On 24 Dec 2003 06:12:39 GMT,
[email protected] (GEBUH) wrote:
>>I never could understand WHY riding against traffic is/was considered a good idea
Because some people think bikes are pedestrians with wheels, despite the obvious stupidity of
that view.
>i never could understand why it isn't. does anyone know why pedestrians are supposed to walk
>against traffic, but bikes are supposed to ride with it?
Because bikes are vehicles, so are part of the traffic. A ped walking on a street with no footway
has no alternative but to take to the road. The ped is effectively stationary relative to vehicular
traffic, and most vehicular traffic does not drive according to the rules (always ensure that you
can stop well wiothin the distance you can see to be clear), so to be able to see oncoming vehicles
and throw yourself into the hedge is a safety bonus.
A bike is part of traffic, moving at (in my case) up to about 40mph. Not only are closing speeds
that much lower, bikes can't stop instantaneously like peds can and riders have limited
opportunities for throwing themselves into the hedge without serious injury.
Riding in the line of traffic also puts you where drivers expect to see traffic, so makes it less
likely that you'll be SMIDSYd[1]. Crashes at junctions are the no. 1 cause of injury for cyclists,
so behaving like a vehicle makes obvious sense.
The only type of crash you could hope to avoid by riding against traffic is being hit from behind.
This is a very rare type of crash, and the attendant increase in risk from other sources (like
being hit head-on because you're increasing the closing speed with your speed) more than wipes out
any benefit.
[1] SMIDSY = Sorry Mate I Didn't See You
Guy
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May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
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