The other day I was reading the Cycling Advocacy Newsletter when a link caught my eye. Some researchers in Melbourne put cameras on cyclists’ helmets and inside cars and used them to observe cyclists and motorists.
They concluded that cyclists tend to be more aware in traffic than motorists and also often have a better view of what’s going on around them (mainly because cyclists are comparatively higher up and also they have 180 degree vision).
This means that motorists sometimes get a shock when cyclists pop up in front of them unexpectedly. It also means that sometimes motorists perceive cyclists as behaving in a risky fashion because motorists haven’t noticed something on the road that the cyclist has already seen.
This was only a preliminary study with a few participants but it definitely rang true to me. I am almost always more aware when I cycle than drive of my surrounding environment. In fact, although sometimes it sucks (particularly when it’s raining) this is one of the things I enjoy about cycling. You actually notice the seasons and what is happening around you to the natural environment – whereas in a car you hardly notice at all.
For example, yesterday morning I went for a training ride up the Te Atatu Peninsula and was stunned by the sunrise which was painting the sky in pink and grey bars. As we rode I noticed how the sky changed from pale grey to gold and the sunrise slowly faded away. I think in a car, my primary attention would have been on the glare – I simply wouldn’t have had time to admire the sunset as well.
Cars also give you many, many more ways to distract yourself. For example, the other day I was driving along while eating pecan nuts, putting on my jacket, adjusting the car heater, and singing along loudly to the radio. I suddenly realized (when the car in front of me stopped) that I was paying virtually no attention to the road.
I also find that when I cycle IÂ get to work feeling much more aware and clearer headed and I can hit the ground running. When I drive to work I arrive feeling sleepy and grumpy. How about you? Do you think your day gets off to a better start if you cycle to work? Does it wake you up?
* Thanks to Inkyblots blog for picture of sunrise over Te Atatu.
Thanks for the post – I am definately more aware when I cycle – it's much more enjoyable. I do agree though with your point – drivers aren't as aware – I certainly am not – and do get a fright when a cyclist pops up next to them or near them. I should remember this and exercise caution when cruising to the front of a line of cars.
Well, lets face it, it is quite hard to go to sleep while sitting on a bicycle, the same is not true for sitting in a car…
That last paragraph is so true. I bike to work most days but when I have to take the car that first espresso in the studio is not savored, it's simply a brain-starter.
I take your point about awareness of surroundings while riding, but if you are driving a car properly and using your mirrors you should have a 340º view around you in most sedans.
@Antoine – most drivers have no idea how to use their mirrors. when i was a medic (EMT, in the states) most other medics never wanted to back-up an ambulance because they had no idea how to use the mirrors. i told them it's the same as mirrors on a car, and i always got a blank stare, and then some comment along the lines of "why would anyone use mirrors on a car? i'm only concerned with what's in front of me."
my favorite personal anecdote about people going into a deep trance with vehicle distraction systems… back in NJ my (ex-)mother-in-law used to visit every couple of weeks. about 90% of that distance was on the New Jersey Turnpike. she'd been making the trip regularly for about a year or so, and one day her GPS equipped car was in the shop, so she had to take the trip without the GPS telling her where to go. a few minutes from her house she got to the turnpike and had NO IDEA if she was supposed to go north or south. she pulled off to the side, and called for directions.
aside from lacking any rudimentary sense of geography about the area she's lived in for twenty years (not knowing if a city is north or south of her home – and she'd been there plenty of times before GPS) i find it mind-boggling that anyone could be that reliant on GPS for a drive they've done so many times before.
the fact remains that getting a drivers license involves demonstration of BASIC operation of a motor vehicle – skills that can be learned in an afternoon. learning to ~drive~ requires a lot of experience, and despite experience operating a motor vehicle, most "drivers" don't really know how to drive – they only know how to operate a motor vehicle at a very basic level.
Last week, I drove in central Akl for the first time in ages. What a terrifying experience. It felt very difficult to take care of all the people around me while I was sitting in a big steel box. It was made more obvious of the casualness of the other drivers around me.
love your observations! Totally agree. Love the heightened state of awareness of weather and the road, but hate when I notice I'm also reading every car license plate!
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