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Empirical evidence and analysis of the most likely causes of crashes show that bicyclists who operate as drivers of vehicles according to the Rules of the Road enjoy travel that is much safer and much more convenient than those who do not. Unfortunately, the taboo against vehicular-style cycling discourages many novice cyclists from discovering or practicing proper vehicular technique. Recreational and sports-oriented cycling clubs are one avenue through which cyclists are indoctrinated into the practice of vehicular cycling. Club cyclists are taught by other cyclists and realize through their own experience how they can optimize their safety and speed when cycling on roadways, and are thus able to unlearn the taboo. Cyclists who do not belong to such clubs are rarely taught how to drive a bicycle effectively on roads and are unlikely to discover the merits of vehicular cycling on their own. They never develop a sense of entitlement to use the roads or to operate safely and efficiently. The social taboo is often too strong for these cyclists to give up their behavior as pedestrians-on-wheels.
It does not have to be this way. Basic instruction in bicycle driving can effectively teach older children, teens, and adults to avoid the most common causes of crashes and injuries to novice cyclists, and minimize the risk of the less common crashes, while operating with much greater efficiency. Formalized instruction that includes on-bike practice in traffic under the supervision of a competent instructor provides a rate of skill improvement faster than participation in club activities and much faster than trial and error. (It is often not enough to merely read about or see vehicular cycling; cyclists learn best by doing, and repeating the practice until they get it right.) Graduates of such programs eventually develop the confidence to travel by bicycle virtually anywhere as they extrapolate from the basic vehicular principles and improve their performance. They also go on to become better motor vehicle drivers, since their traffic skills are already developed while driving bicycles and all they need to learn are the particulars of motor vehicle operation.
We know that on-street bicycle driving education works to greatly reduce the crash rate per mile of bicycle travel, and promotes bicycle travel in general. Why then, with the millions of dollars government spends on bike paths, bike lanes, and enforcement or promotion of helmet use, do we not see government pursuing effective vehicular cycling education programs? Why does the government spend millions of dollars to heavily subsidize public bus systems that provide the carless slow service to a few destinations, but not help people learn to travel quickly, independently and inexpensively on bicycles anywhere they want to go? In fact, some in government do try to promote vehicular cycling education, but those who control the money still view bicycles as toys, and view bicyclists as hopelessly incompetent children who will never posess the skill to operate in traffic. (In fact, they do not believe safe bicycle operation in traffic is humanly possible.) Those government decision makers with any real power do not value the ability to travel by bicycle safely and efficiently; they are more interested in improving convenience for motorists by keeping bicyclists out of the way, and providing park facilities for their children to play on toys without worrying about traffic. Their idea of crash prevention is traffic avoidance, and any safety issue that cannot be solved by relocating cyclists they attempt to address with helmets. The idea of actually teaching cyclists to ride in traffic is politically unpalatable because it violates a popular taboo, and many people don't believe that cyclists need or deserve to travel on important roads, because important roads are believed to be intended for exclusive use by motorists.
Transportational bicyclists are a minority, and politicians are unlikely to choose unpopular scientific conclusions over a popular taboo. Meanwhile, school systems are far too conservative to give up teaching dodge-ball and football in favor of teaching something as controversial and supposedly dangerous as bicycle driving. It therefore falls to avid bicycle drivers to educate the rest of society. Cycling organizations can organize vehicular cycling classes, and individual cyclists can invite beginning cyclists out to ride and teach them the basics. All cyclists must do their best to obey the rules of the road and provide a good example to those who are watching. This includes cooperating with motorists and helping them to overtake when it is clearly safe to do so and does not create unfair delay to the cyclist. Whenever a politician or other public figure spreads misinformation about cycling or perpetuates a taboo, cyclists must respond to refute this with good information and logic.
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