As a cyclist, I disagree with this. I expect autos to follow the laws of road, and they should expect us to. When that doesn't happen is when accidents occur.
As a cyclist, I disagree with this. I expect autos to follow the laws of road, and they should expect us to. When that doesn't happen is when accidents occur.
I think it's actually farther than that. There's enough people behaving unpredictably that this is the expectation. This feeds back into drivers behaving improperly, encouraging other cyclists to...
I think it's actually farther than that. There's enough people behaving unpredictably that this is the expectation. This feeds back into drivers behaving improperly, encouraging other cyclists to respond to "bad" driver behavior, and the loop continues. That's what I've noticed cycling in my city, at least, where I get in waving matches with cars at unlit intersections. It only gets worse in bigger cities like New York, I'd expect.
I also fully disagree, and I think that the author has really missed the point of the rules of the road. Drivers share their space with other drivers with the understanding that we are all subject...
I also fully disagree, and I think that the author has really missed the point of the rules of the road. Drivers share their space with other drivers with the understanding that we are all subject to the same rules. This includes cyclists. We make decisions about how other vehicles will act based on the rules of the road, so if this guy doesn't have the mental acuity to obey those rules while cycling, he shouldn't be endangering his own life by doing so. Instead he should consider taking the subway or the bus, where he does not put me in at risk of accidentally killing him.
I understand that one's primary concern while operating a vehicle is surviving, but a secondary (or co-primary?) concern for many of us is also ensuring everyone else survives, and it is really helpful if people act in ways that are expected. This is a big part of why it's so annoying for many of us car drivers when bicycles (or motorcycles) do stupid things on the road; we're worried that we're actually going to kill somebody and we don't want to.
Erm, no. I can understand how when you're a cyclist it feels being on unequal footing in traffic, especially in countries where there isn't a pervasive bike culture. But acting like this somehow...
Erm, no.
I can understand how when you're a cyclist it feels being on unequal footing in traffic, especially in countries where there isn't a pervasive bike culture. But acting like this somehow absolves you of having to be a predictable element of traffic, that's absurd.
The core point, as far as I can tell, is that infrastructure and road rules don't guarantee (or even prioritise) cyclist safety, and so he has gotten into the habit of focusing only on his own...
The core point, as far as I can tell, is that infrastructure and road rules don't guarantee (or even prioritise) cyclist safety, and so he has gotten into the habit of focusing only on his own safety when on the road.
I'm going to buck the trend in the comments so far, and say I'm actually pretty sympathetic to this argument. Cyclists shouldn't be forced to abide by a set of rules that don't take them into consideration.
Ideally there would be rules and infrastructure that took everyone into consideration, and bicycles would be ticketed like anyone else for failing to follow them. But it's not fair to expect cyclists to fend for themselves most of the time, and then penalise them when they don't follow a protocol that was designed for cars anyway.
Also - it's safer for a cyclist to turn on a red. That gets them around the corner before the cars, and avoids being hit by a day dreaming driver cutting the corner. It's also safer for cyclists to separate themselves from the rush of accelerating cars when the light turns green.
It is the expectation that all road going individuals are abiding by the laws to make everyone safer. Collisions are generally caused by inattentiveness, unpredictability, and failure to follow...
Cyclists shouldn't be forced to abide by a set of rules that don't take them into consideration.
It is the expectation that all road going individuals are abiding by the laws to make everyone safer. Collisions are generally caused by inattentiveness, unpredictability, and failure to follow the rules. Cyclists are taken into consideration because they are on the road.
I can understand breaking laws as a cyclist in certain situations, but right on red isn’t really one of em. And the article doesn’t offer a reasonable justification for it.
I can understand breaking laws as a cyclist in certain situations, but right on red isn’t really one of em. And the article doesn’t offer a reasonable justification for it.
As a cyclist, I disagree with this. I expect autos to follow the laws of road, and they should expect us to. When that doesn't happen is when accidents occur.
I think it's actually farther than that. There's enough people behaving unpredictably that this is the expectation. This feeds back into drivers behaving improperly, encouraging other cyclists to respond to "bad" driver behavior, and the loop continues. That's what I've noticed cycling in my city, at least, where I get in waving matches with cars at unlit intersections. It only gets worse in bigger cities like New York, I'd expect.
I also fully disagree, and I think that the author has really missed the point of the rules of the road. Drivers share their space with other drivers with the understanding that we are all subject to the same rules. This includes cyclists. We make decisions about how other vehicles will act based on the rules of the road, so if this guy doesn't have the mental acuity to obey those rules while cycling, he shouldn't be endangering his own life by doing so. Instead he should consider taking the subway or the bus, where he does not put me in at risk of accidentally killing him.
I understand that one's primary concern while operating a vehicle is surviving, but a secondary (or co-primary?) concern for many of us is also ensuring everyone else survives, and it is really helpful if people act in ways that are expected. This is a big part of why it's so annoying for many of us car drivers when bicycles (or motorcycles) do stupid things on the road; we're worried that we're actually going to kill somebody and we don't want to.
Erm, no.
I can understand how when you're a cyclist it feels being on unequal footing in traffic, especially in countries where there isn't a pervasive bike culture. But acting like this somehow absolves you of having to be a predictable element of traffic, that's absurd.
The core point, as far as I can tell, is that infrastructure and road rules don't guarantee (or even prioritise) cyclist safety, and so he has gotten into the habit of focusing only on his own safety when on the road.
I'm going to buck the trend in the comments so far, and say I'm actually pretty sympathetic to this argument. Cyclists shouldn't be forced to abide by a set of rules that don't take them into consideration.
Ideally there would be rules and infrastructure that took everyone into consideration, and bicycles would be ticketed like anyone else for failing to follow them. But it's not fair to expect cyclists to fend for themselves most of the time, and then penalise them when they don't follow a protocol that was designed for cars anyway.
Also - it's safer for a cyclist to turn on a red. That gets them around the corner before the cars, and avoids being hit by a day dreaming driver cutting the corner. It's also safer for cyclists to separate themselves from the rush of accelerating cars when the light turns green.
It is the expectation that all road going individuals are abiding by the laws to make everyone safer. Collisions are generally caused by inattentiveness, unpredictability, and failure to follow the rules. Cyclists are taken into consideration because they are on the road.
I can understand breaking laws as a cyclist in certain situations, but right on red isn’t really one of em. And the article doesn’t offer a reasonable justification for it.
This article immediately reminds of this amazing video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzE-IMaegzQ