A pioneering study that aims to highlight the undocumented dangers of cycling is being launched across the UK today.
The Near Miss Project will explore the frequency of near misses and their impact on cyclists. It aims to document the size of the problem and uncover what lasting effects such incidents can have on those who travel by bike.
An early pilot study run last month found an average of three near misses per day for cyclists.
The project, run by Dr Rachel Aldred, senior transport lecturer at Westminster University in London, in partnership with laser-projection light maker Blaze, is looking for cyclists UK-wide to keep a diary of their riding experiences on a single day between now and November 2.
While there is significant research into cycling collisions that result in serious injuries and fatalities, the Near Miss Project will examine other unpleasant experiences which, either by luck or avoidance, have not resulted in injury.
These include can anything from abuse, harassment and close passes to what has been dubbed the: "Sorry, mate I didn't see you's."
Researchers want to learn how near-misses affect the way people ride and if it alters their decision to travel by bike at all. They hope to use the findings to brief policy-makers and planners in a bid to call for a reduction in such incidents.
Dr Aldred said: "Although research into near misses is commonplace in other areas of transport, such as rail and air, it's near absent when it comes to cycling, which is what compelled us to launch the Near Miss Project.
"We carried out a small pilot which revealed the average person experienced three near miss type incidents in just one day. These occurrences can't be ignored in thinking about what puts people off cycling.
"I'm interested in not only how regularly these incidents are happening, but also the emotive elements involved; how do they leave people feeling: threatened, angry, ashamed, frustrated? What's more, minor incidents can be viewed as an early warning signal; they may indicate a risk of more serious incidents."
Emily Brooke, founder of Blaze and an experienced cyclist, said that on one day alone she herself counted seven near misses, including a scooter getting dangerously close and a pedestrian using a mobile phone who stepped out onto the road in front of her without looking.
"Safety is undeniably still a massive barrier to people cycling," she said. "While a near miss may not feel like more than a frustration or irritation at the time, the potential ramifications could be massive. Our belief is that these incidents - the ones that happen on a weekly, if not daily, basis - are in fact the ones which influence the way we cycle, or if we choose to cycle at all."
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