September 28, 2022
Tour reflections, bicycle safety
A not-the-normal take away from this tour
It’s been two weeks since the not-as-planned end of my Ohio to Erie Trail tour. I like to end my tours with a reflection of how the tour went. It seemed appropriate that I close this tour journal with a post about bicycle safety.
The main question on my mind is whether I am more susceptible to accidents and more accident-prone as I age. Early on, I was more apt to write this accident off as a freak event and to be more aware of my surroundings. As the weeks passed, I framed those concerns of how my age was a factor.
I am 68 and an active guy. People frequently question my age believing that I am much younger. I have been involved in the cycling world for the past 13 years. I was a runner, a slow runner, for several of those years. One thing I observed in both of those communities is that many people in their 70s and 80s are active today.
68 today is not 68 in the 1960s, the time of my youth. My grandparents, their friends, my parents, their friends, and most other adults at that time were nowhere near as active as seniors are today. I do not think that was an isolated observation from my community at the time. People in those generations were more sedentary as they age.
With an active life comes the risk of injury. 17 years ago, I was 100 pounds heavier and spent my free time on the couch in front of the TV. Not being active carried a risk. For me, it led to a heart attack and a triple coronary bypass. That is when I changed my outlook on life and trajectory to a healthier more active life. I have no regrets and have had no injuries before this mishap. I made it 68 years without breaking a bone.
I did some research on the relationship between age and accidents on a bike. Here are some interesting takeaways from this research of the National Safety Council before I dig deeper into this subject.
- The number of preventable deaths from bicycle incidents increased 16% in 2020 from 2019 and has increased 44% in the last 10 years
- The number of preventable nonfatal injuries has declined 39% from 2011 to 2020.
- The number of preventable nonfatal injuries did increase by 5% in 2020 compared to 2019.
The most telling statistics I turned up come from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention bicycle safety research. Here are some interesting highlights of their research.
- Nearly 1,000 bicyclists die and over 130,000 are injured in crashes that occur on roads in the United States every year.
- Adults ages 55-69 have the highest bicycle death rates.
- Male bicyclists have death rates 6 times higher and injury rates 5 times higher than females.
| Heart | 0 | Comment | 0 | Link |
Now for the interesting stuff. The National Safety Council has an interactive chart on preventive bicycle deaths, injuries, and rates by sex and age group. I clicked on my age group and was astounded by the facts.
What I learned
- There is a definite upward trend of deaths and injuries from 1999 to 2020.
- Age does factor into the chance of being injured on a bike.
- All of the senior age ranges show an increased chance of injury.
- Being a man puts me at more significant risk. I know well that men are more apt to take on more risks.
What can I do
- Wear a helmet. One-third of non-fatal bicyclist injuries are to the head. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), a majority of the 80,000 cycling-related head injuries treated in emergency rooms each year are brain injuries.
- Be more aware of my surroundings. This includes traffic, pedestrians, and natural and man-made objects.
- Be more aware of my mental and physical state and not take on any unnecessary risks
- Remind myself of the bicycle safety lessons I have learned over the past 13 years.
- Share my story with others. It’s important to be aware that we are not invincible.
I am recovering and am making good progress after only two weeks. I intend to get back to the bike when my surgeon deems it safe. I will concentrate on overcoming the risk of an accident due to the combination of my increasing age and male sex.
I changed my outlook on cycling over the past 6 years. Retirement has shown me that my life is better when I spend time on my bike. Cycling is no longer about the miles, Strava statistics, and keeping up with others. Life is about having a good time on the bike, meeting new people, and discovering new and unexpected places on a bike tour. I am a strong believer in social cycling with others.
Be safe and discover the world by bike!
Tom
Quote of the Day
Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties. Helen Keller
| Rate this entry's writing | Heart | 3 |
| Comment on this entry | Comment | 3 |
What it has mean for me is dialing down my risk tolerance a bit to compensate. I'll wait longer for a clear traffic break to cross a road. I started using a rear view mirror and a radar tail light. I don't go quite as fast downhill as I used to (I was not a speedster to start with!) I'll wait longer in traffic rather than try to get ahead of stopped traffic. There are road sections I rode regularly in my 30s and 40s that I won't do anymore - most modern bike route maps have dropped those roads anyway!
My one bike accident in 20 years that gave me serious road rash was from ignoring all of the above - passing a stopped residential trash truck on a downhill and having the trash guy (with his back to me) slide a big trash can across the road into my front wheel.
There is also some "wisdom of the ages" pattern recognition that I now take advantage of. I've sort of developed a "right hook" spidey sense that even on routes I'm doing for the first time goes off when it just feels like a driver is likely to right turn into me. On group rides I'm really conscious of someone overlapping my rear wheel and am way more likely to pass on any drafting unless I really know the other person.
John P.
1 year ago
1 year ago
1 year ago