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Although i'm a fairly responsible biker, I'd say the amount of bikers I see totally ignoring traffic laws is very high- stoplights, riding fast on sidewalks, go

Although i'm a fairly responsible biker, I'd say the amount of bikers I see totally ignoring traffic laws is very high- stoplights, riding fast on sidewalks, going the wrong way on one way roads, etc. Maybe 30%. Re sidewalks, I think most people feel very unsafe on bikes in demarcated bike lines, and I get that. The other stuff is totally crazy though.

TulliusCicero 11y ago
> I'd say the amount of bikers I see totally ignoring traffic laws is very high- stoplights, riding fast on sidewalks, going the wrong way on one way roads, etc. Maybe 30%. Studies show that cyclists and motorists break the law at about the same rate: http://www.phillymag.com/news/2015/08/06/bikers-drivers-break-law/ http://www.phillymag.com/news/2015/08/06/bikers-drivers-brea... What's usually happening is that we're so used to motorists breaking the law that it doesn't even register. Tons of drivers, likely the majority, on my bike route to work go over the speed limit. When a light goes from green to yellow to red, do drivers correctly stop entering the intersection before it goes red? Nah, most of the time one or two more sneak in. But I doubt other drivers even notice these things (heck, a lot of the time I don't even notice it): that law-breaking behavior is normalized. People pick up on it more with bikes, because there aren't nearly as many bikes around, so it's more noticeable. I get the thing about sidewalks, and whenever I ride on sidewalks (which is when the road is wildly unsafe), I make sure to slow down, and I get off my bike if there are a bunch of pedestrians. The thing is, if we did invest in protected bike lanes, cyclists wouldn't ride on the sidewalk, because they wouldn't have to to feel safe.
- hvidgaard 11y ago
  I am from Denmark and frequently drive in the largest cities. The main problem is not breaking the law as such, but the tendency to completely disregard the surroundings - in the last 5 years a lot bike with music as well (though this can be compensated for with proper use of your eyes). A lot of bikers doesn't look over their shoulder when biking past a connecting road. The majority does not defensively try to determine if a right turning car has seen them and just assume it has. Some are all over the place and bike on the left side of the cars. There are a ton of other examples I see on a daily basis. They do it simply because it's more convenient to them. Bikes and cars share the road, yet a great many cyclists act like they have priority. E.g when stopping at the red light, all cars waiting to do a right turn should have the right wheels close the the curb, and cyclists should queue up behind the car. They however almost always try to get past you, even jump off their bike and walk on the sidewalk if they have to and some give you the finger in the process - how dare you be in the way of how they think it should be? No matter how much motorists break the law, they're not putting themselves in nearly the same danger. Not even close.
  - Symbiote 11y ago
    > No matter how much motorists break the law, they're not putting themselves in nearly the same danger. Not even close. But motorists are absolutely putting other people in more danger...

TulliusCicero 11y ago

> I'd say the amount of bikers I see totally ignoring traffic laws is very high- stoplights, riding fast on sidewalks, going the wrong way on one way roads, etc. Maybe 30%. Studies show that cyclists and motorists break the law at about the same rate: http://www.phillymag.com/news/2015/08/06/bikers-drivers-break-law/ http://www.phillymag.com/news/2015/08/06/bikers-drivers-brea... What's usually happening is that we're so used to motorists breaking the law that it doesn't even register. Tons of drivers, likely the majority, on my bike route to work go over the speed limit. When a light goes from green to yellow to red, do drivers correctly stop entering the intersection before it goes red? Nah, most of the time one or two more sneak in. But I doubt other drivers even notice these things (heck, a lot of the time I don't even notice it): that law-breaking behavior is normalized. People pick up on it more with bikes, because there aren't nearly as many bikes around, so it's more noticeable. I get the thing about sidewalks, and whenever I ride on sidewalks (which is when the road is wildly unsafe), I make sure to slow down, and I get off my bike if there are a bunch of pedestrians. The thing is, if we did invest in protected bike lanes, cyclists wouldn't ride on the sidewalk, because they wouldn't have to to feel safe.

hvidgaard 11y ago
I am from Denmark and frequently drive in the largest cities. The main problem is not breaking the law as such, but the tendency to completely disregard the surroundings - in the last 5 years a lot bike with music as well (though this can be compensated for with proper use of your eyes). A lot of bikers doesn't look over their shoulder when biking past a connecting road. The majority does not defensively try to determine if a right turning car has seen them and just assume it has. Some are all over the place and bike on the left side of the cars. There are a ton of other examples I see on a daily basis. They do it simply because it's more convenient to them. Bikes and cars share the road, yet a great many cyclists act like they have priority. E.g when stopping at the red light, all cars waiting to do a right turn should have the right wheels close the the curb, and cyclists should queue up behind the car. They however almost always try to get past you, even jump off their bike and walk on the sidewalk if they have to and some give you the finger in the process - how dare you be in the way of how they think it should be? No matter how much motorists break the law, they're not putting themselves in nearly the same danger. Not even close.
- Symbiote 11y ago
  > No matter how much motorists break the law, they're not putting themselves in nearly the same danger. Not even close. But motorists are absolutely putting other people in more danger...