Ban the cycles part three - Injury pronation

The interview with Prof. Rellim Van Otnorot continues. Part three.

FMPD: Moving on from the arguments regarding environment bicycles are efficient designs. It was bicycle mechanics that invented the airplane after all.

OTNOROT: Yes and flying in an airplane is far safer per passenger mile than a bicycle. Bicycles do efficiently convert human power into motion to move a single person. Yet, like I said before, they would not be approved for use on modern roads if the device was introduced today.

The standard bicycle has a very high center of gravity. Two wheels means the stability is determined by the athletic skill of the rider, not by any mechanical stability. Three wheel vehicles are more stable. Four wheel vehicles are the most stable.

Clothing entrapment occurs in the exposed power train. The steering mechanisms can be knocked off by road dangers and curbs. No passenger protection exists on the vehicle in the case of accident or collision. Many accident injuries occur due to entanglement in bicycle features.

We demand by law that other vehicles using tax payer funded public roadways to have passenger protections. To date the political leadership of North America have not legally demanded that bicycles be made operationally safe. Clearly the leading unsafe vehicle on those roadways is the bicycle.

Yes bicycle fatalities are far less due to the lower usage and lower speeds. But all the various accident statistical records point to the fact that one is far more likely to be injured on a bicycle than any other commonly used vehicle. Many bicycle accidents are not reported because the injuries are not severe, but injuries do happen.

Bicycle couriers, very experienced cyclists tumble off of bicycles frequently. Yes some don't but many do. They almost never report any injury unless they must be hospitalized. Per capita, a committed cyclist will suffer some sort of cycling injury once every five years. Inexperienced cyclists are the most likely to suffer injury on a per kilometer basis.

From a health cost standpoint, bicycles add extra burden to health care costs than most other vehicles on a per capita basis. If cyclists equaled the numbers of motorists health costs would be doubled. The goal of getting people out of cars onto bicycles isn’t economical. The future of bicycles as a mode is rather limited as you can see.