The Science and Politics of Bicycle Driving

The Evidence against the Taboo (continued)

Motorists who claim that they may not be able to avoid running down a slow cyclist from behind quickly abandon that argument when they realize they are arguing the case for their own incompetence. Avoiding a rear-end collision with a slower vehicle traveling in the same direction at constant speed is the easiest task required of drivers of vehicles. This action is performed repeatedly when driving in traffic with no difficulty, because the potential conflict is right where the motorist is looking and can be seen well in advance. Slow or stopped vehicles typically include drivers waiting to turn left or waiting for signals at intersections, traffic slowed due congestion, school buses, mail trucks, tractors, and garbage trucks.  Slow traffic on ordinary roads is not dangerous; slow traffic is an inevitable part of the traffic mix in the real world. Failure to avoid rear-ending slower road users indicates a driver's gross negligence, failure to drive within his sight distance, failure to maintain control of his vehicle, or lack of basic fitness as a driver.  Such drivers are a threat to the safety of everyone else on the road and not just to bicyclists in particular. The severity of error involved in such collisions is sufficient for such a motorist to cross a double-yellow line or run a red light and kill another motorist. These drivers usually crash into trees, pedestrians, or other motorists before they get a chance to hit a bicyclist. The most effective way to remove such bad drivers from the roadways is through the existing mechanisms of traffic law enforcement designed to ensure safe drivers on safe roads, although these mechanisms may need to be given greater strength and attention.

As cyclists become more knowledgeable about cycling in traffic, they are less likely to behave as pedestrians on wheels and generally more like drivers of vehicles. This is reinforced by participation in recreational road cycling organizations. The relative accident rates (including falls) for children, adults who cycle at college campuses, and recreational club cyclists are given by Forester [4] and compared in Table 3.

Overall, the probability of injury per hour of cycling is lower than that for most sports, and the probability of death per hour is about the same as that of motoring. Cycling is not dangerous enough to discourage competent bicycle drivers from cycling wherever they want to go. The best approach to increase the safety and convenience (and thus volume) of bicycle transportation is to improve the traffic habits of bicycle drivers. Unfortunately, the benefits of vehicular bicycle driving technique and the relatively low likelihood of overtaking collisions have been largely ignored by the American public and by American bicycle transportation planners. Why? Because this evidence does not support the taboo-based pedestrian-on-wheels paradigm and does not keep cyclists out of the way for the convenience of motorists.


Continued...