to bikes perhaps you
could explain the circumstances.

I have never, ever, seen a cyclist stopped for running a red light or
riding on a pavement.

Personal anecdotes again.

Now let's consider miles driven / ridden to get some further
statistical context. According to the DfT (source: [4]), in 2002 total
(car,van,taxi) traffic was 490 billion vehicle kilometres. The
equivalent figure for cycles was 320 million for London (source: [5]),
and for the UK as a whole 4 billion (source: [6]).

Your "analysis" has several flaws. Here are two.

Firstly "official" figures tend to underestimate distances travelled
on foot and by bike. Journeys under one mile are frequently excluded
and often a figure is only recorded for the "main" part of the
journey. Walk to the bus stop, travel by bus and walk to your
destination and the walking part frequently is not recorded by
"official" figures.

Secondly you assume that the pedestrians, cyclists and motorists are
using the same roads. That is not the case. Much of the motor
distance is covered on roads where pedestrians and cyclists are not
permitted or have been driven off.

Even if distance is a good measure of exposure, something one could
argue, it makes sense to make sure one is comparing apples with
apples.



--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E
I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK government
prevents me by using the RIP Act 2000.


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