Right... so let's outlaw something because of the absolutely minuscule chance that you might get killed doing it.
You're a moron.
784 cyclists died in 2005 [SIZE=-2](p. 86). [/SIZE]That would make the death rate 0.37 to 1.26 deaths per 10 million miles.
33,041 motorists/passengers died [SIZE=-2](p. 86)[/SIZE] from 3 trillion miles traveled [SIZE=-2](p. 15)[/SIZE], making their death rate 0.11 per 10 million miles traveled.
Right... so let's outlaw something because of the absolutely minuscule chance that you might get killed doing it.
You're a moron.
My wife and I go for walks in our neighborhood every day in the summer, I recently bought a Go-pro that I am going to be wearing on me so I can video every crosswalk we come to.. why? Because we have yet to see a single car actually fully STOP at a stop sign and not only that but also stop at the proper place in a crosswalk. I'm not exaggerating either, NOT A SINGLE ONE. I thought odds would eventually catch up and break that up.. nope zero. The best we would see is a slow creep through.Cyclists know anything about courtesy or is it them against the world 24/7? When was the last time you even stopped at a stop sign on your bicycle for a car?
We already requires booster seats for kids and seat belts for all, and the odds that these will save a life are significantly less than switching from a bike to a car
most states require bike helmets when the evidence is inconclusive at best that they do any good at all
the evidence supporting switching from bike to car is far greater and far more compelling than the evidence for bike helmets or even seat belts
Cars are expensive and unnecessary to some people with a short commute. Others just enjoy the health benefits of cycling. The risk is infinitesimal.
A bicyclist can expect a minor injury every three years and a more serious one every fifteen
You are a perfect example of why you can't trust "statistics." You take a number that is ridiculously small and state, "ZOMG!!! YOU'RE 10 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DIE RIDING A BIKE THAN IN A CAR!!!" and use that ridiculous number to push an extreme agenda. I have no time or patience for an idiot like you.
http://bicycleuniverse.info/transpo/almanac-safety.html
That's not infinitesimal
There is nothing wrong with the numbers. Riding a bike is significantly more risky than riding in a car. Refusing to accept reality won't change the situation.
Dedicated bike paths might.
There is nothing wrong with the numbers. Riding a bike is significantly more risky than riding in a car. Refusing to accept reality won't change the situation.
Your "numbers" are essentially meaningless when comparing the reality of two very different modes of transportation (human powered requiring controlled balance on two wheels vs. motorized with four wheels), which are operated by a contrasting demographic (children ride a lot of bikes vs. adults drive a lot of cars), over vastly different distances (cycling injuries wouldn't scale linearly from 10,000,000,000 miles to 3,000,000,000,000 miles).
You are hyper focusing on the obvious bit the "numbers" might tell us while ignoring the many things they can't tell us. I hope that's because you are trolling but it appears more likely that you are just lazy or have a grudge against people who do what you can't do or something stupid like that.
which are operated by a contrasting demographic (children ride a lot of bikes vs. adults drive a lot of cars)
over vastly different distances (cycling injuries wouldn't scale linearly from 10,000,000,000 miles to 3,000,000,000,000 miles).
You are hyper focusing on the obvious bit the "numbers" might tell us while ignoring the many things they can't tell us.
it appears more likely that you are just lazy
Oh, I accept reality just fine. I just don't accept your reality.
Based on the link you rely on for your alarming statistic, per mile traveled, I have a 0.0000126% chance of being killed on a bicycle.
Based on the same link by car I have a 0.000011% chance of being killed.
I probably have a greater chance of being killed by a sharknado.
that is no longer true as bicycling has shifted from being almost exclusively a kids activity to an adult one
most bicycle deaths are adult men
you don't know that, but it doesn't matter anyways
what can't they tell us?
i'm not the one making incorrect and baseless claims
And yet that tiny chance you ridicule is enough to make it the leading cause of death among young adults.
i'm not the one making incorrect and baseless claims
And yet that tiny chance you ridicule is enough to make it the leading cause of death among young adults.
Hyperbole much. Everything in this world has some amount of risk. Claiming that some small percentage of risk is enough to eliminate you from that activity is not only stupid but grossly negligent.
I'm a very good rider and while I don't expect much from drivers. I do appreciate a clean pass and a good draft when appropriate. A nice wide shoulder is almost a requirement for the safety ride. From the bike side knowing when to go all out and when to recover is key in enjoying your ride and staying alive.
I think what is often overlooked is what any single action costs any party in various situations. Riding a bike is all about conservation of energy, driving a car not so much.
I'll slow blow a stop sign in on suburban street more often than not. In my town at least the cars seem to get it. On a busy street, never. I don't blow lights and often enjoy waiting at crosswalks.
I'm really all about the safe ride now. I can easily get 20mi and plenty of relief in the local neighborhoods. I also like the people that wave and smile. When I hit the paths for a recovery, I go slow and take my time.
I could make fun of double wide stroller gangs or fresh off the boat left side walkers. It's not going to change anything and neither is the FUD above.
Oh, he's gone beyond that and is advocating banning the activity on public roads completely.
And yet that tiny chance you ridicule is enough to make it the leading cause of death among young adults.
You're right, ban cars and give the road to cyclists. Since cars hitting cyclist is a vast majority of cyclist deaths... BAM! Both problems solved.
Who knew you were such a genius?
Original OP
Actually, the real reason is pretty much as IronWing describes. People get a drivers license when they're 14-18 (depending on the state) and absolutely never get a refresher on their driving skills or the rules and regulations of the road
It doesn't matter. Either way, if you pass someone and then cut them off by turning right across their path of travel and they hit you, you are at fault.
Of particular annoyance (although I have never looked up the legality) are those that 'control the lane' leaving a long line of cars to pass them when on coming traffic is clear but then uses the shoulder to pass the same line of cars waiting at a stop sign or traffic light only to go back into the middle of the lane and make the exact same cars wait to pass them again.
CA just passed a law this past Dec where a person on a bike must pull over and let traffic pass if five or more cars are trailing them. http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/4972374-181/new-law-requires-bicyclists-to
I'm all for laws that keep egos in check and makes the road safer for everyone. No one "owns" the road, it's there for everyone who wants to use it safely and within the law.
5 is a bit late for tempers to start flaring, I think 3 would have been better, but it's good step in the right direction with the laws.