An additional concern might be that the companies in the business of selling
such cycling specific accessories as helmets, hi-viz jackets, fluorescent
strips etc have a vested interest in constructing the practice of cycling as
unsafe - that, after all, is why they argue you should buy their gear - to
make you (feel) safer. The overall effect of this product construction of
cycling as a dangerous activity against which you need to be guarded is
surely undesirable, increasing as it does an already powerful if largely
unvocalised fear of cycling?

Dave

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ian Walker" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, February 25, 2006 4:14 PM
Subject: Re: widespread visible onroad cycle facilities


> Martin,
>
> I think you're right, but I also think the effect might unfortunately
> be a negative one. I can't help but feel that the hi-viz clothing does
> indeed draw attention of the "oh, look, there's a cyclist" variety, but
> at the same time I reckon this might increase the "us vs them" feeling
> of many non-cyclists - the more cyclists look like a breed apart,
> dressed in lycra and helmets (a uniform, as you say), the harder it is
> for non-cycling people to identify with the group and so see themselves
> doing that activity. Again, this is speculation based on nothing more
> than my experience, but I do tend to make a point of cycling to work in
> ordinary clothes for this reason...
>
> Ian
> -----
> Dr Ian Walker,
> Department of Psychology,
> University of Bath,
> Bath BA2 7AY,
> England.
>
> Tel: +44 (0)1225 383908
> E-mail: [log in to unmask] (academic)
> E-mail: [log in to unmask] (other matters)
> Website: www.drianwalker.com
>
> On 25 Feb 2006, at 13:29, Martin K Parkinson wrote:
>
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Ian Walker" <[log in to unmask]>
> > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> > Sent: Tuesday, February 07, 2006 11:58 AM
> > Subject: Re: widespread visible onroad cycle facilities
> >
> >
> >> One possible interpretation of the increase
> >> in cycling you refer to (and I throw this out as a thought rather than
> >> hard fact) might be that the creation of cycle lanes doesn't
> >> necessarily make people feel safer as such, but rather acts as a form
> >> of advertising, regularly illustrating the potential to cycle and -
> >> perhaps more importantly - demonstrating official approval of the act.
> >
> >> From personal anecdote, I think this might be true.  As someone who
> >> cycled
> > (in london) in the early eighties and has recently returned to doing
> > so, I
> > certainly felt gladdened and encouraged by all the nice green lanes
> > (although when I started using them, they did seem to have promised
> > more
> > than they delivered).
> >
> > To build a speculation on what is already a mere speculation, I wonder
> > if
> > there might be something similar going on with high-vis clothing.  I've
> > haven't worked through the research on conspicuity but I gather
> > (please put
> > me right if I've got this wrong) that there is by no means an
> > inevitable
> > chain of causality that goes "bright clothes - will be noticed by
> > motorist -
> > motorist takes extra care  - cyclist will be safer" and that in some
> > circumstances it might in fact go "semi-official-looking clothes -
> > will be
> > interpeted by motorist as indicating exceptional competence - motorist
> > passes closer - cyclist slightly less safe".
> >
> > However, maybe the appearance of cyclists in a sort of specialised
> > uniform
> > (the high-vis jacket plus helmet and flashing lights) might act as an
> > advertisement for the activity.  All this extra kit does make cycling
> > look a
> > bit dangerous but by that very token it also makes it look both
> > *exciting*
> > and *serious* as a mode of transport - the sort of thing a grown-up can
> > legitimately *choose* to do, and that is worth doing, not just a casual
> > default for poor people (and people will make strenuous efforts not to
> > appear poor).
> >
> > I certainly wouldn't advocate the increasing "formalisation" of
> > cycling on
> > these grounds and I do agree that if you start to feel that half a ton
> > of
> > kit is *necessary*  it does put off more people than it attracts and
> > should
> > be resisted for that reason.  But on the other hand, the flocks of
> > flourescent cyclists who have recently appeared in london do sort of
> > make me
> > think "oh, that does look fun!".
> >
> >
> > Martin Parkinson
> > (www.parkinson.greenisp.org)
> >
> >