> If you're hit by a car, and you're not in a protective cage of steel, it's not going to matter if the other person was in the right or the wrong. You're still

> If you're hit by a car, and you're not in a protective cage of steel, it's not going to matter if the other person was in the right or the wrong. You're still dead. I get the point you're trying to make, but you're papering over some big trends. If the car that hits you is going 20 MPH, you've got a 5% chance of being dead. At 40 MPH, you're looking at more like a 85% chance. Ride defensively - sure, but remember that those government painted lines and rules and street design help influence behavior that could very easily save your life. A huge proportion of accidents happen when the cyclist is hit from behind. You think you're alive because of your defensive riding alone? You're also alive because you were never plowed into by a distracted driver that one day, a situation you would have very little control over.