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Abu Dhabi Traffic Accidents Dropped 40% During the BlackBerry Outage

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Re: Abu Dhabi Traffic Accidents Dropped 40% During the BlackBerry Outage

#51
post #29
post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For example "pollution/lung issues". After reading http://bicycles.stackexchange.com/questions/2170/is-pollutio... I didn't think that it would be problematic.

The cited doc doesn't take into account the deep breathing that bicyclists do, leading the pollutants deeper into the lungs. So yes, there may be more in the car, but I'd argue it's doing far more damage to the cyclist. The regular coughing fits many suffer (Similar to smokers) attest to that.

I don't know any cyclists that suffer from regular coughing fits, and I ride more than 100 miles a week (and have mild asthma that I take medication for).

Even if there is an increased contact with pollutants, which is debatable, it's not certain that this causes any adverse health effects. Evidence also suggests that the health you gain from regular physical activity offsets any potential damage from breathing pollutants. Most people die of heart disease long before they get the cancer that the pollutants supposedly cause.

You will die one day even if you live in a cleanroom. Why not get some exercise before you do?

Re: Abu Dhabi Traffic Accidents Dropped 40% During the BlackBerry Outage

#53
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Relative to other forms of transport, yes. People coming from, say, the netherlands just don't realise how dangerous it is to ride bikes on roads in non-biking countries (uk, us, etc.). Car drivers just don't bother looking or just don't care. "King of the road" mentality.

I don't know how you drive your bike, but if this is what you think, you're doing it wrong. If you drive your bike like it's a car, motorists will notice you and pass you with a wide margin. If you ride on the wrong side of the road and turn left from the right lane, then yeah, it's scary because you're driving like a maniac. Don't do that. Get this book and read it: http://www.amazon.com/Effective-Cycling-6th-John-F…

If you drive your bike like it's a car, motorists will notice you and pass you with a wide margin.

Where do you live that this is true?

Re: Abu Dhabi Traffic Accidents Dropped 40% During the BlackBerry Outage

#54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know how you drive your bike, but if this is what you think, you're doing it wrong. If you drive your bike like it's a car, motorists will notice you and pass you with a wide margin. If you ride on the wrong side of the road and turn left from the right lane, then yeah, it's scary because you're driving like a maniac. Don't do that. Get this book and read it: http://www.amazon.com/Effective-Cycling-6th-John-F…

If you drive your bike like it's a car, motorists will notice you and pass you with a wide margin. Where do you live that this is true?

Everywhere I've ridden a bike, which includes Chicago, the suburbs, and the Seattle area.

Like anything, riding in traffic involves learning and practice. Read "Effective Cycling" to learn the rules and techniques, then try it out. 10,000 hours later (according to Gladwell), you'll be a pro. (I'm don't have this much practice, but I still feel safe. I can only think of two dumb mistakes I've made, and I recovered from them without disrupting traffic flow or being injured.)

A few techniques that I learned experimentally:

1) Don't filter forward unless there is a lane that you can use. Cyclists seem to want to get to that line when the light is red, but they never think about where they're going to go when the light changes. I wait behind the cars in the middle of the lane and never have trouble merging into the flow of traffic. (The cyclists that filter forward are faced with two possibilities. Stand around like an idiot while all the waiting traffic passes you and you can safely merge back into traffic, or run the light when the other direction gets their yellow, cutting in front of the waiting cars. Both confuse and annoy other users of the road, and the second one is illegal and dangerous. Drive your bike like a car.)

2) Most rightmost straight-through lanes are, in practice, right turn lanes, so stay out of them. If you don't, you just annoy people that want the opportunity to turn right on red. After the light changes, nobody will pass you on the right because the lane is blocked with right-turning cars waiting for pedestrians, and so you have a clear lane as soon as you get into the intersection. Failing that, nobody will pass you on the right because vehicles simply do not overtake slow-moving vehicles on the right. Verify this with a look backwards and a polite wave.

3) Cyclists never obey stop signs, so drivers are very confused when you are stopped at one. A hand signal to the person with the right-of-way is appropriate to restore the correct flow at the intersection.

Re: Abu Dhabi Traffic Accidents Dropped 40% During the BlackBerry Outage

#55
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But when you live in the city like I do, just crossing the street can be made dangerous by these same people. [EDIT] Plus people walking and texting in the city can be just as bad when driving in Chicago when they walk out into an intersection without looking.

People who walk and text very rarely injure or kill other people, though. I don't really mind people being a menace to themselves, but I very much mind people being a menace to me and people I care about.

I don't know about you, but I try to swerve and avoid pedestrians if they walk out into the street. That can lead to me hitting other vehicles, losing control of the car, and all sorts of other badness.

Maybe I should just plough through them, and then sue for damage to my car.

Re: Abu Dhabi Traffic Accidents Dropped 40% During the BlackBerry Outage

#56
post #3

Not to be overly suspicious, but it may be a hyped-up or cherry-picked statistic. The two sources in the article are the Chief of Dubai Police, and the director of the Abu Dhabi Police traffic department, who didn't give any further details; the paper itself is state run. "Two weeks ago, Abu Dhabi Police announced a campaign against motorists who use their phones while at the wheel." ... "Gen Tamim likewise warned th…

If it is actually true, if they don't open up the data, then it's a wasted opportunity to put a solid case forward and change the culture.

Re: Abu Dhabi Traffic Accidents Dropped 40% During the BlackBerry Outage

#57

Over the past couple of years I've noticed that when I pass someone driving erratically or abnormally slow, they are more often than not futzing with their phone (texting or talking). This is the kind of driving that ten years ago I would have attributed to drunkenness. It's a serious factor in my desire to move somewhere where I don't need a car to get around.

But when you live in the city like I do, just crossing the street can be made dangerous by these same people. [EDIT] Plus people walking and texting in the city can be just as bad when driving in Chicago when they walk out into an intersection without looking.

I have to think that your odds of getting hit by a car crossing the street would be lower than driving an hour each day. Anybody have any statistics?

Re: Abu Dhabi Traffic Accidents Dropped 40% During the BlackBerry Outage

#58
post #55
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People who walk and text very rarely injure or kill other people, though. I don't really mind people being a menace to themselves, but I very much mind people being a menace to me and people I care about.

I don't know about you, but I try to swerve and avoid pedestrians if they walk out into the street. That can lead to me hitting other vehicles, losing control of the car, and all sorts of other badness. Maybe I should just plough through them, and then sue for damage to my car.

I'd suggest braking rather than swerving. Don't know how much better that would be.

In any case, you're right, it's possible for them to pose a danger, but it's still much less than that posed by drivers.

Re: Abu Dhabi Traffic Accidents Dropped 40% During the BlackBerry Outage

#59
post #55
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People who walk and text very rarely injure or kill other people, though. I don't really mind people being a menace to themselves, but I very much mind people being a menace to me and people I care about.

I don't know about you, but I try to swerve and avoid pedestrians if they walk out into the street. That can lead to me hitting other vehicles, losing control of the car, and all sorts of other badness. Maybe I should just plough through them, and then sue for damage to my car.

That might make sense if cars were not designed like armour. Kill the pedestrian or scratch your car?

Re: Abu Dhabi Traffic Accidents Dropped 40% During the BlackBerry Outage

#60
post #59
post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know about you, but I try to swerve and avoid pedestrians if they walk out into the street. That can lead to me hitting other vehicles, losing control of the car, and all sorts of other badness. Maybe I should just plough through them, and then sue for damage to my car.

That might make sense if cars were not designed like armour. Kill the pedestrian or scratch your car?

There was more than a hint of sarcasm in there. The point is that walking out on the road DOES pose a danger.
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