Can't we all just get along? (Nice cars/bikes road sign)

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by Clev

(Most) stop signs are for safety

4-way stops are just dumb environmental disasters.

Making everybody stop at a junction merely wastes energy.

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

If you wanted to slap that guy, you would probably want to hang this guy by his toes...

Total disrespect for other road users.
That's the kind of driver you'd want off the road - regardless of vehicle.

[Clev]

Originally Posted by euromodder

4-way stops are just dumb environmental disasters.

Making everybody stop at a junction merely wastes energy.

Agreed on that. Unfortunately, people are morons and can't figure out concepts like "cross traffic does not stop", "slow and proceed if clear" or, god forbid, "yield."

[Grant-53]

Everyone needs to know the traffic laws whether we are driving a truck, car, bicycle, or inline skates. The League of American Wheelmen can be thanked for getting roads paved in this country. Roads are paid for at several levels not just the gas tax. As a homeschooler don't get me going on school taxes or birth control policies.

[Old Tele man]

Originally Posted by Clev

Yeah! How they dare get a free ride by using less fuel and not causing any damage to the roads? And when are those pesky pedestrians going to start paying "sidewalk" taxes? That's what I want to know!

...you DID realize that this was more of a "tongue-in-cheek" swipe at bicyclists more than a bonafide rant didn't you?????

[Piwoslaw]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

Now we have a bunch of cars unnecessarily idling at a red light.

Any car that doesn't kill its engine at a red light is idling unnecessarily.

[RH77]

I'm frankly terrified to ride my bike on public roads here.

The issue of safe biking gained significant local attention in 2006 when a celebrity was killed less than a mile up the street at our gas station. A hometown skilled biker and critically-acclaimed supermodel was biking near an intersection and was killed by a semi, when the gas station's fuel tanker turned the corner, and she was run over after striking the curb and thrown under the semi (reportedly) -- if she was forced into the curb is unclear to my knowledge:

KCBike.Info Article with Links to Accident Investigation

Wikipedia Link, Audrey Lindvall

Our 2-lane, main East-West highway has been completely reconstructed (M-150 Highway) to a 4-lane parkway-style road. Most of it is in a rural area which enters the Southern end of the city limits here. There is no bike lane (no shoulder on either side), blind crests, 45MPH with faster drivers and distracted vehicle operators. Just "share the road" signs. No improvement was made for biking; but -- part of construction included a nice road-side, paved trail. The highway itself has dangerous spots if partial lane change for passing is needed.

So when I dust-off the bike, I head for the large sidewalk/trails. I still use neighborhood streets and cross the highway with traffic-light protection to get there.

Still, the side-streets aren't that safe either. Especially with distracted driving, new teenage drivers, texting, land yachts with inexperienced operators, etc. Typical urban sprawl car culture. KC is like LA in land area size, yet very different population density. The reliance of driving and a lack of significant network of public transit forces 30+ minute drives to get to friends and family on the average. The airport commute is 52 miles, and about 50 minutes. To take a bus: drive 6 miles, park in the commuter/park-and-ride, which has 5 trips a day, limited to a connection downtown from about 6am to 6pm (not flight-schedule friendly and would triple travel time to 3 hours). Arrive late? You're stranded or have to pay for a shuttle van with MPGPP average with total shared ride not equivalent to 34 MPG which is my trip average. That's what we have.

RH77

[bdesj]

Originally Posted by RH77

I'm frankly terrified to ride my bike on public roads here....

It isn`t a perfect world, RH. Believe it or not, noplace has perfect bike friendly routes, either. For the reasons you mention, it`s important to keep a close watch on everything, be aware of "traps" and potential hazards, and keep thinking about alternative routing and ways of doing things. A lot of that danger can be mitigated by following some obvious and not-so-obvious methods. In case you haven`t read it, here`s Ken Kifer`s excellent page on bicycle traffic saftey:
Bicycle Traffic Safety
It`s worth noting that the author of those pages was killed in a bicycle related traffic accident (hit by a drunk driver), which goes to show that no matter how safely we ride, we`re still taking a chance every time we leave our driveways. We all have to decide for ourselves whether it`s worth the risk or not.

[cfg83]

bdesj -

Originally Posted by bdesj

It isn`t a perfect world, RH. Believe it or not, noplace has perfect bike friendly routes, either. For the reasons you mention, it`s important to keep a close watch on everything, be aware of "traps" and potential hazards, and keep thinking about alternative routing and ways of doing things. A lot of that danger can be mitigated by following some obvious and not-so-obvious methods.

Sounds like a motorcycle (or car) mantra.

In case you haven`t read it, here`s Ken Kifer`s excellent page on bicycle traffic saftey:
Bicycle Traffic Safety
It`s worth noting that the author of those pages was killed in a bicycle related traffic accident (hit by a drunk driver), which goes to show that no matter how safely we ride, we`re still taking a chance every time we leave our driveways. We all have to decide for ourselves whether it`s worth the risk or not.

I remember a friend that went on a cross-country bicycle trip. I don't know how many were in the group, but 3 were killed during the trip, all by semis. Two were killed within 100 miles of their final destination.

I think it has been stated here that a driver's safety is about 90% under their control regardless of how safe the car is. What is the % for bicyclers?

CarloSW2

[bdesj]

Originally Posted by cfg83

I remember a friend that went on a cross-country bicycle trip. I don't know how many were in the group, but 3 were killed during the trip, all by semis. Two were killed within 100 miles of their final destination.

Wow. So, apparently there were at least two separate fatal accidents on that same trip? Very sorry to hear that .

I can`t imagine a way of determining what percentage of being safe boils down to operator`s actions either for MVs or for bicycles, or whatever, but I`m sure it`s a lot. Being as a lot more engineered features help prevent accidents and help to keep bodily damage to a minimum on autos, which aren`t available for bicycles, I have to think that staying on the ball plays a bigger role there. Then again, a lot of that stuff that keeps autos safe is also working to keep them from plowing over pedestrians and cyclists, so I supose we do get some indirect help from ABS, tire inflation watchers, backup sensors, etc.