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Road Safety - Cycling

Irredentist said:
There's no safety issue if car drivers pay attention to the road. Which they're supposed to be doing anyway. So what's the argument here? That bikes are inconvenient for motorists? Big whoop.
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Then why not allow (all?) other unregistered vehicles to use those roadways?
 
ttwtt78640 said:
Then why not allow (all?) other unregistered vehicles to use those roadways?
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Maybe you don't see many horses and buggies on the road where you're from but I do! And stranger vehicles too. We manage.
 
PirateMk1 said:
The safety issue is the speed differential, and visibility.
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You have brakes. Use them. Unless you're driving an eighteen wheeler it's not that difficult to spot a bike directly in front of you.
 
Irredentist said:
You have brakes. Use them. Unless you're driving an eighteen wheeler it's not that difficult to spot a bike directly in front of you.
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Bicycles don't normally come with brake lights or headlights or running lights, and lots of bicyclists decline to wear hi-vis clothing. They are also significantly smaller and slower than the surrounding traffic which reduces recognition and reaction times considerably, enough so to make them inherently dangerous to themselves and the motoring public at large.
 
Michael McMahon said:
Hi. I'm just inquiring about cycling and road safety.

Should cyclists travel against traffic? This would allow cyclists to see oncoming cars. They'd have a better chance of dodging any close vehicles. Any collision with a fast car, whether from behind or head-on, would be very dangerous. So we must choose the optimal one for avoiding the collision in the first place, rather than slightly reducing the impact of a potential collision.
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In most States I have lived in cyclist were to follow the rules of the road that vehicles have to follow.

Bicycle Safety | Arizona Department of Public Safety

"As a motorist in Arizona, you always need to be aware of your surroundings on the roadways, whether it be motorcycles on the freeways or bicyclers on city streets. As a cyclist, you have to know how to properly manuver the roadways that have vehciles zipping by. It is important as drivers and bicycle riders to adhere to all traffic laws and to watch out for one another on the roadways. In Arizona, it is legal for bicycles to ride in the traffic lanes, as long as they adhere to the same street laws as motorists. "
 
PirateMk1 said:
Bicycles don't normally come with brake lights or headlights or running lights, and lots of bicyclists decline to wear hi-vis clothing. They are also significantly smaller and slower than the surrounding traffic which reduces recognition and reaction times considerably, enough so to make them inherently dangerous to themselves and the motoring public at large.
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Cyclists aren't dangerous to the motoring public at large, don't make me laugh. A cyclist isn't going to kill a car driver if he hits them. It's the motorists responsibility to maintain awareness and a safe distance from other vehicles. If they can't handle that then they're the ones who should be off the road.
 
cabse5 said:
What is wrong with riding your bike on a sidewalk?
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Sometimes I have to ride on sidewalks when there isn't a dedicated bike lane. It can be dangerous, I got hit last year by someone pulling out of an apartment complex, I flew up and landed on his hood, dented the hell out of it, then bounced off the hood onto the street. Knocked the wind out of me and hurt like hell for about a week, but I was OK, and I was wearing a helmet. My bike was fine, it is a very heavy cruiser style e-bike, lots of fun, I've done about 2800 miles on it in the last 20 months.
 
PirateMk1 said:
If your training for the Tour De France maybe. Regular bicycles cant and don't do that.
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Cars have to treat bikes just like other cars. In cities where there are lots of bikers and extensive bike lanes, its not a problem, you can co-exist.
 
Ikari said:
Bicycles are considered as regular road traffic. They are to obey all the standard rules of the road, the same as any other vehicle would. As such, they are to ride with traffic. Many places have bike lanes to cut down on the interaction, but ultimately driver and bicyclist a like need to be aware of the rules and their surroundings to safely make it from point A to point B.
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Someone should tell them this. The vast majority of them routinely run red lights and break the rules here.
 
Irredentist said:
Cyclists aren't dangerous to the motoring public at large, don't make me laugh. A cyclist isn't going to kill a car driver if he hits them. It's the motorists responsibility to maintain awareness and a safe distance from other vehicles. If they can't handle that then they're the ones who should be off the road.
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Cyclist are dangerous to themselves and others. They usually don't even know the law rarely follow it even if they do. You and I just will have to disagree.
 
mike2810 said:
In most States I have lived in cyclist were to follow the rules of the road that vehicles have to follow.

Bicycle Safety | Arizona Department of Public Safety

"As a motorist in Arizona, you always need to be aware of your surroundings on the roadways, whether it be motorcycles on the freeways or bicyclers on city streets. As a cyclist, you have to know how to properly manuver the roadways that have vehciles zipping by. It is important as drivers and bicycle riders to adhere to all traffic laws and to watch out for one another on the roadways. In Arizona, it is legal for bicycles to ride in the traffic lanes, as long as they adhere to the same street laws as motorists. "
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A great resource for bike riders in AZ is https://azbikelaw.org/

A wealth of information.
 
beefheart said:
Cars have to treat bikes just like other cars. In cities where there are lots of bikers and extensive bike lanes, its not a problem, you can co-exist.
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If they are to be treated as other vehicles then they should be equipped as other vehicles, including have running lights, headlamps and brake lights and turn signals.
 
PirateMk1 said:
If they are to be treated as other vehicles then they should be equipped as other vehicles, including have running lights, headlamps and brake lights and turn signals.
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My bike has a front light and a back light. As for turn signals, I use my hands. I try to stay off major roads, thankfully, where I live, we have an extensive canal system that cuts through all the good areas, so I try to ride that as much as possible.
 
cabse5 said:
What is wrong with riding your bike on a sidewalk?
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It is illegal in a lot of areas. Usually it is posted. I say children should stay on the sidewalks.

What is really sad is how many roads are not designed with a bike lane. Especially the higher speed roads. I know a lot of people that would ride a bicycle to work if there were bike lanes. Of course with the potholes you would need a mountain bike.
 
Irredentist said:
It is every drivers basic responsibility to pay attention to what's in front of them. So if they hit a bike, that's on them.
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Straw Man... that is not the argument.
 
beefheart said:
Cities should build more bike lanes, and drivers have to learn to share the road.
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Drivers do share the road... the issue is safety...
 
Bodhisattva said:
To throw in her face for making you crash?
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Well, I didn't have a mgtow attorney on speed dial so I just did what I could and moved on with my life.
 
Bodhisattva said:
Drivers do share the road... the issue is safety...
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You would be amazed how many drivers nearly hit me, or pull out in front of me at a crossing where I have the right of way, or do a left hand turn at a crossing without seeing me crossing traffic.

Do a few thousand miles of bike riding in a large city and get back with me.
 
mike2810 said:
I don't peddle much. Most exercise I get on a "bike" twisting the throttle. Do work my left foot when shifting gears. :mrgreen:
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My bike is throttle only, but I probably pedal about 70-80% of the load. I'll upgrade to a pedal assist bike soon.
 
ecofarm said:
I'm going downhill on an ice covered sidewalk. I usually ride in the street, but conditions were treacherous. So slow and sidewalk it was. But it's not like that meant I could stop. A woman, carrying a ****ing cake, steps out of a storefront. The cake goes flying. No one was hurt and thankfully I had some money in my pocket to replace the cake.
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At least, you won't have to navigate the 3,000 metal monsters called cars on the street. And if you're attempting to ride the bike under icy conditions, you have further problems than just how to ride in the street.
 
beefheart said:
Sometimes I have to ride on sidewalks when there isn't a dedicated bike lane. It can be dangerous, I got hit last year by someone pulling out of an apartment complex, I flew up and landed on his hood, dented the hell out of it, then bounced off the hood onto the street. Knocked the wind out of me and hurt like hell for about a week, but I was OK, and I was wearing a helmet. My bike was fine, it is a very heavy cruiser style e-bike, lots of fun, I've done about 2800 miles on it in the last 20 months.
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You've noted the added danger of riding a bike in a car's world. Have you considered wearing armor while riding the bike? Ever considered wearing a light or some light reflective garment at all times? Do ya suppose the car that ran into you couldn't see you?
 
PIPEWRENCH said:
It is illegal in a lot of areas. Usually it is posted. I say children should stay on the sidewalks.

What is really sad is how many roads are not designed with a bike lane. Especially the higher speed roads. I know a lot of people that would ride a bicycle to work if there were bike lanes. Of course with the potholes you would need a mountain bike.
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Why is riding a bike on the sidewalk illegal?
 
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