I did a bit of offhand checking, couldn't find hard fatalities per million or mile, but according to this http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3744/is_200311/ai_n9319275 the Dept of Commerce says 70% of winter fatalities occur in automobiles, another 25% due to be caught out in storms e.g. due to being out in an automobile. Doesn't leave much for bicycles.
I realize this doesn't address your main concern. I'm sure there are plenty of experts here who can lay their hands on better statistics. http://www.bts.gov/publications/national_transportation_statistics/2006/index.html might be good place to start, though it's distressingly light in bicycle data as far as I could tell on a quick search. Anecdotally, in Madison cars pull out like lunatics in any winter condition. On a bike at least you're going slow enough to stop, and in my experience the main danger is hidden ice under snow. If you adjust your seat appropriately it is a simple matter to walk your bike past most ice patches. There are plenty of resources online for winter bicycle safety. Of course with proper clothing (again, c.f. the sport of skiing) bicycling in winter is perfectly comfortable. Alex ---- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > ---clipped from the digest > > Message: 8 > Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2007 11:38:05 -0600 > From: Alex Turner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: [Bikies] Soglin rips winter cyclists > To: Michael Lemberger <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, [email protected] > Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > This from a guy who ate at McDonald's after his heart attack? > > Consider the source. > > Someone should tell him people pay big money to ski in snow. Bicycling in > snow is fun and healthy, and a good deal safer than driving. He might > live longer if he tried it. > > ---- > > I'm appalled by the "taken out and shot" quote, but I have not commuted by > bike so far this weak because I feel that it's *more dangerous* to be on a > bike right now than it is to be in a car, at least on any city street. > (Bike paths may be another story, but that's only 3/5 of my commute.) > > I fail to see how riding in traffic on snow and ice is somehow "safer" > than driving. What am I missing? > > Eric > > > _______________________________________________ > Bikies mailing list > [email protected] > http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
