this post was submitted on 23 Nov 2023
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Those habits are things like running red lights. How does that qualify as self-defense. It's the dumbest thing you can do on a bicycle.
Honestly, have you ever been to New York City? It's like the wild West for anybody with two wheels. They feel like they're above the law and do whatever the hell they want with zero consequences unless they get run over.
EDIT: Don't know why I replied to you twice, sorry about that!
Many studies have shown that motorists break more traffic laws than cyclists. This is just the first one I found.
It's a Danish study vs NY. Anecdotally, drivers here do all sorts of fucky shit, but when a motorcycle or bike does I remember it because I go out of my way to make sure they're safe. Even if cyclists are being chill, the few that aren't might be remembered due to confirmation bias.
True. In my other commemts I linked to a couple of other studies, too, including one in London and another in Florida. The picture is pretty consistent regardless of where in the world you are, as far as I've seen.
You're definitely right that confirmation bias plays a part. Also, some ways motorists break the law (like speeding) are either widely seen as acceptable or are less immediately visible and obvious than cyclists jumping reds, even though they're objectively much more dangerous!
Running red lights can be safer if the junction is clear. Junctions are the places most collisions happen, including cyclists getting rearended or hit by motorists changing lanes without adequate checking/signalling (the latter is the single most common way cyclists get seriously injured or killed, so it's understandable that people want to avoid it).
I'm not advocating for running reds (I never run them myself). I'm saying that road design that sometimes makes a road user choose between doing what is legal and what is safe is a bigger problem than a few bad actors.
Incidentally, there are lots of studies about this. Most cyclists don't run red lights and motorists are more likely overall to break trafflc laws than cyclists. EDIT: Just noticed that link's dead. Here's an article summarising the results of the study, instead.
Agreed. Drivers are often turning when they have the light which is dangerous because they don't care if someone is crossing there even though the crossing pedestrians also have the light. I often feel like it would be safer to j walk as a pedestrian than to cross at the proper time.