Safety vests and helmets make cyclists look ‘less human’ to other road users

[Thoglette]

Safety vests and helmets make cyclists look ‘less human’ to other road users
The Conversation Published: June 14, 2023 11.44am AEST

Sarah Collyer
Research Associate, Caring Futures Institute, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University

Mark Limb
Lecturer in Urban and Regional Planning, Queensland University of Technology

However, our study found cyclists wearing helmets or safety vests are more likely to be perceived as “less human” than those not wearing safety gear. Around 30% of respondents also perceived cyclists to be less than fully human.

Yet another study showing what we all ready knew.
Snobbie summed it up best in Ridiculing You In Order To Save You

we shouldn’t need a study to tell us that society determined to keep cycling and cyclists down by subjecting us to endless “safety” messaging[,] forced helmet fittings and making sure we always look and act as dorky as possible so that we remain targets for bullies:

Citation:
Mark Limb, Sarah Collyer, 2023
The effect of safety attire on perceptions of cyclist dehumanisation,
Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour,
Volume 95,
Pages 494-509,
ISSN 1369-8478,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2023.05.008.

[bychosis]

Not overly surprised by this finding. Personally I’ve seen what appears to be more cautious driving around persons wearing school uniforms while on bicycle or persons wearing casual clothing on upright bikes. Kitted out in Lycra? Different story.

[Cyclophiliac]

So why aren't construction workers, with their safety vests and helmets, regarded as less human? Oh, right, that's it, I forgot: anti-cyclist prejudice.

[Thoglette]

So why aren't construction workers, with their safety vests and helmets, regarded as less human? Oh, right, that's it, I forgot: anti-cyclist prejudice.

Likely a few other things afoot here:
1/ construction workers/miners/etc are much more heavily represented in the general population.
2/ construction workers don't choose to wear hi-viz. Bicycles and bicycle helmets are apparently a personal choice.

Note that Hi viz vests are only for visitors: workers wear hiviz clothing.

Try riding around on a non-MAMIL bike wearing a hi-viz shirt for a while. Preferably well worn and sleeveless. ('ll leave the choice of headwear to you)

It does underlines the stupidity of mandating a unique standard within the road regs. Allowing people to wear any AS/NZS approved helmet (rigger, construction or m'cycle) would be less of a mental barrier.

[zebee]

So why aren't construction workers, with their safety vests and helmets, regarded as less human? Oh, right, that's it, I forgot: anti-cyclist prejudice.

Likely a few other things afoot here:
1/ construction workers/miners/etc are much more heavily represented in the general population.
2/ construction workers don't choose to wear hi-viz. Bicycles and bicycle helmets are apparently a personal choice.

Construction workers aren't on the road being "in the way".

Car journeys are generally a boring gap between where you are and where you want to be. They aren't enjoyable, they aren't interesteing, they don't take much effort. Just an unavoidable pain in the arse. Anything that feels (note the word) like it makes the journey longer provokes an emotional reponse.

Seeing the cyclist as less then human is a way to make that response feel OK.

I thing being smaller is part of it. Dump trucks get in the way too but the emotional response to that is diffferent: bigger than you and there's nothing you can do. But cyclists are smaller and so inferior and seeing them as not human helps to make that feeling OK.

There's also the issue of "roads are for cars". I wonder if a ped on the road is also seen as not human. Again an emotional response to the unavoidable and unpleasant journey being made "worse".

[g-boaf]

Try riding around on a non-MAMIL bike wearing a hi-viz shirt for a while. Preferably well worn and sleeveless. ('ll leave the choice of headwear to you)

I've seen them equally given the rough treatment - to the point where I thought it'd be good manners to stay with them for the remainder of the section of road they had to use (which I also unfortunately had to use).

Personally I don't always encounter bad drivers on the road - most people just want to get to where they are going without interruption.

The common theme is if you are smaller on the road, you'll get bullied, regardless of what you are riding or driving, how you look, etc.

Solution is to have one of these: https://www.drive.com.au/reviews/2023-r ... trx-review

This sounds suspiciously like MHL discussion. I won’t go further into that.

[Thoglette]

Solution is to have one of these: https://www.drive.com.au/reviews/2023-r ... trx-review

I nearly bought one of these a few years back. Even thirstier.

[WyvernRH]

Solution is to have one of these: https://www.drive.com.au/reviews/2023-r ... trx-review

I nearly bought one of these a few years back. Even thirstier.

It works tho... Once I was asked to pick up a friend's Daimler Dingo scout car (small armoured car basically) on a Friday arvo from his company car park in central London and drive it out to a rally site in the Thames Valley near Reading. This meant driving thru West London at the peak of the Friday rush hour traffic.
It was amazing, just as if the Dingo had a force field around it, vehicles just parted before me and kept a very respectable distance in all directions! Probably just as well as the visibility from the Dingo was pretty poor even with the seat jacked up. The guy in the second seat had his head out the top as well spotting for me while we were in town. Mainly for pedestrians, who as usual in London seemed totally suicidal but cars were avoiding us like the plague.

Richard

[fat and old]

So why aren't construction workers, with their safety vests and helmets, regarded as less human? Oh, right, that's it, I forgot: anti-cyclist prejudice.

We are. By most of society actually. You just don't see it because apparently, you're not a construction worker.

[zebee]

It was amazing, just as if the Dingo had a force field around it, vehicles just parted before me and kept a very respectable distance in all directions!

I once had a very radical Honda chopper. 6" over forks, 19" front wide 16" rear, coffin tank, apehangers, crossed bayonets sissybar, the lot.

It was amazing how much room people gave that thing. Heaps of space behind me, people didn't sit in the lane next to me, if they passed for whatever reason they passed Very Wide Indeed.

Even with 5'2" me riding it!

If you look like actual trouble it is amazing how polite and careful people can be.

Zebee

[AdelaidePeter]

Safety vests and helmets make cyclists look ‘less human’ to other road users

I am pretty cynical about the results of that study. To quote them:

Participants were asked to select the person in each pair who looked “less human”.

In other words, responders were forced to select one person or other as "less human". There was no way to respond "they are both fully human".

So do drivers like certain cyclists less? Yes. Do they think they are sub-human? No (or at least, the study has not proven "yes").

[Cyclophiliac]

So why aren't construction workers, with their safety vests and helmets, regarded as less human? Oh, right, that's it, I forgot: anti-cyclist prejudice.

We are. By most of society actually. You just don't see it because apparently, you're not a construction worker.

I don't see numerous anti-construction worker articles/segments in various media, but there's no shortage of anti-cyclist ones. I don't need to be a construction worker to see *that* difference.

[fat and old]

So why aren't construction workers, with their safety vests and helmets, regarded as less human? Oh, right, that's it, I forgot: anti-cyclist prejudice.

We are. By most of society actually. You just don't see it because apparently, you're not a construction worker.

I don't see numerous anti-construction worker articles/segments in various media, but there's no shortage of anti-cyclist ones. I don't need to be a construction worker to see *that* difference.

Yeah? How many governments have launched Royal Commissions into cycling? How many cyclists representative groups have their leader badgered and stalked until “the truth” comes out? How many “peak” representative bodies for cyclists have been outlawed? For every media article on cycling that’s negative, there are 2 that are positive. When was the last time you saw a (any????) media article about Joe Concreto and the wonderful concrete shared paths he and his crew have laid? Ever gone to someone’s house to fix a problem that affects an entire neighbourhood and have them complain that they don’t want “your !! BAN ME NOW FOR SWEARING !!” in my yard? Ever had that same person tell you you wouldn’t understand cos you’re just a sewer bloke? There’s discrimination everywhere mate. At your age you oughta know that by now.

Exactly how many anti-cyclist stories get published anyway? Not bs comments, articles?

BTW, this is just conversation. Nothing personal about it, just stating facts that I’ve experienced first hand.

[tpcycle]

Ever had that same person tell you you wouldn’t understand cos you’re just a sewer bloke?

Sticking your hands in sewage requires thick (or maybe thicker) skin!

[AUbicycles]

Admin says. Thanks for the report that this topic may relate to the MHL. As gus

I spotted a few requests from members who are asking to be banned for swearing. As we like to welcome family audiences here (who read and learn and form their views) and we are all pretty good at typing, lets keep the language and tone at a good level.