I just read this little opinion piece here. The writer points out that cyclists run stop lights and stop signs, and that over a 4 year period, the city of Chico, in California, has had “over 170 bicycle accidents or mishaps”.
I’m not so sure what qualifies as a “mishap”, but it would be really helpful to know how many of these incidents were auto vs bicycle, where the motorist was at fault.
Now here’s the kicker. He writes “Don’t bicycle riders know that they have no protection around them, and that cars and trucks are a lot heavier and bigger? Are they that stupid or what?”. No, we’re well aware that we have have minimal protection, and that every other vehicle on the road is a lot bigger and heavier. But most cyclists don’t drink and ride, don’t talk on the phone while riding, don’t shave, put on makeup, or brush their hair and play with the radio while riding. Cyclists need to keep moving, and ride defensively.
A cyclist that follows the rules of the road to the letter is unfortunately still too likely to be the victim of a careless motorist. Who’s the stupid one here?